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Rutherford County Tourism Asset Foundation (TAF) is pleased to announce the hiring of Deborah Millikan to fill the newly created position of Marketing Coordinator for the Bechtler House Heritage Center and the NC Gold Trail Headquarters.
In this role, Millikan will manage marketing, development, and administration for the Bechtler assets, including the Bechtler house, mine site and historical collections. She will also function as the communications hub for the center, managing public relations and social media, while developing opportunities within the NC Gold Trail region and beyond. Establishing and cultivating partnerships within the hospitality, tourism, and corporate communities will be a high priority, as well as, adding events for fundraising opportunities and further development of assets. Millikan will work to create resource materials for teachers and will be actively recruiting school field trips and bus tours to the center and mint site.
Ms. Millikan has an extensive background in marketing, event production, and public relations, has also worked as director of development for a non-profit (private school in Georgia). Jimmy Collins, retired President of Chick-fil-A, selected Millikan for that position. Mr. Collins worked for Founder S. Truett Cathy for 33 years as President/COO of Chick-fil-A. Millikan was hired to create a capital campaign to raise millions of dollars needed to build a new school for children diagnosed as ADD or ADHD. The capital campaign was a success and the school built in Fairburn, Georgia has served many children over the years. As Tourism Director for Monroe County, Georgia, Ms. Millikan promoted Juliette, home of the Whistle Stop Café (movie "Fried Green Tomatoes") the "Green Tomato" Festival and hosted FAM tours for international visitors. Millikan has produced and co-produced events for our veterans and causes that affect our communities, custom corporate events, as well as, festivals, concerts, and parades, including celebrity and corporate partnerships actively pursued and successfully gained.
In 2012 UNC-TV came to Rutherford County to document the story of Christopher Bechtler and his private mint. A film was created that celebrated the county's role in America's first gold rush and the Bechtler's production of more than $2.24 million in gold coins, including the nation's first gold dollar, in the 1830s and 1840s. "Gold Fever and the Bechtler Mint" has been shared with millions of television viewers across the U.S.
Since becoming an official non-profit in 2013, the Rutherford County Tourism Asset Foundation has made great strides in the development of the Bechtler Story including: the purchase of the Bechtler House and making it visitor ready, establishing a park setting at the Bechtler Mint Site, adding walking trails, benches and the "Hidden Floor of Gold" interactive exhibit, and acquired, on loan, the original press from the Numismatic Society in New York, which was designed and used by Bechtler. In addition, the Bechtler Rifle has been brought back to Rutherfordton and is the newest exhibit. Furthermore, the membership development of the NC Gold Trail is in full swing and now the hiring of a marketing coordinator to manage marketing, development, and administration will further the interest of the Bechtler Story and Rutherford County.
The Bechtler House Heritage Center is currently open for tours on Fridays from 10am-1pm and Saturdays from 10am-3pm and by appointment Monday-Thursday.
To learn about the Bechtler Legacy, visit the website www.visitncgold.com, email info@visitncgold.com, or call 828-286-9977. To learn more about TAF, visit www.tourismassetfoundation.weebly.com.
About the Rutherford County Tourism Asset Foundation: 0The Rutherford County Tourism Asset Foundation's mission is to develop permanent and tangible tourism assets as they relate to history, heritage, agritourism, outdoor recreation and local culture in Rutherford County, North Carolina, with the vision of enhancing the economic development of Rutherford County. Tourism is one of the largest grossing and growing industries in the state; the development of our community's tourism assets means jobs and support for our local businesses. As TAF's first project, the Bechtler House is a great example of how our tourism assets can give back to the community.
