Alamance County’s commissioners have tapped a member of the local school board to fill a sought-after seat on a special oversight board that promotes travel and tourism in this part of the state.
During a regularly-scheduled meeting on Monday, a bare three-person majority of the board of commissioners selected first-term school board member Chuck Marsh to hold this position on the Tourism Development Authority that’s explicitly reserved for a representative of a “tourism-related” industry.
Marsh, who is also the owner of two local radio stations, ultimately landed this slot over fellow applicants Tammy Cobb, Tony Laws, Steven Krans, Erin Nettles, and Stephanie Williams. Marsh’s candidacy for the position was initially espoused by commissioner Craig Turner, then seconded by commissioner Pam Thompson, and finally approved with the added support of Steve Carter, the vice chairman of Alamance County’s commissioners.
Of Marsh’s five rivals, the only one to gain any traction with the commissioners was Laws, who serves as Burlington’s long-time director of recreation and parks director. Following Marsh’s nomination, commissioner Bill Lashley proffered Laws as an competing contender, and he soon drew a second from John Paisley, Jr., the chairman of Alamance County’s commissioners.
But once Turner, Thompson, and Carter had declared their inclination for Marsh, Paisley saw no need to bring Laws’ nomination to a vote – or even to hear Marsh’s opponents vote against his appointment.
In addition to Marsh, the board of commissioners also appointed Kavita Patel and Danielle Claudio to two other seats on the Tourism Development Authority that have been set aside for representatives of the hospitality industry. The only two applicants for these positions, Patel and Claudio were approved in a 5-to-0 decision.
