Officials with the Elizabethton/Carter County Chamber of Commerce have selected a new Tourism Coordinator and are ready to welcome him on board next week.

Chamber Director Tonya Stevens announced the Executive Board chose Luke Freeman to take on the Tourism Coordinator position. The Chamber is hosting a special welcoming Meet and Greet event next week to welcome Freeman to his new position and to allow the public to meet the newest member of the Chamber team.

Freeman was one of nine individuals who applied for the position, and one of four brought back for the second round of interviews.

Freeman is from the region and graduated from Milligan College where he earned a degree in Communications and Public Relations.

“He has a love for the outdoors and he has frequented a lot of our treasures here and knows how important they are to our community,” Stevens said. “We feel like with his background and being personally familiar with our community he will be a great addition to our organization.”

The special meet and greet event is set for Wednesday, Feb. 28, from 1-2 p.m. at the Elizabethton/Carter County Chamber of Commerce, located at 500 Veterans Memorial Parkway, Elizabethton.

“We want to invite everyone to come and meet him as he begins his career with us,” Stevens said.

According to Stevens, Freeman is ready to hit the ground running after his welcome aboard event to begin meeting with local individuals and promoting tourism for Carter County.

“We’re going through his orientation process right now,” Stevens explained, adding his work will truly begin after next Wednesday.

Freeman is stepping into the Tourism Coordinator position previously held by Kayla Carter. The Tourism Coordinator position became vacant in December 2017 when Carter left her role at the Chamber to take on a new position with the Northeast Tennessee Regional Economic Partnership. Carter had served as Tourism Coordinator for Carter County since June 2016.

The Tourism Coordinator position is primarily a marketing position guided by the Tourism Development Council within the Elizabethton/Carter County Chamber of Commerce.