Jonathan Jank, president and CEO of the newly-formed Seward County Chamber & Development Partnership, announced April 8 that Todd Kirshenbaum has been hired as vice president of the organization.
“Todd brings over 25 years of tourism and marketing development and seven years of successful Chamber work to our organization,” Jank said. “He has started several successful events around the state and helped grow the York Area Chamber of Commerce membership during his tenure—we are excited to have him bring his talents here to Seward County.”
Kirshenbaum grew up in Omaha, attended the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and holds a bachelor of arts degree in speech communications and public relations. He was hired as a tourism consultant with the Nebraska Tourism Office (now the Nebraska Tourism Commission) where he hired and trained Nebraska vacation guides stationed at welcome centers across the state.
He also worked with the group tour market, hosted travel journalists, coordinated a state-wide grant program, and conducted customer service training seminars around the state. He also assisted rural communities in tourism development and helped start the Victorian Festival in Superior and Kool-Aid Days in Hastings. He also worked for the Lincoln Children’s Zoo and the Hastings Museum before returning to the Tourism office.
For seven years, he served as the executive director of the York Area Chamber of Commerce where he began new programs and helped grow the Chamber’s membership.
“I plan on taking some of the same practices to Seward County that were successful in York to hopefully make a big difference here,” Kirshenbaum said.
Besides his paid work, he serves on numerous volunteer boards including president of the Wessels Living History Farm, president of the Nebraska Travel Association, President of the Friends of the Library (in York), secretary for the Kilgore Memorial Library board and Kilgore Memorial Library Foundation, treasurer for the Palmer Pals, and served on the board for the York Chapter of Teammates and the Yorkshire Playhouse.
“I plan to get involved in Seward County as I get more familiar with the various communities.”
Kirshenbaum will assist Jank in many programs within the organization with special emphasis on Chamber and tourism duties. He begins work on April 18.
