| Wisconsin tourism is for all |
| By Sheree Dallas Branch Deputy Secretary, Dept. of Tourism State of Wisconsin |
| (Excerpts from her speech at the Wisconsin Women of Color Network on September 15 at DoubleTree Hotel) |
| Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wis., Deputy Secretary of Tourism Sheree Dallas Branch came from the private sector with a business mindset that can propel the tourism industry in Wisconsin to new heights. She inspired the WWOCN with her personal story during the group's leadership conference at the DoubleTree Hotel. |
| Background |
| I have lived pretty much all my life in Wisconsin. I went to school in Texas for a while but came back and got my undergraduate at UW-Milwaukee in Broadcast Journalism. I started my career in broadcasting as a producer for our NBC affiliate there, and from there I did a short stint with the nonprofit Second Harvest Food Bank as a project manager and really enjoyed the work that I did. At the end of the day, I knew that no matter what you did in an organization, you were giving back to someone, and the work that you did impacted hungry people. And so, from news, which is seen as very glamorous and exciting, to feeding hungry people, it wasn't a hard choice to know that I wanted to feel good about whatever work I did when I went home in the evening. From there, I went to a company called Master Lock, one of the largest lock manufacturers in the world. I had the pleasure of working for a great corporate brand that had a very high identity right across the world -- 96 percent recognition, which means that out of 100 people, 96 either had owned a new product or know the name. I was fortunate to work for that company for 6 years as their community and public affairs manager, overseeing internal communication. It was wonderful. I really enjoyed working for a brand and representing that brand. So if you'd have asked me two years ago that I'd be the deputy secretary of tourism, I don't know because I never thought I'd be working for government. Coming from the private sector, people asked me, "Are you sure you want to work for government?" When I heard about the job, about tourism, and what we did in terms of promoting the state of Wisconsin, I figured I could go from promoting a lock and a corporate image to promoting the great state of Wisconsin and all we have to offer in terms of tourism and destinations. At the Department of Tourism I saw that as a great challenge to work in the public sector, which was very new to me. What I'm going to love about the public sector is that the work that we do impacts everyone in the state. I say to people that I have the fun job in government; we're the fun arm, we get to have fun every day and market and promote and do a wonderful campaign, and so I'm not in the kind of agency where it is very bureaucratic, and I'm grateful for that because I am a creative person, and I need to be energized, so this is just a perfect fit for me. "What does Sheree want to bring to the table while she's here with the Department of Tourism?" One thing that I saw was that we do fabulous ads. We have great commercials. But I said, "Hmm, I think we might need to diversify just a little bit." Because if you're like me, although I was born and raised in Wisconsin and we took a lot of vacations, when I really look on the map, we never really travel too far past Wisconsin Dells, and I didn't even know until I took this job about the wonderful places that we have here. So what I wanted to do is make sure that people of color understood that Wisconsin has a lot to offer in terms of tourist and travel opportunities. And I believe that I can best promote places and things once I've experienced them. I began to really travel the state and drive six to seven hours and still be in the state of Wisconsin. I began to see all the wonderful things that we have in our brochures, catalogs ,and on our website. And in doing that, (I realize) we had taken a great leap about five years ago in starting a multicultural campaign, and so the department has come a very long way and I was very excited about that when I joined the department. (My contribution to this development is to improve on) what I call the "sprinkle approach," that in a single shot, whether it is on television or in newspaper print, there is the diversity show ... (a grouping of diverse ethnic folks together..) I thought we need to show how real people vacation, people in groups doing what they do like everyone else -- with friends, family, multi-generation, we need to show all of that. What I want us to project is that we are a state that's inclusive to all people. And I think we really have to show ourselves friendly, not just to the people in other states, but within our own state. We have to be our best ambassadors. When you see something that you're not sure about; when you see something that you'd like us to do or to portray differently, even on our website or to advertise, please let us know. Visit our website, www.travelwisconsin.com. We need to hear from you. |
| SHEREE'S GREAT ESCAPES Winter in Wisconsin is all that ... and then some Winter is here, and, I know -- it's cold! Although Wisconsin winters provide snowy images lovely enough for greeting cards, many of us prefer to stay inside with a cup of hot chocolate and a sweater. But winter will surprise you. Take some time to get to know it and experience some of the fun and beauty of the outdoors. There are so many ways to fight off cabin fever and have some fun with the kids. Skiing offers many levels of participation, from downhill to cross-country. Both are great forms of exercise, and family-friendly. In addition to skiing, there is snowboarding, snow tubing, snowmobiling and sledding, so there's something the entire family can enjoy together. Winter can also be a romantic season for cozy overnight getaways with horse-drawn sleigh rides and ice-skating for couples. You'll look great sipping hot chocolate by a roaring fire after shopping at the brand new Tanger Outlet Mall just off I-90/94 in Lake Delton. Check out www.travelwisconsin.com for a complete listing of outdoor winter festivals and other activities. Wisconsin has much to offer if you prefer less contact with the great outdoors during winter. Visit www.travelwisconsin.com for information on performances, exhibitions, fine dining, spa locations and much more. As the innovator of the indoor water park concept, Wisconsin has a diverse array of indoor water park destinations with family-friendly accommodations and more. Some properties even offer on-site condo rentals with full access to the water park and other resort amenities. Most of the condos are equipped to be your family's home away from home, with gracious living space, two to three bedrooms, full kitchens, fireplaces, TV/cable, and more. Go to www.travelwisconsin.com for information on Wisconsin resorts, vacation rentals, and lodging. See, I told you there's much to do this winter in Wisconsin. Embrace winter this year with a wonderful escape to see why Wisconsin is all that ... and then some. |
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