The results are in, and there are now three new members of the board of directors of the Santa Ynez Valley Visitors Association: Thomas O’Higgins, Bent Olsen, and Sherry Thore.
O’Higgins is the owner of Wine Country Home in Los Olivos and a partner in Artiste Winery in Santa Ynez. He’s been a Valley resident since 2000, when he moved his marketing and design consulting business from the Bay Area. He’s also a former Williams-Sonoma, Inc. executive of nearly two decades.
Olsen is the owner of Solvang Inn and Cottages, Olsen’s Danish Village Bakery, and the Red Viking Restaurant. He emigrated to Solvang from Denmark in 1965, and is a fourth-generation Danish baker. He’s also the past director of the Solvang Conference and Visitors Bureau and Solvang Chamber of Commerce.
Thore has owned her own accounting firm in Buellton since 2003. She’s the current president of Solvang Rotary and has been a Rotary International member since 2000.
Returning board members are Dorothy Brunton (Tastes of the Valleys Wine Bar, Solvang); Maria Centrella (PCPA Theaterfest, Solvang); Tom Endy (Rancho San Marcos Golf Course, Santa Ynez); and John Martino (Chumash Casino Resort, Santa Ynez). The board also elected the association officers at their most recent meeting.
Douglas Ziegler, owner of the Santa Ynez Inn and Coach House is the new association president. He’s one of the group’s founding members and serves on the board of directors of the Santa Barbara County Cattlemen’s Association.
Other officers are Vice-President Bill Phelps, general manager of the Hadsten House Inn and Spa in Solvang; treasurer Thore, owner of Sherry Thore CPA in Buellton; and secretary Lisa Petersen, tasting room manager at Foley Estates Winery and Vineyard in Buellton.
For more information about the new board members and officers, or the Santa Ynez Valley Visitors Association, visit www.santaynezvalleyvisit.com.
Biz Briefs is compiled by Sports Editor Sarah E. Thien. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Aug 21-28, 2008.