Our 2023 Hambassadors were recognized at our annual Tourism Celebration Breakfast on Wednesday, August 17, 2023 at the Smithfield Center
Smithfield & Isle of Wight Tourism recognizes the vital role our "front line" employees AND our residents play in the tourism industry to ensure our visitors have a positive experience. The Hambassador Program offers these employees and residents the opportunity to learn more about local attractions, accommodations, restaurants and shops in our town and county and their local tourism bureau (us!);. These employees and residents our Hambassadors are then fully prepared to serve and interact with our visitors with quality customer service and the knowledge to offer them information on all we have to offer in Genuine Smithfield and Isle of Wight County.
This program is offered to all who care about OUR community including those who work in, contribute to, or support the tourism industry in Smithfield & Isle of Wight County - employees, employers, merchants, government employees, members of volunteer organizations, and interested citizens. We encourage employers to pay their employees for the time spent on the program.
Here is what a few of our participants had to say about the program:
"I find the program very valuable. Smithfield has visitors daily and to make them feel welcome it is important my employees know places to eat and things to see and do. The Smithfield Center has a constant stream of visitors attending meetings, weddings and other events and I never want to hear one of my staff members say" I don't know " when a visitor asks" what is there to do here?"
Amy Novak, Director, Smithfield Center and Outdoor Venues
“I loved finding out more about my town and county, what there is to see and do here and how I make a difference in bringing business, investment and capital through tourism in my own community. I now understand the link between tourism and our community’s quality of life.”
Bill Davidson, Volunteer, The Art Center@319
Once the three steps are completed, participants are invited to the Annual Tourism Breakfast in August where they will receive a Hambassador pin and a certificate of completion.
PLEASE NOTE! The contact person for the Hambassador Program is Connie Chapman. To register for the program, make arrangements for your familiarization tour, or to answer any questions, Connie can be reached at cchapman@isleofwightus.net or at 757.365.1644.
The first step is to watch our three short training videos. Don’t worry…there’s no test at the end. We simply ask that you watch each video. We hope you’ll find the information interesting and we’re certain you’ll learn something new about Smithfield & Isle of Wight and why YOU are so vitally important to our local economy and tourism industry.
We recommend watching the videos before moving on to Steps 2 & 3. Be sure to contact Connie when you’ve finished watching the videos and she will contact you to arrange your familiarization tour.
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE 3 TRAINING VIDEOS.
This step in the process is an important opportunity for you to experience Smithfield & Isle of Wight from the visitor’s point of view.
Choose two establishments to visit - a local restaurant, shop, attraction or lodger. These are listed on GenuineSmithfieldVA.com. (If you’re employed locally, please do not choose to review your workplace).
Imagine you’re a visitor. How welcome did you feel in the shop? Was your food served in a timely and professional manner? How connected did you feel to the attraction? Did you learn anything during your visit? Asking yourself these questions will help you see our visitors experience – plus you’ll get to visit some great places!
Finally, we ask that you consider volunteering at least one time at one of our larger tourism-sponsored special events. Many of our Hambassadors enjoy the experience so much that they keep volunteering year after year!
A list of these events you can sign up for is below. Please let us know which events you are interested in.
TOURISM-SPONSORED SPECIAL EVENTS:
Downtown Autumn Vintage Market, Last Saturday in September
Help with set up the day before the event or as vendors arrive to find their spots the morning of the event.
Mistletoe Marketplace, Saturday before Thanksgiving
Help with set up the day before the event or as vendors arrive to find their spots
Yuletide Spirits Holiday Market, Saturday after Thanksgiving
Help with set up the day before the event or as vendors arrive to find their spots the morning of the event
Downtown Smithfield Christmas Parade, 2nd Saturday in December
Help with parade line up and safety along the parade route.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day
Help with parade line up and safety along the parade route.
Country Spring Vintage Market, held in April/May
Help with set up the day before the event or as vendors arrive to find their spots the morning of the event
Smithfield Arts Festival, 3rd Saturday in May
Help with set up the day before the event or as artists and vendors arrive to find their spots the morning of the event
What’s a fam tour? A "familiarization tour" is a guided tour of the wonderful attractions in our area. This tour is not taken to simply learn about our area. It offers our Hambassadors the opportunity to experience the attractions as a visitor would! Taking this tour will then make it much easier for you to speak knowledgeably about area sites to our visitors - from personal experience!
Participants will board the tourism van to visit Darden’s Country Store, St. Luke’s Church, the Isle of Wight County Museum, the Schoolhouse Museum, and more. Even if you have visited these sites before, you and your group will be given a personal guided tour of each attraction.
There is no set time or date for this tour. Contact Connie when you have watched all three videos to make arrangements for your fam tour to suit your schedule.
Register by contacting Connie Chapman. (You must be at least 16 years old to participate in the program.) When you have completed all three steps, contact Connie!
HAMBASSADORS:
2024
Valerie Butler
Tara Eveland
Russ Frohman
Veronica Garry
Jennifer Hanes
Honnalora Hubbard
Deborah North
Jennifer Overby
Autumn Torrey
Kimberly Wade
Patrick Yost
2023
Mary Cox
Katie de Graff
Rebecca Heath
Fran Hyde
Maria Jackson
Stephanie Kensicki
Christy Little
Jacci Sciacchitano
Pam Staha
Kristin Wilda
2022
Cindy Allen
John Cerra
Colby Cook
Sabrina Dooley
Sean Dooley
Dolly Eanes
Dee Garland
Melanie Harris
Pam Havens
Julie Hess
Kim Holland
Amber Johnson
Cheryl Jones
Dennis Jones
Krystle Kitchen
JT Latham
Marianne Latham
Robyn Ness
Kelly Ryan
Pearl Stokes
Nicole Talton
Jennifer Tep‐Cuadro
Carter Williams
Heidi Wurm
2018
Bill Davidson
Debra Duncan
Teresa Frantz
Sydney Keever
Meredith Marchant
2016
Kelly Amiss
Dee B. Campbell
2015
Angelina Baaklini
Kathy Beach
Kurt Beach
Lauren Birkmire
Connie Chapman
Andy Crip
Taylor Crnovic
Lauren Epperly
Deb Frank
Sherry Gill
Bill Hanlon
Georgine Koenig
Deborah Marshall
Jennifer Melms
Anna Montiel
Jacob Oliver
Ryan Spanagel
Kris Stiel
Danielle Vietes
2014
Amy Novak
Margaret Carroll
Marian Aiden
Herbert Kelly
Danielle Lambert
Lynka Jordan
Courtney Roggmann
Joshua Marshall