Coming home

New face at Taste! the County

As another summer season ramps up in Prince Edward County, one of its key marketing associations is introducing a new leader at the helm.

Jeremiah MacKenzie is taking on the role of executive director of Taste! the County this month—a post vacated by Kathy Kennedy in February.

MacKenzie assumes his new role at an interesting time for the marketing association, whose main focus is generating awareness of County features, services and offerings to audiences beyond its borders. The organization has been successful in attracting attention from a wide variety of media from Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and indeed from around the world.

The organization is largely funded by its member firms as well as $40,000 from the local government (20 per cent less than last year).

MacKenzie says his focus will be to keep the message simple and uncluttered. It is a task easier said than done in an association of entrepreneurs accustomed to telling their story in their way.

MacKenzie isn’t daunted by the challenge.

“This is what I want to do,” said Mackenzie in an interview with the Times. “This is where my career has brought me—back home leading a great organization at an important point in the evolution of the County.”

MacKenzie grew up in the County, attending elementary school at CML Snider, then going on to Albert College. He studied arts and theatre at Dalhousie as an aspiring actor.

But life led him to become involved in managing large-scale events as a professional congress organizer— first in Montreal and then around North America.

“I realized I had a talent working with people and organizing them around a common goal,” said MacKenzie “From there I became involved in marketing health and wellness products—helping to develop and refine what has come to be known as experiential marketing— building brands through live marketing events.”

Now MacKenzie has returned home to lend his marketing acumen to the Taste! organization. He says that while he has a view of how the County story should be told, he will rely on others to help him craft the message.

“I intend to listen before I speak,” said MacKenzie. “We must look forward while respecting our past. It is important to pay tribute to those who came before.”

MacKenzie has three chief goals in his new assignment. First is to enable his organization to control the narrative—avoid letting others define this community and its features. Second, he intends to tighten and unify the County brand—both externally and among member organizations. And third, he wants to build upon great products such as the Taste Trail and the Arts Trail.

“There is an entrepreneurial spirit here that is exciting and vibrant,” said MacKenzie. “My job is to unify the ideas into a clear and coherent message.” MacKenzie has found a home in Cherry Valley and is looking forward to settling down back home in the County.

“I’ve always been proud of my roots here,” said MacKenzie. “For me this is a bit of a personal renaissance.