We turned the page in the Discovery Guide once again and landed upon the Bay of Quinte team! We market tourism and resident attraction for the region and are thrilled to share our passion for the BoQ with others—but how did we all come to be working for the Regional Marketing Board in the first place?
Read below for a background on Bay of Quinte’s Communications Manager, Jen Achilles (and connect with her here).
Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board: Jen Achilles
Why did you choose to live/work in the Bay of Quinte?
Choice is an interesting term; let’s say circumstance is a more accurate one when describing my migration to the Bay of Quinte. A long time west coaster, I found a life partner who lived in Ontario and wouldn’t budge. After three long years of long distancing we searched around for something affordable, close to water and close enough to the city.
It seems these days that most people end up in careers unrelated to their degree/diploma. What is your education background?
Exactly that! Unrelated. I started my post-secondary pursuit in Sciences at Simon Fraser University majoring in Chemistry, three years in I flipped to fashion design, obviously ;), and spent over 15 years in the retail industry.
How has your education and previous work experience informed your work within tourism and marketing?
I spent a lot of my time in retail working closely with the marketing team and I grew up in a tourist town in northern Ontario. I put the two together and voila, here I am making a go of this next career move. A second career, really, and I use my previous experiences every day to guide me through. Absolutely nothing was a waste of time or effort. Science and art are not entirely separate and using both makes for some pretty successful outcomes in any field, I bet.
Describe the work environment at BoQ RMB in five word or less.
What does a weekend in the BoQ look like for you?
I love to putter around the farmhouse. In the summer, my garden of goodness takes over every spare second I have that I’m not spending with out 15-month old… fur baby, Patrick. In the winter, I wait for summer to return with the occasional snow shoe to remind myself that winter is not so bad.
