Berks visitors bureau hires new leader to help boost tourism

Apr. 25—The Reading and Berks County Visitors Bureau has chosen a new leader to replace its longtime president, the nonprofit announced Thursday.

Heather Zimmerman of West Lawn, who last served as executive director of the Kutztown Folk Festival, begins May 20 as president and CEO.

The bureau, which does business under the name Pennsylvania's Americana Region, works to increase tourism in Berks and that will be Zimmerman's primary focus, officials said.

"Heather has extensive knowledge about the industry, and we look forward to working with her as we continue to promote the outstanding features of Berks County," said Cathy Wegener, board president.

Since 2003 the bureau has been led by President and CEO Crystal Seitz, who will transition into retirement over the next several months.

Zimmerman is a Berks native and a graduate of Kutztown University with a background in hospitality and tourism.

She said that through social media and digital marketing the bureau is now able to reach more people in more places than it once could have dreamed of, which helps bring more visitors to Berks.

Part of what makes the county stand out, she said, is its diversity of attractions, events and businesses. That means it has something to draw tourists of all types, including those who live here, she said.

"We run the gamut here," she said.

For the visitors bureau she will implement the organization's strategic plan, develop opportunities that advance its goals, oversee daily operations and strive to advance the role of tourism in Berks through advocacy, community awareness and relationship building, bureau officials said.

In essence, she will work to grow tourism in the area, they said.

"I am excited to continue the hard work of Crystal and her team and find new ways to develop and promote tourism in our area," Zimmerman said. "I look forward to introducing visitors to all we have right here in our backyard."

A state report studying travel and tourism spending across Pennsylvania in 2022 showed that visitors' direct spending in Berks reached $983.2 million that year, surpassing 2019's pre-COVID-19 spending by 15% and far surpassing the amount spent during the pandemic years.

In addition, hospitality-related jobs in Berks grew to 6,550 in 2022 from 5,970 in 2021, and labor income rose to $228.4 million from $205.5 million during the same period.

In her most recent position, Zimmerman helped revitalize the Kutztown Folk Festival with new vendors, rebranding, new marketing materials and a new website, visitors bureau officials said. Under her direction, USA Today ranked the nine-day celebration as one of North America's top cultural festivals in 2023 and 2024.

Zimmerman also has hotel experience, having served as director of sales and operations of the Hampton Inn & Suites, Kutztown, which she helped open in 2019. Before that, she was the area manager of two local hotels for more than eleven years.

She is on the bureau's board, is the former board chair of Penn State Berks' Hotel Restaurant and Institutional Management Advisory Committee and a former board member of the Northeast Berks Chamber of Commerce.