New Sonoma tourism director Tim Zahner is putting out the ‘welcome’ mat

If Tim Zahner’s accomplishments come even close to matching his enthusiasm, the hotels in Sonoma Valley will be booked solid for months on end and there will be lines out the door at every business on the Plaza.

Zahner started his new position as executive director of the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau on Aug. 20 and seems to have made it his mission to get to know as many people here as possible – and quick as a zip. When he arrived at his new office there were four boxes of his business cards awaiting him. At the rate he’s handing them out – with a handshake, a smile and a “What can we do for you?” – a reprint order is imminent.

His first goal is to listen. “I want to continue my outreach to the community,” he said, mentioning that he has “poked his head” into every business surrounding the Plaza. And while his primary focus is making Sonoma Valley a worldwide vacation ?destination, he has locals very much on his mind as well.

“The Plaza is for visitors but it is also for those who live here. We all have to support the town ice cream shop,” he said, using Scoops as an example of how if the business community is going to thrive it can’t depend on tourists alone.

He has already met with Sonoma City Manager Cathy Capriola, 1st Distirct Supervisor Susan Gorin, several city council members and Mark Bodenhamer, CEO of the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce. He is gathering ideas with most every conversation. An array of color-coded Post-it notes lines the wall behind his desk as he develops his long-term strategy.

Zahner was previously the Chief Operating Officer at Sonoma County Tourism, where he took on a leading communications role in responding to last year’s devastating fires. Asked how he feels the fires have continued to affect area tourism he said, “For those of us who live here the fires are indelible. Other people have moved on to the next thing.”

Zahner thinks it’s amazing that the visitors bureau building was once a Carnegie library, and wants to put renewed emphasis on Sonoma Valley as a historic visitor’s venue, as well as a wine and food destination. One of first things he did after stepping into his new position was add a new featured article on the sonomavalley.com website, “Four Historic Sites You Can Walk To.” Further enhancements to the website are also on his to-do list.

The visitors bureau has the equivalent of five full-time employees and 40 volunteers, and Zahner is getting to know each of them as well. The volunteers provide information and distribute the “I Love Sonoma Valley” stickers to tourists. Zahner wants to expand the bureau’s “Enjoy Life” program, a membership program for residents that encourages participation in community events and businesses and provides locals-only discount offers. Membership cards are available at the visitor’s bureau.

In his first two weeks, Zahner had signed up 20 residents for the 18-month-old program. “I want to continue my outreach to the community. It’s a two-way street. A place that’s very livable is a place that people want to visit.”

Zahner lives in Windsor with his wife Christy and their two children Seth, 13, and Anna, 11, along with their dog Luke and three cats. On his commute through the Valley he’s made it a point to make many stops in the Springs, buying his coffee at the Barking Dog and getting to know that area and learn how to enhance its attraction to visitors.

“There is great opportunity to support what’s happening in the Springs, which is a really dynamic business corridor,” he said.

Zahner hopes to make Sonoma Valley just as popular of a destination “during the second week in January or mid-week in February” as it is the rest of the year. “We have some of the best wine in the world. Hills, valleys, creeks, it is always beautiful here. Everyone should come to Sonoma Valley.”