Local-Lady Richmond Interview: Angel Gray, Tourism Bureau

Over the summer, I was invited to attend a session at the
Institute for Creative Leadership, a sort of

Angel Gray & Adorable Son: Image Source

community activist think tank in Richmond, where I first met fellow blogger Angel Gray. Angel is the Social Media Communications Director at Visit Richmond, the Welcome Center. Angel Gray is a multifaceted, talented local gal with a diverse set of hobbies. Geo-caching is one in particular, which I find fascinating. She agreed to take some time out of her busy schedule to chat with the Local Lady! Thank you, Angel! Here we go:

What do you like best about your job at the Tourism Bureau?

"My favorite thing about working with the Wayne County Tourism Bureau is having the unique opportunity to interact with locals and visitors through social media. I enjoy answering questions about Wayne County for visitors as well as encouraging locals to appreciate their home town through social media games and promotions such as our photo contests, “Where’s Angel” contest, and trivia questions. 

I also love the opportunities that allow me to become an active participant in community projects. Earlier this year I was blessed with the ability to attend the Institute for Creative Leadership. Here, I learned more about myself along with my own strengths and weaknesses. With this new information, I was able to team up with fellow Institute for Creative Leadership graduates to work on a community project, Pedals for People, which took donated bikes and refurbished them to give to families in the community who could not afford bikes. I love the ability to give back to the community and encouraging others to do so as well. I am lucky enough to have a job I love and a job that allows me to express my individuality and my unique perspective about the community. My job here is more than just a job, it’s a career and a hobby and I look forward to many more years here."

Image Source

As a blogger for Visit Richmond, what entry was the most fun for you to write? 

"One that will always stick with me as my favorite is Joseph Moore Museum of Natural History. I had so much fun taking my young son to the museum for his first time and seeing the reactions on his face as he discovers dinosaur bones, snake skins, and more. I love when I can share personal experiences in my blog posts because I believe personal experiences is what intrigues readers the most and it give me the chance to connect with my readers on a personal level."


What's the story behind geocaching? How did you get started & where can a Richmond beginner go for more information on how to do it?

"I’ve always enjoyed hiking and anything involving the outdoors. I would often travel to state parks to hike. It wasn’t until I started searching for more local outdoor activities that I stumbled upon geocaching. Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices (handheld gps or a smartphone app). Participants navigate to a specific set of coordinates found online, and then attempt to find the geocache (the container) hidden at that location. 

Richmond has countless geocaches hidden among the town: at the Welcome Center, Hayes Arboretum, Depot District and many other spots in the area. The goal of geocaching is to get people out in the community to visit unique places they may not have chosen to visit otherwise. We often have geocachers come in the Welcome Center to find our hidden geocache and they come from as far away as California, Texas, and Florida. 

If someone is interested in learning more about geocaching they can certainly come visit me at the Welcome Center! I would love to offer a few pointers, also I would recommend visiting the official site Geocaching for more information."

The Geocaching Logo is a registered trademark of Groundspeak, Inc. Used with permission.

What's your best Richmond memory or what do you love about Richmond? 

"Having grown up here all my life, I would have to say my favorite memory is my childhood in general. I have a lot of wonderful memories growing up here but my favorite part is now the ability to share these memories with my 2 year old son. I am ecstatic to relive some of my favorite childhood memories as I watch my son experience them for the first time. The ability to explain to him that mommy did this same thing when she was little always makes me smile. 

The one experience that stands out in my mind is the day my son got his Veach’s birthday card in the mail when he turned 1. I remember growing up and getting my Veach’s card in the mail for the birthday castle and always begging to go to Veach's Toy Station as soon as possible. I think I was more excited than my son was as we hopped in the car and took a trip downtown. The experience is still the same and the enjoyment of opening the door and picking out a wrapped present brings a smile to every child’s face. I love the fact that these simple childhood memories are still around for our children to experience!"

Thanks for chatting with the Local-Lady, Angel! And thank you for the work you do to connect and highlight some of the best in our community! Kudos!

Play Where's Angel? on Facebook at the Official Visit Richmond Facebook page and be sure to stop by the Visit Richmond blog.

<3 the Local Gal

PS

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