Publisher's Letter

Go ahead. Ask me anything about Charlotte. I bet I know the answer because I am now a Crown Ambassador! The photo to the right is of me getting pinned by co-instructor of the program Mary Schultz after passing certification test.

I’ll be honest, in the past, people have asked me questions about the city that I just wouldn’t know the answer to. I would be down right embarrassed. How can I be the head of the “voice” of Charlotte’s hospitality industry and I’m getting stumped about Charlotte? Something had to be done!

I initially learned about the Crown Ambassador Program though the Charlotte Area Hotel Association (CAHA), but I wasn’t until HSMAI Carolinas Chapter president and Charlotte Hospitality News (CHN) contributor Debra Rhino took the class that I found out exactly what it was about. Debra gushed about how much fun she had and how informative Mary and Genie Hufham were. She even went so far as to write an article in this very paper about the program. Debra strongly recommended that get together with Genie and Mary, and that’s exactly what I did.

After meeting with Genie and Mary at Amelie’s French Bakery in NoDa, we decided that a CHN/Crown Ambassador/Charlotte Crown Guides partnership would be beneficial for all – and more importantly – the hospitality industry. Voila! The Queen’s Gems” section (page 1) was born, and I am now a Crown Ambassador.

As a Crown Ambassador, I am a host for the guests of the Queen City. I know the history, the neighborhoods, the destinations, the attractions, and just about everything else relating to Charlotte. And you should too! To learn more about the Crown Ambassador Program, check out www.charlottecrownguides.com. Also, in the meantime, make sure you check out the “Queen’s Gems” to learn about some of Charlotte’s hidden treasures you might not be familiar with.

Before ending my column this month, I wanted to give a big congratulations and an even bigger good luck to Cassie Brown on her new ownership of Tribble Creative Group. When I became publisher of the CHN, Cassie was one of the first people take the time out to help me. Taking over Tribble is an enormous task, but I know Cassie has the will and skill to continue right where Mary Tribble left off.