New Pocahontas CVB Director Introduces Herself

Last week we talked with Chelsea Faulknier, the new Executive Director of the Pocahontas County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (or CVB.)

Chelsea, can you tell our listeners a little bit about yourself?

“I am Chelsea Faulknier, I have been an employee of the CVB for over seven years now,” said Faulkner. “I started at the CVB working as the Event Grant Specialist, moved into the Marketing position, and recently in the last month, have been hired as the Executive Director. I worked under Cara for quite some time. And have some experience in the industry. I have graduated college at WVU. I was a Pocahontas County High School graduate in 2012, and I was born and raised in Hillsboro. I have lived my whole life here in Pocahontas County, grew up farming and just exploring the outdoors and enjoying Pocahontas County and went to school at WVU.  So I have a great love for this state and I am super excited to stem into this position and pushing forward the momentum that Pocahontas County has been experiencing the last few years, and hope to continue to push that momentum forward in new and different ways, and continue the work that we have been doing.”

What is your vision and your priorities for the CVB?

“So, I obviously take pride in a lot of the work we have been doing, including our Snowshoe Highlands Ride Center; our trail development and maintenance; and our work with our mountain biking product, in developing that into the world-class mountain biking product that we have here. Making sure that we promote both the assess ability of these trails, and also the sustainability. And also working with our different initiatives: Pocahontas Housing Task Force, and some of our different initiatives like that to ensure that we’re helping tackle some of the workforce and housing issues that not only the tourism industry faces, but other industries and businesses in the county are facing that challenge as well. So, continuing on some of these efforts, and promoting mountain culture and of course working with the students, and of course encouraging tourism education and immersing them in the great things that they can do not only in Pocahontas County, but across the state as well, continuing forward with those initiatives that Cara set in place and has been working on is definitely my priority, but as we think about, and as we see Pocahontas County continuing to grow in visitors coming in and folks also moving here and wanting to start a new career, or move their family here, or even retire here, I think my big vision for Pocahontas County, as we continue to grow (is) to continue to keep our roots the same and not only in sustainability of our lands and our trails, but also our culture and our history, and just the people that are here and who have always been here who make this place so incredibly unique and special. It’s truly the people here, and the amazing businesses and community feel we have here, I think that really brings people to come back. It is easy to go out and find beautiful scenery anywhere, but you combine that with amazing hospitality and just a really rich culture and heritage and the great people here in Pocahontas County, and I think that’s what really sets our destination apart from others.”

Chelsea, is there anything else that you would like to add?

“Just really excited to continue to do the work and really passionate about marketing and advertising, it’s what I went to school for, so I am excited to continue to portray Pocahontas County for what it really is, which is this amazing place to recreate and visit or live – start up a new career here. I am just super excited to continue to market and advertise Pocahontas County and just showcase the amazing opportunity that is here, and the amazing experiences that people can have while they live here. So that’s a big focus for me moving forward, just being a marketing and advertising kind of a person, making sure we continue to portray Pocahontas County in the light that really just shines and that shows people who we truly are and what we truly have to offer here.”

Congratulations on the job.