Fort Atkinson Tourism Manager Holly Tierney and the Fireside Theatre were both nominees recently to receive statewide recognition during the Wisconsin Governor’s Conference on Tourism, according to information released by the Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce.
The conference was held earlier this month in Green Bay.
Information released by the chamber noted that each year a different community in Wisconsin hosts the event. In 2022, the event was held in Madison. Plans have been made to hold the event in Lake Geneva in 2024.
This year’s conference theme was “Big.” Elaborating on the choice of theme, the release cited information shared by conference organizers, noting: “Wisconsin is having a moment. A big moment. And the Wisconsin tourism industry is ready to seize it with big ideas, big plans, and big goals.”
The release identified “notable guests” at this year’s conference, including Gov. Tony Evers, Andrea Boehlke of “Survivor” and “Discover Wisconsin,” Green Bay Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy, and actor John McGivern of “Around the Corner,” among others.
During the conference, an awards ceremony was held during which recipients were named in the following categories: Legacy Award; Rising Star Award; Innovation Award; Service Excellence Award; Arts, Culture and Heritage Award, and Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion Award.
Among this year’s nominees were Tierney, within the category of Rising Star, and the Fireside Dinner Theater, within the category of Arts, Culture and Heritage.
According to the release, the Fireside received recognition through nomination for its nearly 40-year history as a “premiere entertainment destination in the Midwest.” Since 1964, the release noted, the venue has attracted visitors to Wisconsin through its musicals, featuring Broadway performers, fine dining and specialty shops.
In 2022, the release noted, the Wisconsin Restaurant Association recognized Fireside owners Ryan and Kristi Klopcics with its Innovation Award, given in response to their creative solutions to stay open during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, back-of-house manager Chris Ott, was recognized with the Best of the Back of the House Award for his leadership of the management team during that same period of time.
Also receiving recognition through nomination was Tierney, who joined the Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce last August and was cited for her ability to assess the chamber’s needs, creating attainable goals and “surpassing those goals,” the release stated, further citing an increase in the chamber’s social media presence by 20%.
Tierney also serves as the president of Jefferson County Area Tourism Council. In that role, she helps promote visitation to the city of Fort Atkinson and the whole of Jefferson County, the release noted.
Among creative concepts, Tierney offered the idea of a Fort Atkinson jingle contest last year, and she has taken steps to develop a grant process to streamline tourism proposals for driving interest in Fort Atkinson, the release continued.
A specialty shop at The Fireside Theater. Contributed photo.
Holly Tierney
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