The Park County Travel Council has hired a top executive search firm to find its next executive director. 

At Thursday’s monthly meeting, the council agreed unanimously to adopt the executive director search committee’s recommendation to go with Search Wide Global, which council member Q Blair said is the “gold standard” of search firms. 

He said the timeline is to have an offer out within 80 days from when the company begins its search. 

Search Wide Global, headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a full-service executive search firm primarily for companies in the travel, tourism, hospitality, convention, trade association, venue management, experiential marketing, sports and entertainment industries.

Blair said the firm provided the best proposal of the three applicants and came the most recommended from industry associates and the committee wanted to ensure the full board had a say. 

“It is a significant investment in the future of the Park County Travel Council,” he said. 

Blair said all of the proposals were similar on cost, at 30% of a year’s salary and other smaller fees. 

The firm was chosen over two others, one of which, Winner Partners, is the firm that recruited outgoing Executive Director Ryan Hauck to Fayetteville, Arkansas, where he will take over the same position with the city’s travel council. 

“Winner Partners has already had their share in this,” Blair said, smiling. 

Hauck’s final day is July 9, the day after he requested for a meeting to approve the next fiscal year budget, essentially his final act with the travel council. 

“Once we adopt that, there’s nothing pressing for the new executive director to do,” he said. 

Hauck is aiming to prepare the travel council board for after he’s gone. 

At the meeting, Hauck unveiled a succession plan for the council and said he’s working on a new onboarding program for future executive directors. 

“Thank you Ryan,” said council chair John Parsons. “We’ll be leaning on you through the process.”