National Guard soldiers stop to talk with Hurricane Florence flood victims in New Bern, N.C. Photo: ©North Carolina National Guard/Flickr Creative Commons license

There was a passion in her voice, one that exuded a clear sense of confidence in the midst of all the chaos.

Tarshi McCoy’s first day on the job as executive director of the Visit New Bern (N.C.) CVB is one she will likely remember for the rest of her life. She returned to her hometown to start her new role the week of Sept. 17, just days after Hurricane Florence smashed into the Carolina coast.

New Bern, the “quaint, quiet and pretty” town where McCoy grew up, was among the communities that took the brunt of the storm. The devastation, the loss of life throughout the state and the impact to so many who lost their homes and businesses has been heart-wrenching, both for those who live there and even for those of us watching from afar.

“There are parts of the city that were hit pretty hard,” McCoy says. “I don’t want to use the word devastated, but we have a long recovery ahead of us. Our convention center has taken on water. So have some of our venues and sites on the waterfront. We’ve lost group and leisure business. It’s been tough on a lot of families.

“But I’ll tell you this: I love New Bern and we’re going to come back. There is a real spirit here. I’ve seen it in so many people who’ve reached out to help us. We’ve had high school football teams and students and volunteers from everywhere—even our city council member Sabrina Bengel has been out there every day. Everyone has really rallied to help each other. Yes, that gives me faith and hope.”

It’s difficult for many to comprehend what McCoy and her community are going through. Just as it was last year when many of our fellow meeting industry professionals, neighbors and friends were dealing with the aftermath of hurricanes in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, and fires in California. Our report, “A Robust Rebound,” takes a look back at how those communities are coping one year later.

It hasn’t been easy, especially for our colleagues in Puerto Rico, but there is a resilience that is inspiring.

“To be sure, people see the coverage, and it creates a special challenge for us to get the word out and tell the world that we are up and running and ready to move forward,” says Jorge L. Perez, general manager of the Puerto Rico Convention Center. “But, on the other hand, the meeting and tourism industry is such that people in that industry all around the world want to help the destinations that endure these challenges. We actually have groups that want to help us rebound from Hurricane Maria, and our convention business is higher than before Maria.”

Those are words that should encourage our friends like McCoy in New Bern and those in Wilmington, N.C., which was at the epicenter of the storm.

McCoy left New Bern to follow career opportunities, but decided she wanted to come back.

“People have lost things they can’t replace and that’s hard,” she says. “I left here for about 10 years to work in Ohio, but I started thinking about what I missed about New Bern and knew I wanted to come back. Coming back during all this, I’ve seen the community come together. That’s a good feeling.”

To our friends and colleagues in North Carolina, keep the faith and know our meeting and event industry community has you in our thoughts and prayers.
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Until next time…

Rich Luna
Editor in Chief
rluna@mpiweb.org