Arabia Alliance Honored at Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference
This week, staff of the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance (the nonprofit coordinator of the National Heritage Area) spent three days in LaGrange, GA, at the 2019 Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference. We learned about everything from social media strategies to the importance of public art and even brainstormed new tourism slogans. We also enjoyed local barbeque and brews at the Sweetland Amphitheater in downtown LaGrange and at the Great Wolf Lodge, where the conference took place.
At the end of the conference, we were honored with the Paul Nelson Award for Outdoor Recreation and Preservation. This award recognizes the work of people or organizations who have worked to preserve and promote Georgia’s wild spaces. We are very excited to have been honored with this award and are looking forward to continuing to protect and promote the thrilling natural spaces within the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area. (It’s also worth noting that last year’s winner was Becky Kelly, former Director of Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites and a member of the Arabia Alliance board!)
Below are photos from the event, including the awards ceremony, presentation by the Arabia Alliance Executive Director Mera Cardenas, and more.
Arabia Alliance Executive Director Mera Cardenas accepting the Paul Nelson Award, standing with state officials. Credit: Georgia Governor’s Conference.
Arabia Alliance Executive Director Mera Cardenas with the award, standing with state and county officials.
Arabia Alliance Executive Director Mera Cardenas gives a presentation about the role of partnerships with Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites (Panola Mountain SP) in the National Heritage Area.
Arabia Alliance staff members discussing with other conference attendees. Credit: Georgia Governor’s Conference.
After all that work, we needed a break! We visited the Sweetland Amphitheater in downtown LaGrange for a night of music, barbecue and a feast of donuts.
The grounds of the Sweetland Amphitheater in LaGrange. Credit: Georgia Governor’s Conference.
Arabia Mountain
Dominated by two granite outcrops, the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area offers natural wonders, compelling history and heart-pumping activity. This nationally significant landscape includes vibrant history, breathtaking beauty and intriguing cultural changes from early settlers to immigrant rock cutters, Trappist monks and one of the oldest African-American communities in Georgia.
