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Keller-Brinley named
Tourism 2014 Citizen of the Year
GREENVILLE, OH – Mrs.
Gloria Keller-Brinley was honored today as the 2014 Tourism Citizen
of the Year by the Darke County Visitors Bureau at the Chamber’s
annual meeting at Romer's Catering in Greenville.
Aaron Moran, Vice President
of the Visitors Bureau’s Board of Trustees along with Scott
Hartings, Treasurer of the Board and Senior Finance Manager at
Whirlpool presented this award which exemplifies the best of tourism
in our community.
This award recognizes
people who look first at what they can do for tourism within Darke
County. They work in a business or volunteer in a group that brings
people into our community from 30+ miles away to enjoy events,
attractions, shops, accommodations and other aspects of the tourism
industry. The award recognizes those who have demonstrated extensive
and diverse participation, leadership and support in public and/or
private tourism endeavors over a period of years. And finally, this
honor is bestowed upon a leader capable of getting others involved in
tourism within the community.
Mrs. Keller-Brinley, this
year’s award recipient is a native of Darke County however she has
caused quite a stir across the globe! She was a Rotary Exchange
Student to New Zealand in the late 70’s. While there, she learned
to sail, met the Queen of England, was adopted by the Northland Maori
Tribe and was filmed by the BBC for a movie as a Maori girl.
Unfortunately, she had to be removed from the close up shot in the
film since she has blue eyes!
As a small child, she was a
favorite of railroad workers, as they would pick her up and give her
free rides on the trail when they would switch tracks near her
parents business.
As a life-long resident of
Darke County, Mrs. Keller-Brinley has great memories of our community
including:
• Being a Candy
Striper at Wayne Hospital
• Winning "Best
Thespian Award, 1978" the Highest Honor from the Greenville High
School Drama Club
• Winning the leading
role in ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ GHS Musical, 1978
• Working for several
summers at The GREAT! Darke County Fair
• Working for Gene
Riegle, Wills Greenhouse, Wielands Jewelers and Heartland Nursing
Home in the 80's and 90's
• Campaigning for her
father, Myron E. "Tony" Keller while he was a Darke County
Commissioner
• Volunteering for the
Darke County Salvation Army with her Father
• Working at Whirlpool
from 1992 until being hired at KitchenAid Experience in 2001
• Raising 7 children,
ranging in age from 16 to 38
Eileen Litchfield, the
person who nominated Mrs. Keller-Brinley for the award said, “When
I think of someone who brings people to Darke County, this person
stands out. Like the incredible equipment she sells, she’s a
“mixer”… she gets people in and around the community.”
“Mrs. Keller-Brinley does
a great job encouraging her staff to share information about other
tourism attractions in the county,” stated Deanna York, Executive
Director of the Darke County Visitors Bureau. “She works closely
with the Bureau by participating in travel shows, bureau-sponsored
events at Eldora Speedway and in the bureau’s booth at the GREAT!
Darke County Fair.”
During her acceptance
speech, Mrs. Keller-Brinley accepted the award on behalf of her
father, Myron “Tony” Keller.
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