The new face of the DVA

By Scott NeufeldWednesday, July 19, 2006 http://www.dailycourier.ca/article_377.php
Earl Hansen got his first taste of Vernon several years ago when he skied Silver Star as part of his job in resort development. Now he’s back in town to take the helm at the Downtown Vernon Association.Born in California, Hansen has lived in B.C. for 30 years splitting his stay between the Peace River country, the Kootenays, the Coast, Prince George – everywhere but the Okanagan, he said.“Like I told my wife, we saved the best for last,” he said.Hansen was most recently the executive director of the Del Norte Chamber of Commerce in Crescent City, Calif., but couldn’t pass up the chance to return to B.C. He said it was an easy decision to come to Vernon.“From the point of view of personal desirability . . . it rates five stars out of five,” he said.Hansen has now been on the job for about a week and said he’s starting to get a sense of the direction that the association is heading. He said it’s important to set the right course because downtown businesses are increasingly having to compete with big box retailers.“We live in a very competitive business environment,” he said. “Downtowns are a vital part of the community – it’s the foundation on which other things are built.Hansen said he is impressed with the programs and services that the association offers. He said Civic Sounds is a great way to get people downtown and remind them of the wide range of opportunities that are available.What Hansen said he’s found so far is that there are a lot of great ideas in the community and he is looking forward to getting input on how to “fine tune” the things the association does.“At this stage for me the emphasis is a little on listening, finding out what others might believe we should be doing,” he said. “I’d like to see if there is anything out there, any ideas out there in the community that are worth a look.”In the past Hansen has worked as the executive director for the Rocky Mountain Visitors and Whistler Resort Association, as a consultant for Tourism Vancouver, among other postings. He said his background has given him exposure to some great ideas for economic development and marketing.“I’m looking forward to building on opportunities and addressing some of the areas where, maybe, we need to pull up our socks,” he said.The key to the downtown’s success is marketing, Hansen said. He said he would like to see more focus on using the Internet to showcase what Vernon offers.“The Web is so important as a marketing tool these days,” he said. “I believe we’re going to be adding other things to utilize this powerful marketing tool.”Hansen also said that the association will continue to look at ways of preserving one of Vernon’s greatest assets. He said they plan to do maintenance work on the city’s many public murals next year.Joining Hansen in Vernon is his wife and their border collie Mugsy. The couple have three grown children.