ABOUT US

The Hancock County Tourism and Visitor Center is a county agency dedicated to perform the marketing and development functions of destination management. We serve all of Hancock County, Indiana including the communities of Greenfield, Fortville, McCordsville, New Palestine, Cumberland, Wilkinson, Shirley, Maxwell and Charlottesville.

While there have been previous tourism efforts in Hancock County, as of 2017 all tourism operations came under the county government’s guidance. The tourism office is solely supported by a 5% innkeeper tax on the guests who stay in Hancock County’s hotels and Bed and Breakfast properties.

Our role is to help bring out-of-county visitors to Hancock County for a *destination experience* – whether that be dining at one of our great restaurants, shopping at one of our retail locations, enjoying a recreational venue, participating in a sporting event, attending one of our great festivals or events, or spending the night in one of our great hotels or bed and breakfast properties.

Brigette Cook Jones
Executive Director, Hancock County Tourism

Brigette Cook Jones has served as Executive Director of Hancock County Tourism since 2017. Before assuming this role, she served on the Hancock County Tourism Commission from 2011 to 2016. A seasoned museum and heritage professional, Brigette has held leadership positions with the Hancock County Historical Society, where she served as President, and at the James Whitcomb Riley Boyhood Home and Museum, where she was the organization’s first Coordinator.

Throughout her career, she has advanced cultural and tourism initiatives through strategic marketing, digital modernization, and event development. Her professional experience also includes eight years with the Indiana State Museum in both the Marketing and Education and Interpretation departments.

Brigette is a published historian, an award-winning photographer, and the 2012 recipient of the Indiana Historical Society’s Hubert Hawkins Award for Outstanding Local Historian. In 2016, she served as one of three county coordinators for the Indiana Bicentennial Celebration in Hancock County. She is also an active member of the Indiana Tourism Association and a graduate of its inaugural Academy class, earning certification as an Indiana Tourism Professional.

Brigette is an office of one. She is typically available at the Visitor Center from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday as her schedule allows. The office may be temporarily closed if she is offsite for meetings, teleconference calls, or attending events, so we recommend calling ahead or scheduling an appointment. Phone calls to the office are forwarded to her business cell, and she can be reached anytime by email at bjones@visitinhancock.org or by phone at 317-477-8687.

A kiosk in front of the Visitor Center provides 24/7 access to brochures and information. You can also find details and resources online at www.visitinhancock.org.

There are two entities involved with Hancock County Tourism.

The Hancock County Tourism Commission is a seven-member appointed board, with five members selected by the Hancock County Commissioners and two appointed by the Mayor of the City of Greenfield. Members serve two-year staggered terms. The Commission’s primary responsibility is to oversee the budgeting of the Innkeeper’s Tax and to contract with Hancock County Tourism Inc. to manage tourism-related initiatives within the county. The Commission convenes biannually, in January and July, with meetings held prior to those of Hancock County Tourism Inc. All meetings are open to the public.

Hancock County Tourism Inc. is a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) organization responsible for overseeing tourism activities within Hancock County. Its board of directors is composed of all seven members of the Hancock County Tourism Commission, along with two additional members appointed by the Tourism Inc. board. All board members serve staggered two-year terms that coincide with their commission terms. The organization’s primary funding is provided by the Hancock County Tourism Commission.

The board of directors establishes broad policy for tourism operations within the county, reviews and allocates grant funding to eligible projects and events, and advocates for tourism at both the community and governmental levels. In addition, the board undertakes special initiatives to advance the county’s tourism objectives and oversees the recruitment, appointment, and evaluation of the Executive Director, who is a county employee.

The Executive Director serves as the Chief Executive Officer and administrator of Hancock County Tourism, Inc. Responsibilities include implementing board-established policies, directing tourism marketing and destination management efforts, tourism advocacy, establishing internal organizational policies, and managing the hiring and supervision of staff, contract work and volunteers. The Executive Director oversees the day-to-day operations of the organization and provides professional guidance to the Tourism Inc. board but does not hold voting authority on the Tourism Inc Board.

This board meets monthly at the Hancock County Visitor Center on the second Tuesday of each month at 5pm. Meetings are open to the public.

*Please note: Executive officers hold their term for only one year and must seek re-election each year.

President of Tourism Inc and Commission

John Goss, McCordsville

Appointed by Hancock County Commissioners

Board Term 2025 – 2026

jgoss@visitinhancock.org

Vice President of Tourism Inc and Commission

Erin Garvey, New Palestine

Appointed by Hancock County Commissioners

Board Term 2024 – 2025

egarvey@visitinhancock.org