“Lightning Talks” Speakers
Gail Scott
“Traveling the Bio-Region”
Community Economic Development Specialist, CEDP.BC
Gail’s career has spanned all aspects of urban and rural community economic development practices within the private and public sectors throughout British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan over the past 30+ years.
She has held the position of Community Economic Development Officer with the District of Sooke on Vancouver Island since 2022 following her fourth attempt to retire.
Gail specializes in Destination Marketing Development in support of responsible, respectful, and regenerative tourism and visitor economy planning and strategizing in addition to collaborating with a broad range of network partnerships that address local and regional economic development services gaps focused on entrepreneurial business supports, business opportunity identification, investment attraction, and community organizational sustainability through recovery and resiliency practices.
Alexis Arrabito
“Beyond the Park: Arts, Culture, and Year-Round Placemaking on the Olympic Peninsula”
Alexis Arrabito is a community organizer, arts advocate, and founder of the Quimper Events Collective, a regional network supporting event, hospitality, and creative professionals across the Olympic Peninsula. She currently serves as Chair of the Port Townsend Arts Commission, where she works on public art initiatives and policies that strengthen the city’s creative economy.
Through her work, Alexis focuses on the intersection of arts, tourism, and local economic development. She believes that vibrant cultural ecosystems are essential to both community identity and sustainable visitor experiences, and she is passionate about highlighting the artists, makers, and creative spaces that define the Olympic Peninsula year-round.
Alex Day
“Travel with Purpose: Turning Olympic Peninsula Visitors into Park Stewards”
Marketing & Communications Director, Washington’s National Park Fund
Alex Day (she/her) is the Marketing and Communications Director for Washington’s National Park Fund (WNPF), the official nonprofit philanthropic partner to Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. Since joining the organization in 2021 she has led the organization’s marketing and storytelling efforts, working to connect park visitors with opportunities to support the places they experience. Her work focuses on building awareness and philanthropic support by reaching travelers, outdoor enthusiasts, and local communities who care about the future of these parks and recognize the importance of outdoor recreation and access. Prior to joining WNPF, Alex has held roles at organizations including the American Diabetes Association and USDA's Food & Nutrition Service.
Rachel Hanson
“Building Grass-Roots Community Events to Draw Visitors”
Rachel Hansen is the owner and president of Northwest Event Organizers, a Shelton–based company that manages and promotes large-scale community events, tourism initiatives, and marketing campaigns. Since founding the organization in 2009, she has worked closely with nonprofits, local businesses, and government partners to develop events and promotional programs that strengthen their region’s economy and community identity.
With a background in graphic design and a BA in Classical Studies, Rachel specializes in strategic marketing, event production, and tourism promotion across print, digital, and social media platforms. Since 2018 she has published the Tracing the Fjord quarterly community lifestyle magazine. She has also served as Mason County’s tourism promotion liaison and has contributed to initiatives that highlight the area’s recreation, culture, and local businesses.