by John Gessner
Thisweek Newspapers

"You can see it all from here" is the Burnsville Convention and Visitors Bureau's marketing slogan.

That's especially true for Amie Burrill, the bureau's new executive director, who left a job with the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce to work in the city where she lives.

Burrill was hired in August to replace Melissa Flach, who left the bureau in December.

"It's two miles almost exactly from my house to the bureau, so no traffic," said Burrill, who moved here four years ago with her husband, Eric. "I don't have to pay anyone to park my car. It's really great to be able to enjoy a city that you live in and be able to promote it professionally. It's a real blessing for me."

Burrill says she has things to learn about the hospitality and tourism business, but her previous job as small-business manager for the regional chamber was good preparation.

"I think with my background I can really fit into it fairly easily," Burrill said. "I like to be involved in the community. I think being a resident, that's a good position for me to find myself in."

The bureau's board of directors was impressed with Burrill's welcoming personality, said board Chair Laurie Lewko, who works at Pepsi Bottling Group Inc. in Burnsville.

"And she had a great sense of humor," Lewko said. "And her organization and chamber background were very impressive, along with her current involvement in the city of Burnsville. She was very familiar with the area and what the CVB stood for and where we want it to go. We were just thrilled to have her."

Burrill's hiring also signals that talk of a merger between the Burnsville and Eagan convention and visitors bureaus is on hold for now.

"We do know that (consolidation) is the future for CVBs," Lewko said. "We're still in the stage of exploring possibilities and just keeping our options open."

Meanwhile, the bureau is part of a six-bureau marketing partnership called Minneapolis South, Lewko noted.

Burrill, a 1987 Edina High School graduate, attended Bemidji State University. Before joining the Minneapolis regional chamber, her jobs included fundraising for the American Heart Association's Heart Walk and working in career services for Brown College in the Twin Cities.

At the bureau, Burrill will lead a three-person staff whose operations are funded by a 3 percent lodging tax at Burnsville's 10 hotel/motel properties.

The staff is preparing for the annual "Canvas and Vines," a fundraiser for the bureau and the Burnsville Area Society for the Arts. The wine-tasting, food-sampling and art auction is Thursday, Oct. 12 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the International Chefs' Culinary Center.

"It's our flagship event," Burrill said.

Burnsville has more convention and tourism opportunities than may meet the eye, Burrill said, from migratory birding along the Minnesota River to top-notch meeting and banquet spaces.

"There's a lot to do when you really think about Burnsville," she said. "It really opened my eyes from a resident standpoint. We have many great attractions and many opportunities to explore."

John Gessner is at burnsville.thisweek@ecm-inc.com.

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