WINTER 2017
Café Spanglish
JACKIE SIBLEY-NEWTON
A GENUINE PASSION FOR LOCAL TOURISM
J
ackie Sibley-Newton, a wife and mother of
two, has been serving as the Vice President
of Tourism at Cleveland County Chamber
for over 10 years. With a long, successful
background in tourism and marketing, she
was the perfect fit for the job when she moved
to Cleveland Country. Her main priority at the
Chamber is to promote Cleveland County as
a desirable destination, which she primarily
accomplishes through maintaining the state
tourism website and being a liaison between the
county and the state.
By Sunny Gonzalez-Cepero
Her duties are extensive. Amongst other tasks,
she manages the Chamber’s print ad campaigns,
helps organize the organizes the Official Fall
Liver Mush Festival, hosts the “Experience
Cleveland County” television show on Channel
19, helps local organizations connect with
partners to enhance tourism, and encourages
media representatives to visit the area and write
or blog about their experiences.
The number of committees on which she has
served is mindboggling: Board of Directors of
Destination Cleveland, the American Legion
World Series Committee, Town of Boiling
Springs Tourism Development Authority, Kings
Mountain Community Partners, Greater Shelby
Community Theatre, Bankers House Advisory
Committee to name just a few. “Basically, my job
is never the same and is continually evolving as
new attractions and tourism businesses develop,”
Sibley-Newton explains.
The travel industry in Cleveland County is
booming. In 2015, visitor spending amounted
to over $101 million dollars, a 4.5 percent
growth from the previous year. Sibley-Newton
attributes the growth to new hotel rooms,
effective marketing, building relationships with
media contacts, and venues and events that
draw people to the area such as the Earl Scruggs
Center, Liberty Mountain, and American Legion
8
World Series. She explains what this economic
growth means for residents: “This created a 4.6
percent increase in tourism jobs for our county
and a payroll of $14.92 million. I would say that
is a pretty impressive industry for our area!”
The development in Cleveland County shows
no sign of slowing. New lodging establishments
are popping up, the Chamber will continue to
improve the American Legion World Series
events, and Cleveland County will cohost
the 2018 World Equestrian Games with the
Tryon Equestrian Center, an event which will
draw 300,000 people to the area. “We are still
growing!” Sibley-Newton says. “I see our county
continuing its growth of the tourism industry as
people learn about all the wonderful things there
are to see and do here.”
The passion Sibley-Newton feels for her job is
almost palpable. “I love my job! I mean really
continued on page 15