ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Jackee Pugh is often how many are introduced to all the attractions Belmont County has to offer. Pugh serves as executive director of Belmont County Tourism, which covers options and opportunities to promote Belmont County’s attractions.

“I am responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of Belmont County Tourism, including marketing and public relations as it relates to tourism for Belmont County. I oversee the creative direction, development and implementation of messaging and branding to produce and measure increased visitation and an economic impact to the region,” she said. “I am an active board member for Appalachian Ohio, the Ohio National Road Association and Ohio Valley Underground Railroad Museum.”

She has one daughter, Paige and a Labrador retriever, Paisley.

Pugh also shares advice with young women starting out or interested in her field.

“Be eager to learn and willing to try new things. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and experiment with new ideas. Be inspired by exploring your surroundings but willing to push yourself into the unfamiliar,” she said.

“The tourism industry thrives on passion and enthusiasm and marketing is exciting, fun and also challenging. But in everything, effective communication is essential.”

She learned some valuable lessons in her career.

“Work smarter, not harder. Individually, I can have good ideas, but collaborating and brainstorming with others will always produce better ideas.

“When you have the ability to build ideas off of one another, concepts stretch and grow in ways one can’t possibly do alone,” she said. As the saying goes, two heads are better than one. That’s because strong, creative teamwork always offers more potential than working alone.”

Pugh finds there are many opportunities for women in her field.

“Overall, women are well represented in the tourism industry and seem to positively promote gender equality and women empowerment. Having visible female role models and mentors in leadership positions can inspire and empower other women to pursue leadership roles, too.”

She shares how she discovered this was the field for her.

“Most of my career I found myself the one behind the camera, until now, being executive director at Belmont County Tourism has pushed me to be the one in the spotlight. And I am proud of myself for overcoming something new — being in front of the camera lens. It definitely was an adjustment, but it was my ‘aha’ moment to look back and see how far I’ve come with confidence and presence.”

She also sees many bright spots to the Ohio Valley.

“One of my favorite parts of living in the Ohio Valley is the small-town hospitality and friendly, laid-back atmosphere. People are welcoming, they say hello and hold doors open for each other, these charming attributes you don’t always get living in larger cities.”

Her motto is the Albert Einstein quote: “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”

“I have always loved this motto as a reminder that having fun is essential, some of the best ideas happen when you step back and don’t take yourself so seriously.”