While Mayor Henderson's City is On-the-Rocks, His Brandy is Served Neat

[XLFD]

Mayor Henderson celebrating the most recent tax rate hike

 

Ludington's Mayor John Henderson has a lot to be proud of with his eldest daughter, Brandy.  She started out being a key figure in local politics back when she served prominently on the first Youth Advisory Committee that was formed by Mayor Henderson back in 2003, a post she continued at least through 2005.  She continued serving the public as a poll worker in the 2004 election.   The next year and for the next five years she managed to get an extended summer job at the City Marina, while her daddy helped manage the running of that agency, as reported in the marina-and-the-hendersons thread.

 

In spring and summer 2009, she was given an internship position under Heather Venzke  BH- 2009 Internship under HV   with the following duties  Intern Duties.

Brandy Henderson with Heather Venzke-Tykoski enjoying a cold one

 

That may have been innocent enough in itself, as no money was spent, and so it worked well for everyone.  In Sept. 2010, E-mails passed between DDA president Venzke and City Manager John Shay about a position she proposed to create for a certain person named Brandy followed by an E-mail to Ms. Henderson, who was thrilled by the offered opportunity  9-23-2010 Contract position E-mails   9-24-2010 Contract Position E-mails  The Contracted Jobs. 

City Marina business was winding down for Brandy and she managed to do 37 hours of billable work  Work Times   and then she was paid through payroll the $370 she earned, as these two documents tell  Payroll 1  Payroll 2. 

Right after she completed both jobs in November, she was hired on by the Ludington/Scottville Chamber of Commerce (LSCC) in a new job as the 'Assistant' to Kathy MacLean  BH in Linked 1.  Her string of luck continued in February 2011 with the extra $1000 per month voted to her illegally by the DDA, including a vote by her boss at the LSCC and her fellow LSCC members.  That job, its vague descriptions, and covert beginnings is covered here in the seventh of this series.

 

Brandy Henderson (far left) Kathy MacLean (far right)

 

On March 13, 2012 the area's Convention and Visitor's Bureau (CVB) announced that they were looking for a new Marketing Director for that organization on Facebook.  Please note that the person who needs to be contacted is Kathy MacLean, Brandy's boss at the Chamber of Commerce and fellow associate at the Ludington DDA (aka the Downtown Ludington Board).  This is the job description. 

Previously, we noted the new 5% room assessment the CVB placed on all local lodging establishments netted the CVB a lot of extra money each year, and it was noted about a year ago that this gave that group about $230,000 more to play with in the DDA's 2011 March meeting.  The room tax is imposed by this non-public group on all establishments with over 10 units in the county, whether they like to or not.  The benefits of membership are nominal, however.

 

Who got the job less than three weeks after the notice was put out?  Here's a hint: her daddy and her current boss at the DDA and the Chamber didn't have anything to do with it (wink).

 

                                                             Brandy recommends her employers and her mother, she is very loyal

 

DATE: April 3, 2012                                                                                       

 

TO: All Media

 

CONTACT: Brandy Henderson, Director of Marketing, 231.845.0324

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

LUDINGTON AREA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU ANNOUNCES NEW DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

 

The Ludington Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Board of Directors is proud to announce Brandy Henderson as the new Director of Marketing. Henderson brings a great deal of enthusiasm for the community as well as the skills and experience that will enhance the marketing efforts of the Ludington Area CVB. In her new position, Henderson will be responsible for the development and implementation of all marketing and communications activities for the organization.

 

“Brandy will be a great asset to our marketing team and I am excited and looking forward to working with her on our goals for 2012,” said Dave Bourgette, Chair of the Ludington Area CVB Board of Directors. “For us to have someone with her skills and enthusiasm as a marketing director is only going to make our organization stronger.”

 

Henderson is a Ludington native and has lived in the area the majority of her life. She graduated from Grand Valley State University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Advertising & Public Relations. Since returning to the area two years ago, Henderson has been actively involved in the community and been working for the Ludington & Scottville Area Chamber of Commerce as well as the Downtown Ludington Board handling marketing, communications and event coordination for both organizations.

 

“As someone who was born and raised here, I am very passionate about our area and excited to have the opportunity to be a part of showing visitors all that we have to offer” said Henderson.

 

###

 

Thank you!

 

Brandy Henderson
Marketing & Events Coordinator
Ludington & Scottville Chamber of Commerce

Downtown Ludington Board

Ludington Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
[phone]
FAX [phone]
www.ludington.org
 

[Willy]

That would make for an interesting movie. How about naming it " Tommy and the Hendersons". I'm sure Harry wouldn't mind someone using his movie title. The story line would be the same. After you are knocked out by their car and taken home with them, they will adopt you then try to find a secure home for you, maybe a padded cell in their basement where they could control your internet access and censor your comments. So if one day in the future you start posting that the Hendersons are truly the First Family of Ludington and that you have undying respect for them and that you no longer require or want access to City Hall, we'll know that you are locked away in a cellar with a mattress a stool and a 10 year old Dell with a dial up connection.

[XLFD]

I'm thinking that a movie wouldn't be able to do it full justice, I'll ask the producers to shoot for a mini-series, and request that John Shay does all my stuntwork.

[XLFD]

In the latest quid pro quo news from Ludington, let us not forget that the Chairman of the CVB is DDA member/House of Flavor's own Willy Wonka, Barry Neal, who helped decided that Mayor Henderson's daughter Brandy was the perfect fit for being their Marketing director, while at the same time heading the Committee for a Stronger Ludington-- seeking to get two more terms (for now) for the Mayor.

Lest we forget, the close ties of Barry's dad, Bob Neal, and Mayor Henderson helped lead the City into an extra $250,000 lawsuit settlement with former Building Inspector Jack Byers.  This will be further developed as records filter in to the Committee for Stonger Ethics in Ludington, but for now here's a rendition from Looking Glass:

 

There's a port on a western bay  [not actually a bay]
And it serves a hundred ships a day  [as in her 6 years with the City Marina]
Lonely sailors pass the time away  [is that City Attorney Saylor?]
And talk about their homes  [and their ridiculous tax rates]

And there's a girl, in this harbor town 
And she works, laying whiskey down
They say "Brandy, fetch another round"
She serves them whiskey and wine

[Willy]

That's funny. Not the lawsuit but how you tied the songs words to Brandy Henderson's situation.

[XLFD]

Congratulations to Brandy Henderson who has gravitated to the level of Executive Director of the Ludington Area Convention and Vistors Bureau (CVB).  The interim director of the CVB, who also is the President of the Ludington Scottville Chamber of Commerce, and the Treasurer for the Downtown Ludington Board (DDA), Kathy MacLean commented:  “The Ludington Area Convention & Visitors Bureau has matured as an organization over the last year and has accomplished so much [modestly, corresponding to her time at the interim position taking over Amy Seng's previous job].  I am thrilled to have Brandy [who not only has served as the marketing director under me at the CVB, but also serves/served under me at the other two organizations, the Chamber and the DLB] move into the executive director position. She is the right person to lead the organization and continue to grow the tourism economy in Mason County”. 

The appointment shows what hard work, determination, talent, and really wanting to do well can do for you... just kidding.  It shows that just having the right connections is all you need to do well in these public-private partnerships like the CVB, DLB and even our local chamber.  These organizations keep on dipping into the public coffers with very little degree of accountability, and putting in a wet-behind-the-ears figurehead like Ms. Brandy will only assure that the CVB's boardmembers will be able to throw their room and pillow tax money around without having to worry about the executive director holding them culpable. 

At the beginning of next year, maybe she can help the board hire her father, the ex-Mayor, as director of marketing for the CVB.