Page 21 - B2B Fall 2018

ANDREA OPITZ
THE HELENA TOURISM ALLIANCE
BY ALANA CUNNINGHAM
Andrea Opitz is the new Executive Director of the Helena Tourism Alliance. She came back home to Montana this past year to continue her passion for tourism, public relations, and communications. Before coming to big sky country, Andrea worked in Cleveland at a ticket to ride travel agency where she was responsible for tourism development and promoting and selling leisure and group travel. Before arriving at the Helena Tourism Alliance, Andrea worked for the O ce of the Commissioner of Higher Education with marketing and promoting Montana through the Montana University System.
Andrea understands that tourism is leading the industry in Montana that brings in billions of dollars annually, supports jobs and lowers taxes on Montana households along with respecting, protecting,
and bene ting local communities, cultures and the environment in Helena. She is excited to enhance Helena’s self-image to tourist and help increase visitor spending
as it helps provide new assets or experiences for them to enjoy and for local Helenan’s to enjoy as well.
Andrea’s overall goal for Helena Tourism Alliance is to continue
to position Helena on the map
as an exciting choice for leisure, business, and sports business.
She believes that we are free to re-imagine and re-design how to create a welcoming environment for visitors and how to attract the most visitor spending possible and help enhance the quality of life for area residents. As a whole, Andrea strongly believes that with her vision for Helena Tourism Alliance, the future in Helena is healthy and vibrant especially if we all remain
ANDREA OPITZ
focused and forward thinking and stay open to new opportunities for our community.
BRIAN OBERT, MBAC
BY DAWN ZEHR
Brian Obert is the Executive Director of the Montana Business Assistance Connection (MBAC),
a local economic development agency which serves Lewis and Clark, Broadwater, and Meagher counties by helping businesses
start up, improve, expand, relocate or transition to new ownership. Brian’s manifest enthusiasm
about Helena’s current and future business climate is contagious; the ve employees at MBAC have been busier than he can remember in his 13 years there. Looking forward, Brian sees a pipeline of new businesses and opportunities that is larger than ever. The collaboration
among his counterparts in the area, from city and county agencies to area banks, has reached levels
that are unprecedented and
highly gratifying.
Brian grew up in Townsend, and obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Montana State University. He worked as a Manufacturing Engineer for Boeing in Seattle for six years, methodically assessing the movements of the assembly line and developing more e cient means of using time and movement.
He and his wife, who is an artist and a county commissioner for
BRIAN OBERT
SPOTLIGHT CONTINUED ON PAGE 24
FALL 2018
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