Tourism Board plans to honor Bob Hand

Posted

Bob Hand, who for many years was the executive director of the Pagosa Area Chamber of Commerce, will have a plaque in his honor placed in the lobby of the Visitor Center that will explain his contribution to the community.

At a recent town council meeting, Jennie Green, director of the Pagosa Springs Area Tourism Board, explained, “We changed the name of the building to the Pagosa Springs Visitor Center, so that we were not confusing our visitors.”

The building, located between the Hot Springs Boulevard Bridge and the Springs Resort, had been called the Bob Hand Visitor Center since its grand opening in 1991, because Hand was the main driving force behind getting the facility built.

“The board has been discussing various ways to honor Mr. Hand’s service to the community,” Green continued. “It did not mean to take away from what he did for the community by changing that sign.”

The Tourism Board, formerly known as the Town Tourism Committee (TTC), discussed the matter at its July meeting and decided that a nice plaque prominently displayed in the lobby of the Visitor Center would be a much more effective way of letting people know about the history of the building without creating any confusion for passing motorists.

“I have actually gotten to know Scott Hand, Bob’s son, over the last few months,” Green explained. “He is very appreciative of the diligence the board has shown in honoring his dad and also appreciated what was being planned.”

The full version of this story is available in the print edition and e-edition of the Pagosa Springs SUN. Subscribe today by calling (970)264-2100 or click here.