The Kokomo Visitors Bureau presented Dean Hockney with the 2013 FIRSTS Award, which stands for FANTASTIC INDIVIDUAL RECOGNIZED for SUPERIOR TOURISM SERVICE, on November 7, 2013.
Dean has led the Kokomo Visitors Bureau’s sports initiatives through the leadership role of the Greater Kokomo Sports Authority committee for 2 years, which has brought awareness of sports tourism to our community. Under Dean’s leadership, more than 10,000 hotel rooms have been occupied in Howard County because of sports. This translates into 1.5 million dollars of visitor spending!
Along with his other community service efforts, such as coaching, mentoring youth, immediate Past President of the Kiwanis Club, Vice President of the Howard County Sports Hall of Fame, Advisory Board member of Prevent Child Abuse of Howard County, just to name a few, Dean is also an award winning journalist and owner and editor of the Sports Journal of Central Indiana.
Awarded since 1997, the FIRSTS Award is given to an individual who has gone the extra mile in contributing to the tourism efforts of the Kokomo Visitors Bureau, has given over-the-top hospitality through a single act or through on-going efforts over a period of time, has given assistance to a visitor, or has sponsored an event in the community that makes a significant difference to the hospitality industry in Howard County.
For more information about the Kokomo Visitors Bureau, visit www.VisitKokomo.org.