Tourism North Bay executive director Stephen Hollingshead has quit.
His last day was Thursday. He had been on the job for just over one year.
See: New tourism officer hired
He was touted for his 17 years of tourism and marketing knowledge as well as hands-on experience coordinating and managing special events and sports tournaments.
Hollingshead is the second tourism officer to quit in the past two years.
Trista Verbiwski was hired as the initial tourism officer in July 2016.
See: New Tourism Officer hired
However, Verbiwski lasted only three days before she resigned, citing personal reasons.
See: Tourism officer search continues
“Unfortunately, due to a personal issue, she wasn’t able to fill the duties of the role and decided to resign,” said Jake Lacourse, then-president of the North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce, said at the time.
Hollingshead drew considerable attention by vigorously defending a decision to feature a picture of an ice hut on a lake near Cochrane on the cover of a North Bay tourism brochure.
See: Lake Nipissing gets a stunt double on tourism brochure cover
The resignation comes as a surprise, as he addressed the Chamber of Commerce just last month, laying out for directors his plans for the coming summer campaign, giving no clue he was just weeks from retiring.
He told BayToday at the time how excited he was, and described the upcoming summer plans as "magic."
Speaking to the Chamber Board, he said he was most excited about bringing a Cantrav event to the city. The Toronto company is bringing up 55 Swedish bankers who want to see the Battalion and go ice fishing. They also want to do a high-end roundtable with local dignitaries. they'll be wined and dined and put up in local hotels before returning to Toronto.
Neither Economic Development Officer Tanya Bedard, nor North Bay Mayor Al McDonald responded for a request for comment.
