LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — The new CEO of the Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center is ready to help grow the facility. Monday marked the first day on the job for Brian Dykstra, who says he is thrilled to begin his work at the center.
Dykstra brings a performing arts background and experience with nonprofit organizations, which he believes will support his leadership in the new role. He says he is looking forward to expanding opportunities on both the performance and convention sides of the facility by bringing in shows and events that encourage face-to-face interaction.
“Increasing the opportunities for the Performing Arts, both locally and what we can bring in from tours and different regional productions and things like that. But also on the convention side, the event side, would love to see things, whether it's a boat show, a hunt and fish expo, a whiskey tasting opportunity, anything like that, that creates opportunity for people to come and experience things in person, face to face,” says Brian Dykstra, New CEO of Veteran’s Memorial Civic & Convention Center.
Dykstra says he also wants the public to better understand the complex nature of how the Civic and Convention Center operates.
“We're supported by the city, by the county, and by many donors in the area, and so there is a complexity to the Civic Center, and that's something that I'm hoping to maybe help explain to the public, so that they understand kind of more what the convention center, what the civic center is and does, and to help them understand, like, why it is so important that we are, why we're here, and why they why they come and experience what's offered here, but then also support The Civic Center and so, yeah, I'm looking forward to learning the machine And the mechanism of it all, as I go,” adds Dykstra.
Dykstra says his goal is to bring events and shows that appeal to every person in the region and encourage them to visit the Civic Center.
