I travel like it is my job; because it is! After growing up in Venango County I started traveling full time. I have spent most of my career working on cruise ships and I’m now a Cruise and Travel Director with Holland America Line. But aside from a six year stint in Washington, DC, Venango County has always been home.

I love the friendly atmosphere, the recreational opportunities, and the growing arts and food scenes. I can be found exploring a local park like Oil Creek or Cook Forest, biking the Allegheny River or Sandy Creek Trails, or enjoying a craft beer at one of the area’s breweries. I enjoy the festivals our local communities offer and I enter local photography shows such as the Oil Heritage Art Show.

Since I had moved away for awhile and I travel constantly, I was worried that it would be difficult to connect with my local community again. But joining FLEX, Venango County’s Young Professionals Organization, gave me a great way to meet people and serve my community.

When the pandemic kept me from the sea and gave me more time in the area I decided to apply my travel experience to my hometown and launched A Bite Of History Food Tours providing history and walking tours of Franklin. As a brand new business owner I was overwhelmed by the community support for my new venture; from the Small Business Development Center at Clarion University, to the Venango Chamber of Commerce, to local business owners, to community members eager to support this new tourism experience.

Ultimately the goal of my business to help others discover what I have known all along: that Venango County is home to historic communities bursting with possibilities for adventure.