Visit Lebanon Valley president/CEO Jennifer Kuzo announces retirement

The biggest challenge for Jennifer Kuzo over the past eight years has been coming up with the next “crazy idea.”

Kuzo has been president and CEO of Visit Lebanon Valley, the official tourism office for Lebanon County, since 2017. This week, she announced her retirement later this year.

“It’s been a tough decision,” she told LebTown in a telephone interview Tuesday. “I want to retire when I feel like I have done good things. I want to be proud of the accomplishments that we’ve done here.”

Karen Groh, president and CEO of the Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce, was quick to offer praise for Kuzo’s tenure in the post.

“Jennifer breathed life into the Tourism Bureau,” Groh told LebTown in an email. “Her creativity and vision have increased tourism and awareness for all. When Jennifer talks, her passion overflows and not only entices outsiders to visit but allows locals to see Lebanon County through new eyes. From the great outdoor to historical sites, coffee shops and breweries, Jennifer has broadened our awareness of the richness in our own backyard.

“Ultimately, her impact on the local economy has been tremendous.”

Darby Seymour, public relations manager for Visit Lebanon Valley, said in a release that Kuzo’s “strategic insight and industry expertise helped attract and boost visitor spending and strengthen Lebanon County’s economy” and her “promotional strategies helped position the Lebanon Valley as a tourism destination.”

In December, Kuzo told Lebanon County Commissioners that visitors to the county spent $296.4 million here in 2022, up from $258.8 million in 2021, which was at the time the most recent data available from the state. That included revenue from lodgings, food and beverages, retail sales, recreation, and other sources, she said.

The state reported last year that the overall impact of the tourism industry on the local economy reached $312.9 million here in 2022, up from $274.7 million in 2021, an increase of nearly 9 percent.

The success of VLV’s efforts can also be measured by monitoring fluctuations in the Lebanon County’s hotel occupancy tax.

“We’ve had substantial growth of over 200% over the years,” Kuzo told LebTown. “That’s not all due to our marketing. In part, yes, but it’s also due to the addition of the Fairfield hotel, the growth and overflow from Hershey and Lancaster, the success of events and the growth at the expo, and the growth of events and businesses throughout the Lebanon Valley. I think we can all take credit for that.”

But it’s also important to look at the satisfaction of people who live here, she said.

“I think that is very important. Through my tenure here, we survived COVID, and COVID taught us that – while I am focused on promoting outside our community to encourage visits to the Lebanon Valley from Philadelphia, New York, and New Jersey – it’s also important to have the support of locals as well. You have to have a thriving community. You have to have the support of the local residents.”

COVID-19, a virulent form of coronavirus, entered the United States late in 2019 and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. As the death toll rose, the pandemic shuttered much of the global economy. Tourism and hospitality industries were particularly hard hit, with some restrictions continuing into 2023.

Visit Lebanon Valley survived the pandemic, in part, because of its “cautious” use of its budgetary reserves during that period, Kuzo said.

“That saw us through,” she said. “We had no income for several months because of COVID, but thankfully we rebounded well from that. And after COVID, people wanted outdoor recreation and small towns. They didn’t flock to the large cities — they wanted what we had to offer. We had exactly what people were looking for.”

Seeking a successor

Kuzo said she will officially retire in mid-December, although she might step back and work in a reduced capacity a month or two sooner, depending on when her successor comes aboard.

Visit Lebanon Valley has begun a search for its next president, according the release. Interested candidates can apply by sending a cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to info@visitlebanonvalley.com by Oct. 17. A full job description and additional information is available online.

Kuzo said her board of directors plans to choose her successor by mid-fall so she has time to assist in the transition. In the meantime, she said, she has plenty to do, including addressing some staffing issues at the agency and working on a strategic plan for the coming years.

“I’m very proud of the things we have done. It’s been a passion of mine,” she said. “I have always loved travel, so this has blended so beautifully. It’s the best job I’ve ever had.

“But there comes a time when you know it’s time to pass the baton. … When it’s time to go, it’s time to go. It’s time to let someone else have this fun, take the reins and move on. I look forward to watching from the sidelines. It’s time for my next chapter.”

Looking back

Kuzo, who began her career in hotel sales, marketing, and advertising, looks back on the past several years with a great deal of fondness. Born in raised in the Palmyra area – where she still lives, she noted with some surprise – she thoroughly enjoys hyping the better qualities of the Lebanon Valley to bring tourists to the area.

She’s certainly expanded local tourism opportunities, creating events and experiences that local residents can enjoy as much as the visitors do. For instance, she helmed the creation of the Java Journey and the Libations Trail, both of which encourage patronage of local coffee shops as well as breweries, wineries, and distilleries.

The “Explore the Outdoors” guidebook, one of Kuzo’s first initiatives, urges people to hit the trails and enjoy the region’s natural wonders, while the agency’s Holiday Gift Guide features a range of gift ideas from businesses across the county.

And then there’s the World’s Largest Lebanon Bologna Sandwich, another “crazy idea” that became a national sensation.

Not just any sandwich, the 150-foot-long culinary monstrosity was unveiled at the Lebanon Area Fair in August 2023 and captured media attention across the continent. Crafted with the signature taste of Lebanon’s own deli staple, the sandwich was made with more than 1,200 slices (about 67 pounds) of smoked and seasoned bologna and 600 slices of provolone cheese on a whole lot of French bread.

“When I travel, I always bring an idea back,” Kuzo explained. “My husband and I were in Italy, and we came back with a few culinary ideas. That’s when I came up with the world’s largest Lebanon Bologna sandwich. … It’s crazy and silly, but we got our little moment of fame.”

“The board was super supportive of all my creative ideas,” she said. “It never dawned on me that all of my crazy ideas wouldn’t come true. I guess being fearless and confident helps.”

It helps, she said, to look at the region with the eyes of an outsider.

“We have specialty Pennsylvania Dutch items that make this area special. We have microbrews and specialty beers. When you travel, that’s the kind of thing you’re looking for,” Kuzo explained. “We’re so close to it sometimes, we don’t think of something the way a tourist would.”

Getting creative with ideas was a necessity when she took the job, Kuzo said.

“I didn’t have a choice. I had to come up with some things,” she said. “When I started, there weren’t a lot of things going on. I started with a very small budget … we call that creative marketing. When you don’t have money, you use your imagination. You work with other organizations, you look around for things you can do.”

And there’s a lot to work with, she said, such as the region’s rich history and small-town charm, recreation opportunities and agritourism.

“I created a photo contest, so we could have some better content. We redesigned the website. We created a downtown architectural walking trail,” Kuzo said. “I brought in a cow and wrote a book. That was super fun. Disney has Mickey Mouse, why can’t we have something?”

She’s referring, of course, to Lebanon Lilly, Visit Lebanon Valley’s cow mascot, who has been featured in two children’s storybooks authored by Kuzo: The Adventures of Lebanon Lilly, released in 2020, and More Adventures with Lebanon Lilly and Friends, released earlier this month.

“It’s been so much fun going around and reading to children,” Kuzo said. “It’s a love song to the Lebanon Valley.”

However, she noted, she doesn’t plan on writing any more books about Lilly. Perhaps, she said, her successor will carry that torch as well.

Besides COVID, Kuzo said, her biggest challenge over the years was “finding the next big idea.”

Looking ahead

“It has been an honor to serve the community that I love,” Kuzo said in a statement. “When I reflect on the last eight years, I feel immense pride for our accomplishments and gratitude for the people I’ve worked alongside, the partners who believed in our vision, and the visitors who came to discover everything the Lebanon Valley has to offer.”

In her immediate future, Kuzo told LebTown she has plenty of work to keep her busy before stepping down.

“I’m working on a strategic plan for next year,” she said. “Certainly my successor will be able to make their imprint on that, but I’m trying to lay the tracks down so I’m not leaving them cold. I’m laying out the framework for an easy transition.”

She is reluctant to discuss what changes might be afoot for local tourism in the next phase, however.

“That will depend on the person they select,” she said.

The Palmyra native said beyond that, she is looking forward to reading, spending time with family and friends, and – perhaps most of all – traveling.

“I’ve been asked to be on several advisory boards,” Kuzo said. “But I haven’t made any commitments.”

Sometimes, she said, she’s surprised she lived her whole life in the Palmyra area.

“It’s funny,” she said. “I have a degree in tourism, and all I wanted to do was leave the area. I went with Marriott right out of college, and I wanted to travel the world. I was working in Harrisburg, and then Hershey made me an offer. … And then I ended up meeting my husband and staying in the area.

“I ended up living a mile from where I grew up. There’s some comfort in that. … You always know someone when you go out for lunch or dinner.”

It was all for the best, she quickly added. “This area is great for raising children. And it has great access to the big cities.”

But now, she said, “I want to travel quite a bit. I love to take road trips and explore unknown areas. Who knows, it’s the next chapter … but a river cruise in Europe is on our bucket list.

“It’s time. Before I get sick or infirmed … I want to be able to travel and enjoy life.”

A final word

At the end of the interview, Kuzo fielded one last question that put her on the spot.

“If you were speaking to someone from somewhere else, someone who had never been to this area, and you had 30 seconds to convince them to visit Lebanon County, what would you tell them?” a reporter asked.

Kuzo thought for only a moment before coming up with her answer.

“If you love beautiful landscapes and rolling hills, and bountiful produce overflowing flowers, roadside stands, recreational assets, small-town charm, then the Lebanon Valley is exactly where you should be,” she said. “We may be the road less traveled, but maybe that’s what you’re looking for.”