To: Board of Supervisors
From: County Administrative Office
Agenda Section: Time Certain Matter
Vote Requirement: Majority
SUBJECT:
title
9:30 A.M. - Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) Appointments and Bylaw Updates
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Receive and review applications for appointments to the Humboldt County TAB; and
2. Receive a proposed slate of appointments recommended by the Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC); and
3. Provide each candidate present in person, or virtually, with the opportunity to make a statement regarding their interest and qualifications for serving on the TAB; and
4. Consider the proposed recommendations, applicant qualifications, intended composition of the TAB and any other relevant information and appoint members to the available seats at your Board’s discretion; and
5. Approve the proposed amendments to the TAB Bylaws.
Body
STRATEGIC PLAN:
This action supports the following areas of your Board’s Strategic Plan.
Area of Focus: A Diverse, Equitable & Robust Economy
Strategic Plan Category: 2002 - Promote a robust tourism economy
DISCUSSION:
On April 28, 2026, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors adopted the Humboldt County Travel and Tourism Marketing Strategy (Attachment 7: Humboldt County Travel and Tourism Marketing Strategy) , establishing a framework for a more coordinated, collaborative and representative approach to tourism development and marketing throughout Humboldt County. The strategy recognizes the importance of the visitor economy for local businesses, employees and communities, while identifying opportunities to improve coordination among tourism partners and ensuring that tourism investments reflect the needs and opportunities of the county’s differing communities, in a manner that lifts up the county as a whole.
A central recommendation of the five-year strategy was the establishment of a TAB, in year one, to provide ongoing guidance, industry expertise and regional representation in support of the strategy's implementation. On Aug. 18, 2026, the Board of Supervisors approved the formation of the TAB and its bylaws, establishing the structure and process for appointing members.
The TAB is intended to bring together representatives from across Humboldt County's tourism economy, recognizing that the opportunities, challenges and economic impacts associated with tourism vary considerably by geography and industry. Rather than concentrating representation within a single community, organization or industry, the strategy calls for a collaborative body capable of considering the broader interests of the county's visitor economy.
On Sept. 14, 2026, following your Board's approval of the TAB, the County Administrative Office's Economic Development Division initiated an application process to solicit individuals interested in serving. The process was intended to encourage participation from a broad range of tourism stakeholders, including businesses, community organizations and individuals with relevant regional or industry expertise. Applications were due Oct. 2, 2026.
As established, the TAB consists of 17 seats, of which six are regional representatives, with regions determined through the prior public engagement period during the development of the strategy. Regions were determined by like types of tourism assets, rather than political boundaries. Nine seats are reserved for industries representative of amenities that support and are impacted, in some cases dependent upon, tourism activities. The remaining two seats are designated for Tribal Nation representation, ensuring that the valuable work of our tribal nations partners is included in the broader countywide considerations. The composition is intended to balance geographic diversity with industry-specific expertise and the perspectives of Tribal Nations, whose cultural heritage, visitor experiences and economic development activities are important components of Humboldt County's tourism economy.
Regional representatives are expected to demonstrate knowledge of the tourism assets, economic conditions and priorities of the broader region they represent, rather than a single community or organization. Industry representatives should similarly demonstrate an understanding of their respective industries beyond their individual business interests. Tribal representatives are intended to bring knowledge of their respective Tribal Nations' tourism activities and priorities. Across all seats, members should be capable of considering countywide needs and opportunities, collaborating across sectors and contributing relevant knowledge of broader tourism trends.
In addition to the appointed seats, the TAB includes designated ex officio positions intended to maintain coordination with key organizations involved in Humboldt County's tourism economy. These positions are associated with specific organizations or roles and are not filled through the general application and appointment process. One such position is designated for the Humboldt Lodging Alliance (HLA), whose Executive Director, Meredith Matthews, is expected to serve in that capacity. Accordingly, her application for an appointed seat was withdrawn from consideration but remains attached for your Board's awareness and review.
The County received 69 applications from 36 unique individuals. Several applicants applied for multiple seats, resulting in some applications being available for consideration under more than one category. All eligible applications are included as attachments for your Board's review (Attachment 1: Tourism Advisory Board Applications and Resumes).
As stated prior, the application period closed on Oct. 2, 2026, to allow staff sufficient time to process and organize submissions for review. However, additional interest was received after the deadline, including the receipt of nominations and resumes from prospective applicants. While these submissions were not included in the formal application review process, they have been provided as attachments and are available for the Board's consideration when making appointments.
The following table summarizes the intended composition of the TAB and the applications received for each seat.
|
Seat |
Applicants |
Applicant names |
|
Tribal Representative |
1 |
Toni Brown |
|
Region One Representative |
3 |
Charlie Heinberg; Taylor Lefevre; Justin Legge |
|
Region Two Representative |
1 |
Riley Morrison |
|
Region Three Representative |
13 |
Swan Asbury; Leslie Castellano; Jacqueline Dandeneau; Lindsey Esh; Charlie Heinberg; Cassandra Hesseltine; Kristina Hunt; Dalton Lee; Justin Legge; Meredith Maier; Meredith Matthews; James "Troy" Ritchie; Nancy Stevens |
|
Region Four Representative |
2 |
Charlie Heinberg; Thomas Nicholson Stratton |
|
Region Five Representative |
6 |
Sophia Anderson; Yvonne Hendrix; Laura Lasseter; Samantha Montoya; Vahan Petrossian; Shanon K Taliaferro |
|
Region Six Representative |
3 |
Drew Barber; Abby Johnson; Julie Peacock |
|
Agritourism Representative |
4 |
Drew Barber; Galen Doherty; Abby Johnson; Thomas Nicholson Stratton |
|
Airport Representative |
2 |
Justin Hopman; Alexandra Stillman |
|
Arts Representative |
4 |
Leslie Castellano; Jacqueline Dandeneau; Charlie Heinberg; Cassandra Hesseltine |
|
Cannabis Representative |
2 |
Shannon Hughes; Matthew Kurth |
|
Events Representative |
8 |
Drew Barber; Jenna Catsos; Stephen Gieder; Charlie Heinberg; Cassandra Hesseltine; Meredith Maier; Nancy Stevens; Shanon K Taliaferro |
|
Food and Beverage Representative |
4 |
Meredith Maier; Joshua Monschke; Vahan Petrossian; James "Troy" Ritchie |
|
Lodging Representative |
7 |
Polly Endert; Charlie Heinberg; Taylor Lefevre; Meredith Matthews; Samantha Montoya; Vahan Petrossian; James "Troy" Ritchie |
|
Outdoor Recreation Representative |
7 |
Drew Barber; Charlie Heinberg; Abby Johnson; Matthew Kurth; Dalton Lee; Taylor Lefevre; Justin Legge |
|
Retail Representative |
2 |
Sophia Anderson; Sue McIntyre |
To assist in organizing the applications and identifying a potential initial slate of appointments, staff convened the TAC on Oct. 13, 2026. The TAC is an informal partner group that supported the development of the Travel and Tourism Marketing Strategy and has continued to assist with the transition toward a more collaborative tourism governance structure.
During the meeting, TAC participants reviewed the applications by seat, considered the intended qualifications and representation outlined in the strategy, were then polled anonymously to develop a draft slate and finally discussed any questions, concerns or thoughts regarding the potential appointments. Participants were encouraged to consider each applicant's ability to represent the broader interests of their respective region or industry, their relevant experience and their capacity to contribute to a collaborative countywide advisory body.
The polling results demonstrated clear majority support for the proposed slate, with no close votes or competing recommendations receiving comparable support. Additionally, no individual was recommended for more than one seat, despite several applicants having applied for multiple positions. The results required minimal additional discussion, with TAC participants largely in agreement on the proposed appointments. Following discussion of a few additional considerations, the TAC supported moving the proposed slate forward for the Board's review.
It is important to note that the TAC's proposed slate is presented as a recommendation only. The TAC is not a formally established advisory body and its recommendations are nonbinding. The review was conducted solely to provide your Board with additional partner input and a potential starting point for its deliberations, as well as to show respect and appreciation for tourism partners for having volunteered their time to support the development of the strategy and reorganization of county tourism practices. The authority to appoint TAB members rests exclusively with the Board of Supervisors, which may accept, modify or decline any of the proposed recommendations, regardless of whether they appear on the TAC’s proposed slate. Additionally, your Board may also choose to leave individual seats vacant and direct staff to conduct additional recruitment if it determines that further consideration is warranted. The resulting proposed slate is summarized in the following table for your Board's consideration.
|
Seat |
Applicant names |
|
Tribal Representative |
Toni Brown |
|
Region One Representative |
Justin Legge |
|
Region Two Representative |
Riley Morrison |
|
Region Three Representative |
Swan Asbury |
|
Region Four Representative |
Thomas Nicholson Stratton |
|
Region Five Representative |
Laura Lasseter |
|
Region Six Representative |
Julie Peacock |
|
Agritourism Representative |
Galen Doherty |
|
Airport Representative |
Alexandra Stillman |
|
Arts Representative |
Cassandra Hesseltine |
|
Cannabis Representative |
Shannon Hughes |
|
Events Representative |
Shanon K Taliaferro |
|
Food and Beverage Representative |
Meredith Maier |
|
Lodging Representative |
James "Troy" Ritchie |
|
Outdoor Recreation Representative |
Dalton Lee |
|
Retail Representative |
Sue McIntyre |
In considering appointments, your Board may wish to evaluate applicants based on their experience, qualifications and ability to fulfill the intended purpose of the seat for which they applied. In addition to the proposed slate, your Board may consider geographic distribution, diversity of professional experience, representation of smaller or historically underrepresented communities and the overall balance of perspectives across the TAB.
While the TAB's composition was designed to ensure representation from the county's six tourism regions and key industries, the geographic distribution of applicants and proposed appointees may warrant additional consideration. In particular, your Board may wish to evaluate whether the proposed membership provides an appropriate balance of perspectives from throughout the county, including communities that may have fewer established tourism organizations or resources. To assist in this review, staff have included maps illustrating the geographic distribution of all applicants and the geographic representation of the proposed TAC-recommended slate. The map showing all applicant geographic representation is included in Attachment 2: Tourism Advisory Board Applicant Summary by Seat and the map showing the TAC proposed slate by geographic representation is included in Attachment 3: Tourism Advisory Committee Proposed Appointment Slate. These maps are intended to provide additional context rather than establish geographic quotas, particularly as regional seats are based on tourism assets and shared economic characteristics rather than political boundaries.
Your Board may also wish to consider applicants' existing organizational affiliations and whether individuals or organizations currently receiving county Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) funding for tourism-related activities should serve on the TAB. While such individuals may bring valuable experience and knowledge of tourism programming, their participation may present actual or perceived conflicts of interest when the TAB considers future funding recommendations. Your Board may wish to weigh these considerations when making appointments and provide direction regarding appropriate safeguards, including disclosure and recusal requirements where applicable.
Further, to provide applicants with an additional opportunity to share their qualifications and to follow your Board’s typical appointment process, each applicant in attendance, virtually or in person, will be given an opportunity to address your Board regarding their interest in serving and to their individual qualifications. This opportunity would supplement the written applications and provide your Board with additional information before making its appointments.
One additional consideration relates to the airport industry seat. During the application period, staff received limited initial interest in this position and the Director of Aviation was asked to apply, based on their relevant aviation experience, despite residing out of the area. Which as stated, means that this application does not meet the current bylaws' local residency requirement. A second application was subsequently received from an individual who meets the residency requirement. For additional consideration by your Board, the TAC expressed that they feel the local applicant was properly suited to represent the seat despite not having relevant Airport related work, but has an extensive volunteer background, including serving on the Aviation Advisory Committee, and providing tourism related supports to the Airport. Finally, this position one that upon TAC review received feedback that is may be worth further solicitation of the seat for additional qualified applicants. Both applications are included for your Board's review.
Should your Board determine that the out-of-area applicant is best suited to represent the airport industry, staff recommend that your Board consider an appropriate amendment to the residency provisions of the bylaws before making the appointment. The authority to amend the TAB bylaws rests with the Board of Supervisors.
Additionally, during implementation of the TAB application process, staff identified opportunities to simplify the bylaws and improve consistency with the application requirements.
The bylaws currently include a nomination process intended to encourage qualified individuals to apply and provide a mechanism for demonstrating community or industry support. However, during implementation, staff found this requirement to be administratively burdensome and largely redundant with the application process, particularly given that applicants were requested to provide three professional or community references, as well.
Although the three-reference requirement was incorporated into the application process, it was not expressly identified in the original bylaws. While the nomination process was included, it was not clear and staff found it caused unnecessary confusion and complications. Staff therefore recommend amending the bylaws to remove the nomination requirement and formally establish the submission of three references as part of the application process.
These changes are intended to maintain a meaningful process for evaluating applicant qualifications while reducing unnecessary administrative requirements and potential barriers to participation. The amendments do not change the intended composition of the TAB or your Board's authority to make appointments. The proposed amended bylaws are included for your Board's consideration (Attachment 4: Tourism Advisory Board Bylaws Proposed Edits (redline) and Attachment 5: Tourism Advisory Board Bylaws (clean version).
Following your Board's appointments, Economic Development Division staff will notify selected applicants, coordinate the TAB's initial meeting and provide orientation regarding the adopted Travel and Tourism Marketing Strategy, TAB bylaws and your Board's expectations for the advisory body's work. Once established, the TAB will immediately begin supporting implementation of the strategy, with two primary priorities: developing the regional funding and arts and culture funding processes and supporting procurement of a Destination Stewardship Organization (DSO).
Funding for implementation of the Travel and Tourism Marketing Strategy is anticipated to total upwards of $2 million annually, although staff are continuing to evaluate available Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) revenues and develop the associated budget recommendations. The strategy establishes a framework for allocating these resources across several funding categories, including 45-50% for the Destination Stewardship Organization (DSO), which will be responsible for coordinated countywide destination marketing, visitor engagement and stewardship activities; 20-25% for regional tourism funding; 10-15% arts and culture activities, including opportunities for strategic initiatives and event development; 10-15% for county oversight and administration through the Economic Development Division; and 5-10% for reserves. These allocations are intended to balance countywide tourism promotion with investments in regional priorities, targeted tourism development activities and the administrative support necessary to oversee implementation of the strategy.
Of particular importance is the regional tourism funding allocation, which is intended to provide funding opportunities for organizations working to advance tourism development within the county's six tourism regions. Funding priorities will be informed by the Regional Readiness Assessments identified in the strategy, which will evaluate each region's tourism assets, infrastructure, economic conditions and opportunities for growth. Rather than establishing a uniform set of expectations for all regions, these assessments will help identify where investments can best support each region's specific needs and opportunities. Funding opportunities are anticipated to be open to qualified organizations, including existing TOT-funded chambers of commerce and visitors bureaus, as well as other organizations capable of advancing identified regional priorities. This approach is intended to broaden participation while building upon existing tourism partnerships and ensure that resources are directed toward projects and activities that respond to the needs of each region. Application requirements and evaluation criteria, and eventually funding recommendations, will be developed with input from the TAB and brought before your Board for review and approval.
Staff anticipate working with the TAB to develop the funding application processes, evaluation criteria and associated performance measures beginning in late 2026 through early 2027, with the goal of presenting the application process for your Board’s review in the beginning of the new year, followed shortly thereafter by funding recommendations to your Board in March, in coordination with the county's annual budget process. This is an ambitious timeline, particularly given the TAB's formation and the work necessary to establish equitable and transparent funding processes. Should additional time be required, staff will return to your Board with recommendations and request further direction regarding the allocation of available funding.
As an advisory body to the Board of Supervisors, and as state in the bylaws and strategy, the TAB will not have independent authority to approve funding allocations. Proposed application processes, evaluation criteria and funding recommendations will be presented to your Board for review and approval.
Concurrent with this work, Economic Development Division staff will move forward with issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the selection of a DSO. The DSO will play a central role in implementing the county's Travel and Tourism Marketing Strategy, coordinating destination marketing and stewardship activities and supporting collaboration across the county's tourism regions and industries. Current plans are to release the RFP by Dec. 1, 2026, and solicit proposals through Feb. 1, 2027. Staff anticipate bringing the RFP evaluation and proposed selection to the TAB during the first quarter of calendar year 2027, with a recommendation to your Board shortly thereafter, again in alignment with the County’s budget timeline. The goal is to have a DSO under contract by July 1, 2027, coinciding with the beginning of fiscal year (FY) 2027-28.
This timeline is consistent with the five-year implementation framework established in the Travel and Tourism Marketing Strategy and supports the county's 2025-2030 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy through efforts to strengthen the visitor economy, support local businesses and employment, improve coordination of economic development investments and promote sustainable, geographically inclusive economic growth.
Together, these efforts will establish the foundation for a more coordinated approach to tourism development in Humboldt County, with the TAB providing regional and industry expertise, the DSO supporting marketing implementation and the Board of Supervisors retaining oversight of funding decisions and overall policy direction.
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
TOT 1100181
Economic Development 1120275
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Narrative Explanation of Financial Impact:
The appointments and proposed bylaw amendments are not anticipated to result in additional direct costs to the county. Administrative support for the TAB, including meeting coordination, member onboarding and ongoing implementation of the Travel and Tourism Marketing Strategy, will be provided by the County Administrative Office's Economic Development Division using existing staff resources and TOT funding allotments. It is anticipated that ongoing allocations of TOT funding to the Economic Development Division will be needed to maintain these activities in future FYs.
STAFFING IMPACT:
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impact:
No additional staffing is requested. Existing Economic Development Division and County Administrative Office staff will provide administrative support to the TAB as part of the division's ongoing tourism responsibilities.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
N/A
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Your Board may choose to modify the proposed slate, appoint alternative applicants or defer appointments to one or more seats pending additional recruitment. These alternatives would remain consistent with your Board's appointment authority, although deferring appointments may delay the TAB's formation or limit its initial representation.
Your Board may also decline to approve the proposed bylaw amendments. This alternative is not recommended, as retaining the nomination requirement would continue an administrative process that staff have found redundant with the three-reference application requirement and could discourage otherwise qualified individuals from applying.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Tourism Advisory Board Applications and Résumés
2. Additional Applicants
3. Tourism Advisory Board Applicant Summary by Seat
4. Tourism Advisory Committee Proposed Appointment Slate
5. Tourism Advisory Board Bylaws Proposed Edits (redline)
6. Tourism Advisory Board Bylaws (clean version)
7. Humboldt County Travel and Tourism Marketing Strategy
8. Public Comment
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Meeting of: June 10, 2024; April 22, 2025; June 13, 2025; April 28, 2026; Aug. 18, 2026
File No.: 24-969, 24-979; 25-502; 25-134; 26-244; 26-742