ADAMS - New Berkshire Visitors Bureau President and CEO Lauri Ostrander Klefos is fully committed to making the creative economy flourish.

With experience in both the tourism industry and economic development, Klefos was the perfect candidate to replace William R. Wilson Jr., who left the position after 23 years in June 2007. Announced on Friday, Klefos' appointment is effective March 31 and will take her from Arizona, where she was most recently working as the president and CEO of the Arizona Tourism Alliance, to the Berkshires.

"I love what the Visitors Bureau already does and that's what attracted me to the group. I'll bring a unique blend of economic development and tourism marketing to the job and I think it's important for the economy that tourism be in the forefront," said Klefos on Monday.

Klefos was selected by a 10-member search committee after a nationwide search that began last fall. Brian Butterworth, chairman of BVB's board of directors, said he was confident that the committee had selected the right candidate.

"We are very pleased to have attracted a candidate with Lauri's background. Her more than 20 years of experience in tourism production in both the government and private sector, her grasp of the market, and her enthusiasm will be absolutely invaluable to the Berkshires as the Bureau moves forward," said Butterworth in a statement.

Butterworth also said Klefos met specific criteria set by the board of directors prior to beginning their search.

"There were a couple of issues we wanted to address, including the need for additional revenue sources - identifying and creating ways we can do that - and expanding the Berkshires and marketing it as a more nationally-known organization," he said. "Lauri was knowledgable about economic development and, with the tourism industry targeted as the chief economic engine in the area, that's what we were looking for."

Before working for the Tourism Alliance, where she was the lead planner for the statewide "Annual Governor's Conference on Tourism," Klefos was the director of tourism marketing for Moses Anshell Advertising in Phoenix and New Hampshire's director of the division of travel and tourism development from 1996 to 2004. Originally hired as a research analyst/program specialist, Klefos was promoted to assistant director of the division of economic development before she became the director of the travel and tourism division.

Acting President and CEO Ray Smith, the bureau's vice president of marketing and operations, was one of the finalists and Butterworth said Monday that he hopes Smith and Klefos will make a "powerful one-two management combination."

Butterworth also said Smith has "great ideas" and is "an asset" to the bureau.

Klefos, who has strong ties to the Berkshires, said moving to the area “is like coming home.”

“My mother was from Pittsfield and my father was from Lenox and he was career Army, so we moved around a lot. But we came back to the Berkshires every year for Christmas or on summer vacations to see my grandparents,” she said.

"There was something inside me pulling me back," she added.

For Butterworth, Klefos' roots in the region sealed the deal.

"Local ties are good for our area because in many ways we're still a small town," said Butterworth.

As Klefos prepares to take on her new role, she said she's excited to dive right in.

"The hard work is done. People know tourism is important and that's the biggest hurdle. I plan to come to the table and work for those people," she said.