HALLOWELL – The Maine Tourism Association (MTA) is pleased to announce that it has hired James (Jim) Cyr as the Workforce Development Specialist to recruit employees and market MTA’s new staffing service for members. Maine Tourism Staffing Solutions, a division of MTA, was created this fall to address the workforce shortage in the tourism industry.
The staffing service will find employees in other states, provide background checks on these employees, and arrange for their transportation to Maine. The service also will seek out Maine businesses that operate on opposite seasons and facilitate partnerships so that seasonal employees may be shared, thereby ensuring year-round employment for employees and helping staff those businesses during their busiest seasons. It will operate as a pilot project through 2019, offering its services to a small number of MTA members. The service will be expanded to all MTA members in future years.
Jim Cyr has an extensive background in marketing and communications. He has worked as a television news reporter and executive producer, and as a consultant for a public relations firm. Before joining the Maine Tourism Association, Jim worked in Maine State government, serving as a communications director in the Legislature, first for the Office of the House Speaker and, most recently, for the Office of the Senate President.
Outside of a three-year enlistment in the U.S. Army, and two years living in the Midwest, Jim is a lifelong Mainer. After graduating from Cape Elizabeth High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and worked for the Armed Forces Network as a news reporter in Berlin, Germany. Following his time in the service, he came home and attended the University of Maine, where he received a degree in political science. Jim is the father of three boys, and lives with his wife in Auburn.
“I am thrilled to be working for MTA and look forward to bringing more workers to Maine to help our members fill positions during the busy tourism season,” Jim stated.
CEO Chris Fogg said, “We need to sell out-of-state workers on the benefits of working to Maine. With Jim’s extensive marketing experience, I know we’ll be successful in convincing workers of all the great things Maine has to offer—an abundance of seasonal jobs, employers who treat their employees well and workers with a friendly attitude and great work ethic.”
The Maine Tourism Association represents more than 1,500 members across the state. Members include small and large businesses that provide traditional tourism interests such as lodging, restaurants, camps, campgrounds, retail establishments, guides and services, and cultural and heritage attractions.