POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – Dutchess Tourism, Inc. (DTI) promoted Colleen Dorney to Director of Outreach & Operations.
Dorney will be responsible for spearheading DTI’s efforts to serve its local, tourism business partners through the coordination of the organization’s annual awards celebrating industry excellence, and its series of Lunch and Learn webinars on important marketing and hospitality topics. She will also develop and implement a new tourism partner website that will serve as a resource to partners and elected leaders, providing essential information to ensure the local industry remains a vital piece of Dutchess County’s economy. Furthermore, Dorney will work collaboratively with tourism related businesses to manage special initiatives such as DTI’s Great Estates Pass, agritourism promotion and an ongoing effort to improve the accessibility of the destination.
In her position as Manager of Operations, Dorney was instrumental in securing a $10,000 grant from New York State’s Workforce Development Institute (WDI). The grant will support the development and publication of an informational booklet to educate all people, including those looking to change careers, on career pathways in the hospitality sector. An initiative of the DTI Board of Directors’ workforce subcommittee, of which Dorney is the staff liaison, the piece aims to encourage growth in the labor pool and meet the needs of many hotels, restaurants, and attractions. In her new role, she will be responsible for developing and implementing additional fundraising strategies, including grant writing, and securing sponsorships.
In partnership with DTI’s President & CEO, Dorney will maintain compliance with the rigorous standards of the globally recognized Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) of Destinations International, an industry accreditation that puts DTI in an elite group of just over 200 destination marketing organizations.
An important economic engine for Dutchess County and the Hudson Valley Region, local film production is facilitated and promoted by Dorney. She manages requests by the industry and maintains a location and photo database for use in fulfilling those requests, in addition to administering the official Film Dutchess webpage and social media presence.
Additionally, she is the manager of DTI’s Simpleview Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, which tracks the organization’s outcomes, pushes data to the organization’s highly trafficked website, and more. In 2019, Dorney was selected to be part of an important group of Simpleview clients called the Destination Management System (DMS) User Group, entrusted among other tourism professionals to provide feedback that is taken into consideration when improving their products.
“Colleen brings tremendous knowledge and expertise to this position with a proven track record managing our office operations, connecting with our partners and providing exceptional hospitality to all looking for information about our destination,” said Dutchess Tourism President & CEO Melaine Rottkamp. “By consistently going above and beyond to support the strategic initiatives of our organization, Colleen has been invaluable to our growth. I am excited to work with her in this new, expanded role where she will be able to affect an even greater positive impact during these challenging times.”
Dorney joined the staff of DTI in November 2016, bringing with her two years of not-for-profit experience as an AmeriCorps VISTA member with positions at Hearts and Hands in Buffalo, NY and Connecticut Campus Compact in West Hartford, CT. She holds B.A. in History from Loyola University Maryland and completed her Master of Public Administration in May 2019 at Marist College.
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About Dutchess Tourism
Dutchess Tourism, Inc. is the officially designated destination marketing organization for Dutchess County and is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) of Destinations International. It is a 501c6 non-profit organization that works to bring tourism dollars to area businesses and our community by marketing and promoting the assets of Dutchess County to the nation and the world. The office is located at 3 Neptune Road in the Town of Poughkeepsie with 17 Tourist Information Centers located around Dutchess County. The website is DutchessTourism.com and they can be reached at 845-463-4000. Dutchess Tourism, Inc. is partially funded by monies received from the County of Dutchess.
