Posted on June 11, 2012
BERLIN ANNNOUNCES AMBASSADORS PROGRAM
Town employees take lead in offering informational services to visitors
This week on Main Street a total of 34 Town of Berlin employees, including all department heads, will launch a volunteer effort of their design and inspiration to provide a wide variety of information, maps and materials to help both visitors and permanent residents get the most out of every visit to Berlin’s vital, energetic and changing historic downtown.
During the months of June, July and August town employees will share two-and-a-half hour volunteer shifts to help promote the Town of Berlin. The idea came from Berlin experiencing so many changes in businesses and services during the last couple of years. By August 2012 downtown Berlin will have benefited from a net increase of about 30 new businesses in the past four years. This will mean that the number of downtown Berlin businesses will have doubled in just the last four years.
“Although this economic prosperity is good for the community, it has significantly increased the number of questions people ask, including residents, about where things are, or what there is to do, “said Mayor Gee Williams. “The council and I are deeply grateful that our town employees initiated and are supporting this creative and practical way of promoting our growing business sector.”
Town employees will volunteer to work at a portable informational stand with a bright yellow umbrella that will be located along Main Street every Monday through Friday. Volunteers will be wearing a bright yellow short-sleeve golf shirt embroidered with the town seal and the words: “Berlin Ambassador — Ask Me!” The stand is a portable lectern on wheels and Berlin Ambassadors will answer questions for individuals, not only about downtown Berlin, but the entire community.
Last week, Michael Day, Berlin Director of Economic and Community Development, conducted two “familiarization tours” for town employees so they will be personally informed about the businesses, events, history and “quirky little delights” that make Berlin a unique and enjoyable place to live or visit. As a result of the town “fam tours” several Berlin businesses have requested that Day create familiarization tours for all businesses in Berlin so owners and their employees can experience firsthand the information and personal networking that will enable them to support their neighboring businesses in town.”
“If the ambassador program is successful, as I believe it will be, the town will encourage Chamber members and citizens to volunteer at the informational stand weekdays late in the afternoon and expand the free service on the weekends,” said Mayor Williams.
“Despite all of the economic challenges we face in these first years of the 21st Century, I believe more than ever in the potential and promise of the Town of Berlin,” said Mayor Williams. “Our future as a town is not so much determined by what is going on anywhere else, but by what we do to work together to create a place where we appreciate and respect the diversity of our assets and differences.”
If anyone wishes to participate as a volunteer in the “Berlin Ambassador Program” contact Deputy Town Administrator Mary Bohlen at 410-641-4314
Categories: News
