Greensburg, In. — The Decatur County Visitors Commission (DCVC) is pleased to announce Philip Deiwert as our new Executive Director. Philip is a 1998 graduate of Greensburg Community High School. He obtained a Bachelor’s degree from Hanover College in 2002 and a law degree from the University of Toledo College of Law in 2006. For the past two and half years, he has been the Program Coordinator for River Valley Resources and their Rural Works program, which is a poverty-to-self-sufficiency job-readiness program. Through this program he has established contacts with the Decatur County Community Foundation, United Fund, Community Corrections and Court Services, Department of Child Services, the Prosecutor’s Office and Child Support Division and Adult Education. He serves on the board of Main Street Greensburg, the Decatur County Democratic Central Committee, the City of Greensburg Planning Commission and the Greensburg Community Bread of Life.
The DCVC conducted an extensive and extended job search period and received over 30 highly qualified applications. While many difficult decisions were made, the process played itself out. “Our interview team of Roy, Karen and Stephanie did an outstanding job reviewing and performing the various interviews. When they ultimately made their recommendation– I know it was not an easy decision,” said board president, Ryan Maddux. “If anything this process has showed us that there’s a lot of talent out there in our community that we need to be tapping into.”
Board member and interview chair Stephanie Hoeing, “We were impressed with the number of qualified applicants that were interested in the Executive Director position. We provided opportunities to those individuals that we were eager to interview. Learning the skills of each applicant during the interview process helped guide us to select Philip Deiwert. We are confident he will continue to assist with Decatur County’s growth.” Karen Cyman, part of the interview team, added, “While we appreciated all the candidates and were impressed by various skill sets; Philip stood out with his communication skills, interest and involvement with the community and his knowledge of law/statutes . . . all of which will serve him, and our community well, as our new Executive Director of Tourism.”
The Decatur County Visitors Commission is a seven-person board with appointees selected by the Mayor, the Decatur County Commissioners and the Decatur County Council. The DCVC receives it’s funding strictly from the County Room Tax, which is a 5% tax collected from overnight lodging within the county. State statue dictates that the funds, collected by the tax, may be expended “ to promote and encourage conventions, visitors and tourism within the county.” The board consists of Ryan Maddux, Karen Cyman, Stephanie Hoeing, Joann Burkhart and Roy Middendorf. One vacancy will be filled in 2019.
