The Auburn Downtown Business Improvement District Executive Director, Stephanie DeVito has announced today that Courtney Rae Kasper has been hired to fill the position of Visitor Experience Manager for the NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center in downtown Auburn. DeVito said, “I am thrilled to welcome Courtney to the BID team. Her motivation, expertise, leadership skills and infectious personality will be a terrific asset to the Equal Rights Heritage Center and our community.”
Ms. Kasper brings an expertise in marketing and promotion with an eye towards the equal rights heritage, and local and regional attractions that the center will be focused on promoting. She is the former associate publisher of editorial for the Scotsman Media Group, including Today’s CNY Woman magazine, and she holds degrees from both Syracuse and Florida State universities.
Kasper shared, “It’s an honor to join the BID team and to be a part of the excitement surrounding Auburn’s reinvigorated downtown and heightened historical interest. As Visitor Experience Manager,
I look forward to working with regional and state tourism partners to promote why #ThisPlaceMatters and bring attention to this area—and I can’t wait to welcome the first visitors to the Center!”
The City of Auburn has entered into an operations agreement with the Auburn Downtown BID for oversight of staffing and operations of the new center through June 30th, 2019. The center will feature an I Love NY Equal Rights Heritage exhibition, a local and regional visitor information center and a Taste NY market. The Auburn BID and the Cayuga County Office of Tourism will be relocating their offices to the new building. Construction of the new facility is on track for a late October opening.
The NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center is part of the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council’s “CNY Rising” Upstate Revitalization Initiative. With the support of Governor Cuomo and the NYS legislature this downtown investment of $10 million has created over 100 construction jobs and will boost upstate New York’s tourism industry. Senator Pamela Helming secured $50,000 from the NYS budget to assist the City with annual operations of the center.
“This is a downtown revitalization project for our City designed to support and boost our historic and cultural sites locally and regionally. We thank the Governor and our state legislators for their support. We look forward to working in partnership with the Auburn BID, the Cayuga County Office of Tourism and all our historic and cultural sites to make this project a success,” said Auburn’s Mayor Michael D. Quill. For more info please call the BID office 315.252-7874.
