SarahB1: Thanks for the kind words. Over 100 people were invited into the process including a seven person search committee and our entire board so it was very much a team effort. I was happy to play a small role.

BeloitPro: I'm sorry you feel that way. We gave individual review to well more than 50 candidates over a more than 2 1/2 month process. The depth of the pool was impressive and made the job challenging. The news brief above is correct for the most part but is just that, a brief. Ms. Frederiksen's resume includes no fewer than 5 statewide awards earned while working for organizations that certainly had both tourism and economic development components as parts of their mission. There were a number of specific examples from her work history that showed her to have a keen sense for tourism and travel. Deb has built a career around working collaboratively with a wide group of community partners. The depth and breadth of her experience is impressive. She has a proven track record of gathering input from many as part of her decision making process. I personally think that a bright future is available for Beloit and all of the surrounding communities if we can find a way to break down barriers. I believe Deb Frederiksen is a person that will help make that happen. Perhaps a more comprehensive story will follow but if not please feel free to call me and we can talk through your concerns. If you haven't already done so, I hope you'll consider volunteering for Visit Beloit. It's a great organization with a dedicated, hardworking staff. Best wishes.

I have serious doubts about the selection process. None of the three final canidates had the credentials you'd look for in a tourism marketing professional.The one they chose ran a gated community?! How does this translate? It think it's time for some of the organizations in Beloit to look at the people who are making decisions and instead of the status quo look to be innovative and change the dynamic of how they function.