From 92 applicants, Plover tourism board finds its new director close to home

By Brandi Makuski

PLOVER — The Plover Area Convention and Visitors Bureau has a new executive director, and he isn’t exactly new to Plover.

Chris Skowronski took over the role July 27 after a search that drew 92 applicants, according to tourism board President Chris Brooks.

Skowronski brings a background in hotels, restaurants, retail and marketing, along with about three decades of ties to Plover. He previously worked for Nelnet Student Loan Services and spent 13 years with a McDonald’s franchise, including managing the Highway 10 location in Stevens Point and helping run the Plover restaurant.

His career has also included work with Hardee’s, Noodles & Company, Kwik Trip and the hospitality industry, along with volunteer work for several community organizations.

Skowronski said the job appealed to him because it combines that experience with a community he already knows.

“I think it fits me,” he said. “I’m that people person. I’m that promoter. I have passion for Plover.”

He said he wants to build stronger relationships among businesses and organizations while finding new ways to draw people to the area.

“I want to spark collaboration in our community, create tourism experiences that strengthen the economy — not only the economy, our community and surrounding communities,” Skowronski said.

He also plans to make the bureau more visible. Within his first couple of weeks on the job, Skowronski said he had already made contact with more than 65 area businesses.

“I think being in the public eye more, and bridging and open communication and looking at the needs and wants of our community and growing from there, is going to be very, very key,” he said.

Brooks said the search began with 92 applicants before the field was narrowed to about 20. Candidates participated in Zoom interviews, and the final 10 were invited to an in-person event and asked to create a two-minute marketing video promoting the Plover area.

Skowronski’s submission stood out.

“Chris’ video actually was so far above and beyond what we had seen with the others that we may end up using it actually for some marketing purposes,” Brooks said.

But the board was also looking for someone who understood Plover.

Brooks said the area’s tourism draws are different from those of many communities, making local knowledge particularly valuable. Skowronski’s communication and marketing skills, familiarity with the area and long-standing community ties helped set him apart.

“We felt that it was very important to have someone who understood the community and had a passion for it,” Brooks said.

The Plover Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is itself relatively new.

The town and village of Plover agreed at the end of 2022 to combine their tourism and marketing efforts under a joint commission. The move followed the village’s decision to end its more than 30-year relationship with the Stevens Point Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. Village officials said at the time that Plover generated about one-third of that organization’s annual budget through room tax revenue but wasn’t adequately represented in its marketing.

Under state law, 70 percent of room tax revenue is directed toward tourism promotion, with the remaining 30 percent going to the municipality’s general fund. The Plover agreement brought the town and village together in a single tourism zone to oversee those dollars and market the area jointly.

From the beginning, officials said they wanted an executive director who would build relationships with businesses and remain active in the community.

Brooks said that’s what residents can expect from Skowronski.

The bureau will continue its involvement in community projects, he said, but residents should see “a lot more hands-on involvement from our executive director and appearances in an effort to continue to assist in the marketing and aspirations of our local businesses.”

For Skowronski, the goal is to build on Plover’s growth while giving visitors more reasons to come and local businesses more opportunities to benefit.

“Elevate the quality of life here,” he said. “Celebrate the character of our community.”