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Lee County Board of County Commissioners reappoint two Tourist Development Council members

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Pamela Cronin, co-owner of the Shell Factory & Nature Park in North Fort Myers, and Rene Affourtit, general manager of the West Wind Inn on Sanibel Island, have been reappointed to the Lee County Tourist Development Council. The Lee County Board of County Commissioners voted on the motion presented by Commissioner Frank Mann during its April 15 meeting.

First appointed to the TDC in March 1998, Cronin worked in administration, advertising, and promotions for various real estate and property management companies, including Enchanted Properties, Inc., Coldwell Banker McFadden & Sprowls, and Flordeco, Inc. In 1997, she joined the Shell Factory and was active in the iconic attraction’s $3 million renovation project. Since then, Cronin has handled advertising, public relations, promotions, and event planning initiatives.

She received her undergraduate degree from Florida State University and her master’s degree in Tourism Administration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Cronin volunteers extensively with community and charity organizations.

Affourtit’s appointment to the TDC began in January 2000. His extensive military career began with 23 years of service as an Army officer in the infantry, before retiring with the rank of colonel in 1985. Highlights included various command and staff positions in the U.S. and abroad, with tours in Vietnam; Berlin, Germany; and a tour as commander of a Green Beret battalion. Affourtit progressed to become executive secretary of the Department of Defense, in which he served as point of contact with the White House, the State Department, the National Security Council, and the CIA.

Twenty-eight years ago, Affourtit entered the tourism field as general manager of the West Wind Inn, a position he continues to hold today. In addition, Affourtit served as president of the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum and was an officer on the board of directors for the Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce for six years.

He earned his MBA from the University of Dayton and is a graduate of the National War College, the Department of Defense’s senior service college, in Washington, D.C.

The nine-member TDC was established by the BOCC in 1983 to increase off-season tourism.

Source: Lee County Tourist Development Council