25th Anniversary February Recap – ‘White Mountains’ month
We are entering our third month of our 25th Anniversary Celebration, and we are having fun! For February’s theme, we learned about New Hampshire’s White Mountains. We hosted a variety of interviews, presentations, and started working on our certification and customer service trainings.
NHGSA was pleased to learn more from Cynthia Cutting, Director of the Museum of the White Mountains. Cynthia gave a wonderful virtual tour of the museum, focusing on the current exhibit, Endangered Invasive and Undiscovered [Species]. This exhibition featured environmental artwork from Kimberly Ritchie’s recent sabbatical experiences in Greece and Iceland. The exhibit also highlighted faculty led, student made, collaborative work from interdisciplinary projects across campus, involving the intersection of the human race and the natural world that impacts endangered, invasive, undiscovered, and evolving species. Check out the recording and some feedback from our GSAs.
Another topic that is close to many GSA’s hearts is skiing – and we had a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the history of skiing in Tuckerman’s Ravine. This interesting and informative presentation, “Over the Headwall, A History of Skiing in Tuckerman’s Ravine,” was given by Jeffrey Leich, the Executive Director of the New England Ski Museum. We were able to see pictures of skiers from many years ago, races that had occurred at Tuckerman’s Ravine, and beautiful pictures of the mountain area. Check out the blog review and some GSA perspectives.
We also loved learning about all of the winter outdoor recreational activities that the White Mountains has to offer. We hosted a panel with some key members of the White Mountain tourism community. Our panelists included Charyl Reardon, President of White Mountains Attractions Association; Jessyca Keeler, President of Ski New Hampshire; Ellen Chandler, Executive Director of Jackson XC; Emily Davenport, Wilderness Guide at Appalachian Mountain Club; and Matt Yeramian, Visitor Services Coordinator at White Mountain National Forest. Each panelist gave a wonderful presentation and overview of their organization, as well as winter outdoor recreational activities in the White Mountains. Check out the recording!
Another activity that GSAs participated in this month was a Gallery Opening and Reception for WREN (Women’s Rural Entrepreneurial Network) “Winter in the Whites” Exhibit. This two-month long exhibit features the works of four WREN members who are masters in their respective fields of painting and photography. Featured WREN members include Rebecca M. Fullerton and Michele Johnsen (both painters) and Daryl Hawk and Chris Whiton (both photographers). Check out the WREN interview for more details.
Our Conversations with Emily Interview series continued into February, mostly focusing on White Mountains attractions and organizations. In February, we recorded interviews with NHSCOT & the Highland Games, WREN – Women’s Rural Entrepreneurial Network, Museum of the White Mountains, Conway Scenic Railroad, Bretton Woods/Omni Mount Washington Hotel, and Dr. Mark Okrant’s update on COVID-19/Tourism. We have also been conducting interviews with our Center Managers, which can be found on our Visitor Center Information page.
Each week, we feature a new topic in our newsletter: NH Rail Trail Coalition, NH Agriculture, NH State Parks, and NH Arts/History/Culture. In February, we featured NH Rail trails – Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail, Hiking to Cloudland Falls and Behind the Scenes at Cannon Mountain, Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm & Meadowstone Farm, and Kimball Jenkins.
Trainings
We are offering our GSA training in March as a virtual training. Any current or past GSAs are encouraged to participate to recertify, and we are looking forward to welcoming new GSAs as well. For more information, visit our Certification page.
Granite State Ambassadors is pleased to announce a new partnership with the world-renowned customer service expert, Dennis Snow. As the industry leader in customer experience and information services, it is important that NHGSA lead the charge during our state’s recovery of the pandemic. We are so very proud to have been offered this opportunity, and we strongly encourage Granite State Ambassadors and industry members to participate. The courses in the Dennis Snow Virtual Training are designed for people experienced in assisting customers, as well as those new to the role. Learn more about the training here.
We are in the process of scheduling interviews and presentations for March, our Agriculture month! We have several presentations in the works, including a beekeeping session and a session about the UNH Coop Extension on March 12th. Stay tuned for more interviews and programs!
About New Hampshire Granite State Ambassadors
New Hampshire Granite State Ambassadors add value to state agencies, local businesses, and individuals through a training and service support network that sustains and enhances the New Hampshire experience. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, charitable organization, NHGSA serves hundreds of travel and tourism-related businesses.
Find out more about NHGSA, Inc. at https://nhgranitestateambassadors.org/ Our key partners are the NH Division of Travel and Tourism and the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.