(Des Moines)– Two lakes area residents were honored Friday at the Iowa Tourism Unity Day in Des Moines.
Tom Kuhlman, Executive Director of the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, was named the Iowa Tourism Paid Professional of the Year, while Herman Richter of Milford received a GEMmy Award.
Kuhlman’s award was presented by the Travel Federal of Iowa and the Iowa Tourism Office. He was nominated for the honor by a peer.
The GEMmy Award was presented to Richter by the Midwest Travel Writers Association, an organization of travel professionals from throughout the region. Each year the group honors destinations or people that offer an exceptional travel experience, calling them a “gem”. Richter was nominated by Diana Lambdin Meyer, a freelance writer from the Kansas City area after she met him last summer on a visit to the Iowa Great Lakes Area. It resulted in a feature story on the Iowa Great Lakes in the “Kansas City Star”.
Iowa Tourism Unity Day is held annually in late April to kick off the busy summer travel season and in advance of Iowa Tourism Month in May. Midwest Living Magazine and the Meredith Travel Group sponsor the even that attracts nearly 300 people from throughout the state.
