Visit Mendocino County, Inc. (VMC) is the official Mendocino County Tourism Bureau, contracted to market Mendocino County businesses, events and attractions through targeted marketing, advertising and trade shows; with the ultimate goal of increasing the total economic impact of the travel and tourism industry throughout the County. 

VMC was established on July 1, 2009 as a result of a countywide marketing study conducted during a five month period in 2008.  This research study recommended the creation of a single organization to execute an annual marketing plan that focuses on increasing overall visitation to the County during the shoulder seasons of fall and spring, as well as increasing visitor length of stay and daily spending. 

Visit Mendocino County Inc. Employee & Staff Bio's:

Scott Schneider
President and CEO

Equal parts diplomat, director, partner and planner, Scott Schneider’s role with Visit Mendocino County is certainly large – but he likes to keeps things light. “When people ask how I ended up in Mendocino County, I tell them the truth. My wife made me do it!” Actually, Schneider has lived and worked in the County for years, and his experience managing B & B’s and lodges all along the California coast was the perfect background for his role in helping build and establish Visit Mendocino County.

“As the official County travel and tourism bureau, VMC ultimately serves hundreds of member businesses and attractions and millions of visitors. We have assembled a great team to get this done, and it is my privilege to lead this unified effort,” Scott states.

As President, Schneider is charged with ensuring all aspects of the countywide campaign work in harmony. From interacting with the various boards and board members, to coordinating meetings and events and developing the website, to communicating the big picture message & serving as official County spokesperson, Schneider leads a team that is dedicated to promoting Mendocino County. His integrated team operates out offices in Fort Bragg and Ukiah, and over the past four years, Scott is proud to say, “We have effectively grown the number of visitors to the County, even when the economy was tough.”

What does he tell people who ask about the area?  “It is the only area in the world that I know of where you can experience redwoods, wine country & dramatic coastline all in one place. We are the Napa of 30 years ago and the Carmel of 40 years ago combined.  I also tell people they need to spend more than 2 days here – once you come, you’ll know why.”
  
A Master’s Degree in Conflict Resolution and a lifetime’s worth of travel experiences assist Scott in growing the success of VMC.

Scott loves spending time his family, wine tasting, walks on the beach and through the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens (conveniently located in his backyard) and taking care of his live chickens (also located in his backyard).

Betsy Wildberger
Director of Marketing

Visit Mendocino County, the travel and tourism bureau for Mendocino County, has officially appointed Betsy Wildberger, former Project Director for the Mendocino Winegrape & Wine Commission, to the team. Wildberger will oversee the media plan, develop monthly consumer e-newsletters, and manage other promotional and marketing projects as they arise.

“We are thrilled to have Betsy on the team,” says Scott Schneider, President and CEO of Visit Mendocino County. “Her former position with MWWC allowed her to hit the ground running with VMC, and Betsy has brought a level of experience and professionalism to the position that goes above and beyond anything we expected.

“My family moved to the Ukiah area when I was three, and my father became a viticulturalist for Mark Turula,” states Betsy. “I’ve always been involved in the wine business here, from promoting my own family’s wines to volunteering in my teens for four years straight at the annual Wine Affair Dinner and Auction.”  This, along with a family vacation to Italy at 18, sparked her interest in creating a professional relationship in the local industry after college. 

After graduating from California State University, Chico in 2005 – with a degree in Business Administration and Marketing - Betsy returned to the area and took a position with the Mendocino Winegrowers Alliance, which eventually became the Mendocino Winegrape & Wine Commission. Betsy served as a Project Director, coordinating events and managing marketing and public relations activities, until 2010. She brings to the VMC team a strong background in marketing promotions and project management, as well as a fundamental understanding of the dynamics of how things “work” in Mendocino County.

“Synergy is something I enjoy, as well as meeting new people and being involved in community,” says Betsy. “Working for these organizations allows just that. It allows me to be involved in the greater good and betterment of our community and my home.” 

“Mendocino County is an extraordinarily beautiful place, while being completely unpretentious. There really is something for everyone here,” said Betsy. “My goal is for Mendocino County to be recognized as a destination that resonates with all audiences and age groups.”

In her spare time, Betsy enjoys wine tasting, tending to her home garden and attending community events.

Erin Placido
Operations Manager

Erin Placido’s role within the Visit Mendocino County organization is all about facilitating connections. From helping people and businesses link to resources they need, to ensuring the entire Visit Mendocino County team and offices operate smoothly, Erin is at the epicenter of VMC, and she loves it.

“Things move fast around the Visit Mendocino County offices,” said Erin.  “Every day is different, which keeps things interesting. And I have the best job because I get to meet so many people in such beautiful surroundings. The best thing is when I see tangible results from our efforts – such as seeing a business grow, an event come together or a visitor who wants to come back to the County!”

Connecting people and businesses is nothing new to Erin. She brings to the VMC team a strong background in marketing, sales, and construction planning. She worked for years in Reno at a top banquet and special event business and successfully grew the company through her innovative operations and marketing programs. She has also worked in the construction industry and brings the VMC team insider information on to how to build things “from the ground up.”  Her husband grew up in Mendocino County and his family has lived there for more than 30 years, so Erin has the true local perspective.

“I still have to pinch myself sometimes,” said Erin. “It is so beautiful here and I feel like I am living the perfect life. My young son is obsessed with the Skunk Train, so we ride it a lot. And I’m a huge Pinot Noir fan, so the Anderson Valley is my ultimate escape.”

In addition to her roles with VMC, Erin also supports four additional non-profit organizations that VMC represents. This includes the Mendocino County Lodging Association (MCLA), the Mendocino County Promotional Alliance (MCPA), the Mendocino County Promotional Foundation and the North Coast Tourism Council (NCTC).  “We strongly encourage everyone to get involved with VMC, or any of the other groups we support. The people and businesses that participate almost always benefit as a result of their involvement.

Richard Strom
Director of Tourism Development

Richard Strom wears many hats in the VMC organization, the most important being the facilitator of direct sales (attending trades shows to spread the word about Mendocino County) and indirect sales (encouraging those outside the county hold their group meetings, events, or retreats within Mendocino County). He also heads up the Partnerships sector, and is in charge of improving upon and expanding the Visitors Centers within the County. As part of this project, he is involved with the creation of gateway and directional signage throughout the County.

As far as what Richard did before joining the VMC team, he asks, “How much time do you have?” In a nutshell, Richard describes himself as a “recovering attorney” who has done litigation work for such organizations as the Social Security Administration, the Department of Social Services and MCI, and for a brief stint, Richard even served as a senior level executive at his former father-in-law’s hotel and restaurant in Aruba. In 2002, he decided to go into full “recovery” mode and bought a B&B with his wife on the North Coast of Mendocino County. Since that time, Richard has been an active member of the lodging association. One thing led to another, and now he is proud to serve the County full-time.

In his spare time, Richard enjoys finding discovering all the secret “hidden” spots in Mendocino. “The Dolphin Isle Marina was a recent find, thanks to kayaking,” he states. His favorite thing to do is wine tasting. “There are new wineries opening up all the time and it’s a fun relaxing way to spend an afternoon and meet great people.”

If Richard could name three words that encompass Mendocino County, they would be “Wine, Waves and Wilderness.” His goal is for Mendocino County to foster first-rate jobs and a vibrant economy, all while promoting tourism.

Alison de Grassi
Event Coordinator

Colby Bowans
Outreach Assistant

Susan Peakall
Administrative Assistant

Hairy Putter
Director of Barketing

Mark Sejvar
Public Relations & Marketing
HypeHouse, Inc.

For more than 20 years, Mark Sejvar has truly lived embraced communications. He started off his career as a field reporter for an NBC TV affiliate in the Midwest, but found his calling in pr and marketing, sharing inspiring destinations and stories about amazing people. Keenly experienced in crisis communications and situation management, his proven, award winning writing and ongoing editor contacts with top trade, consumer and broadcast media worldwide, has effectively established him as a key media relations professional in the lifestyle industries.  Mark led the public relations team at Aveda Corporation for many years, and went on to found HypeHouse, Inc. and handle a range of travel destinations.  Mark began working with the County in 2007, concepting and leading the PR campaign.

“But there is no place on Earth like Mendocino County,” said Mark. “When I first visited the area, you could literally feel the uniquely positive energy.  That combined with the gorgeous views, amazing food, events and commitment to environmental responsibility made it magic for me. I just knew that I had found a second home.  I work with journalists and travel leaders every day, and sharing the wonders of the area is incredibly rewarding…especially after they actually visit the County and say, ‘Wow, that was amazing!’

In his rare spare time, Mark spends time with his young daughter, and will even play one of his many guitars…and play songs…about Mendocino County (of course).

Heather Thompson
Public Relations & Marketing
HypeHouse, Inc.

Heather Thompson has worked in the media industry for over 10 years, beginning her career at the award-winning advertising agency Gardner, Geary, Coll & Young and then moving on to a position of Media Buyer for Outdoor Services, the largest Out-of-Home Media Management & Communications Company in North America. After 5 years with OS, she took a break from the corporate world and in 2006 graduated Cum Laude from the California Culinary Academy’s prestigious Le Cordon Bleu Program. Since then, Heather has worked in the editorial departments at both Wine & Spirits and 7×7 magazines, and has had multiple articles published pertaining to food, wine, travel and lifestyle. Heather has been with HypeHouse since 2007, and has concepted, pitched and placed stories in hundreds of media outlets worldwide on behalf of Visit Mendocino County, while building an extensive network of top-tier travel, food and wine journalists. She has coordinated dozens of press trips for visiting journalists, a practice which has enabled her to truly get acquainted with all of the wonders of Mendocino County. “Sometimes I feel like a walking encyclopedia on Mendocino County facts, lore, geography, food, wine, festivals…you name it. Ask me anything about the County, and I’ll probably have an answer for you within five seconds. But I’m constantly learning new things about the area, and the more I discover about Mendocino County, the more I love it. It really is like nowhere else on earth.” Heather thoroughly enjoys the challenge of orchestrating successful media outreach and securing high-profile placements for VMC.

When not promoting Mendocino County, Heather enjoys eating out, cooking at home, reading historical fiction and the occasional road trip.

Visit Mendocino County has two offices, one located on the coast in Fort Bragg and another located inland in Ukiah.

Visit Mendocino County- Coastal Branch
120 South Franklin Street
Fort Bragg, CA 95437
707.964.9010

Visit Mendocino County- Inland Branch
309 East Perkins Street
Ukiah, CA 95482
707.462.7417

For more information on VMC, please visit http://www.gomendo.org
For media contact, please email mark [at] visitmendocino [dot] com