Brandy Henderson Officially Part of Ludington CVB's History

[XLFD]

The Ludington Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau (LACVB) Executive Director Brandy Henderson will no longer serve at her position, taking instead a marketing instructor position at WSCC, according to the Tuesday edition of the COLDNews.  The article further relates her notable accomplishments during her four years with the LACVB, two as the director:

"Among the highlights have been the sunset bonfires at Stearns Park Beach, the winter Brrrewfest, New Year’s Eve ball drop and much more."

Let's review the highlights.  The sunset bonfires at the beach have been generally panned as rather lame, with a barrel burning wooden pallets in a fenced-in area on the beach.  They have tried to spice it up with musical accompaniment this summer, but being that amplified music and fire on the beach are both strictly forbidden the rest of the time on the beach, that soon they will be serving alcoholic beverages in one gallon glass containers and shooting off fireworks to make this a total hoot.

The winter brrrewfest has been held only one year, but the event created no 'buzz'.  Held on January 31, 2015, it featured numerous brewers and high hopes, but absolutely nothing was wrote after this event, even by LACV-friendly sources signifying that it was by anybody's metric, a success.  The Facebook event site for the Brrrewfest is indicative of how well it turned out-- perhaps we could have a better review, except it appears that nobody with an opinion showed up.

The last highlight mentioned, the ball drop, was one that existed before Brandy joined the LACVB, and which hasn't evolved drastically in her period as director, nor has it been traditionally a LACVB event.  The biggest highlight for the LACVB recently came before her ascendance to the top, when they exacted the 'room tax' on area motels, which allowed them to skim off 6% of room costs from area hostelries.  Though it is a taxing authority, the LACVB has very little accountability to their 'taxpayers' as to where that money goes, which could have played in as a factor to this career change, as many people wonder where all that money has been going.

Irrespectively, one must consider the lowlight of Brandy's LACVB career the History Prize fiasco.  Most folks in Ludington were pleasantly surprised to hear that their city was chosen to host history prize, but then they were unpleasantly surprised to hear that their city leaders chose to abandon it.  Most area residents do not know that the LACVB bid $30,000 to host it (other area news outlets leave those details out), undoubtedly under the enthusiastic encouragement of Brandy Henderson.  Months later, with hundreds of thousands of dollars of shortfalls over their heads and differences of opinions between them and History Prize's brainchild, History Prize became a small footnote in the history of Ludington. 

With such low highlights, and such heavy lowlights, it is not surprising that Brandy is moving on to a new career in teaching the very stuff she seems to have had problems with. 

What looms as the most shocking element to this story about Brandy is the replacement that has been made for her.  In the COLDNews' article it relates:  "In the meantime, Kathy Maclean, president and CEO of the Ludington & Scottville Area Chamber of Commerce, will serve as the interim executive director of the CVB."

Kathy Maclean has come under fire for the repeated defrauding of the state and local taxpayers through the rental rehab and façade programs.  It has been explained uncontested in public forums at four different times that she has engaged in illegal and unethical behavior.  

Her status and power in the local system has served her well up to this point, but she is an odd choice for the board seeing that she serves in power positions on the chamber of commerce and city government at the same time, and has such questions of her character still lingering unanswered by her or others in the public square.

It should also be noted that the underlying decision to change personnel was likely made by the LACVB Board, whom decided that Brandy was not the proper 'branding' they wanted at their helm.  A completely voluntary decision to leave by Ms. Henderson would have been marketed differently by her and the LACVB. 

You also will notice another change in personnel at the chamber happening with their Events Coordinator Jodi Beckman.  She is taking a much less glamorous, less-paying position at a church in Gobles in what appears to be a voluntary move on her part.  Perhaps she is effectively atoning for her time with the local chamber of commerce, whose leader has done several wicked things.

[Willy]

This is one of the problems with how things are done in Ludington. I don't personally know Brandy but I do know she has been boosted along in her career by who she knows not by what she knows or has accomplished. This type of back rubbing by those in charge keeps the power in the hands of a small group of people and we can see the results of that in how the City is run and what is or is not revealed to the public. Brandy's appointments represents the negative influence in Ludville. I'm not saying she is a bad person or won't try her hardest to do a good job but we all know that if she was from a non City officials family she would not be where she is.

[XLFD]

I ran into Brandy and her sister at Meijer the day I authored this piece without any violent altercation ensuing, but most of my interactions with the Henderson girls happened during family events at the fire station between 2001 and 2008.  I have no animosity towards them, but was quite disappointed in knowing that they received rather special treatment from the City while their father was mayor, including employment and advancement. 

I am thrilled that her new position will represent a new direction for her, leading her away from the shadow of her father, while still keeping her in the area and properly testing her versatility and competence.  She was rather young and inexperienced in the ways of the world to be put in as chairman of the LACVB.  I'm sure we'll hear more from her in the future.

[AQUAMAN]

Which Brandy will be working in a "marketing role" for Continued Education, not a Professor at WSCC? The blonde at 265#, the strawberry blonde at 255#, or the 245# brunette? "Pure Ludington" is her favorite accomplishment? What did it do? Besides being copied by the Pure Michigan logo? It was supposed to bring in more tourists and residents for year-around employment and activities. Was that accomplished? How much did the downtown grow in population? In new job creations? What's Brandy's resume? Did she ever get a real job in the private sector? Did she even get a higher degree in education, or a 2 year degree? All I see is a spoiled city employee child that couldn't make it outside, nor inside Ludville. Another coat-tail rider, with plenty of political help from her Daddy. 

[AQUAMAN]

X, I really doubt Brandy nor her sister even saw you, or saw this Torch thread either. Too busy deciding which color to make their hair, lets see now: orange, green, purple, maybe red? Besides, they've hired soooo many trolls to sabotage this site, their daddy is going broke. Looks like daddy also lost some fat, in the stomach, not the brain. What's he down to from over 300# now? Like 250#? Then there's big mamma, but I shant go into her dress size...lol. Anyhow, no doubt the HOF made substantial losses on the ice cream gifts to that family over the years, and it shows too! 

[XLFD]

Until now I never equated former Mayor Henderson's weight loss with the loss of his Nana's Banana Pudding Ice Cream subsidies from the Neal family after his reign ended.

With the former first family of Ludington I've never faulted them for their weight fluctuations, just their ethical and sanity fluctuations.  A complete rundown of his mayoral career which signified why the people voted 2 to 1 to not allow him to run again is in order just in case we think too much about how bad city hall has gotten over the last two years and wax nostalgic.

[AQUAMAN]

Maybe she wore her little black dress to the interview, or was there even one? Either way, a Nutrisystem marketing strategy would be in order before WSCC.