PRESS RELEASE
City of Porterville
291 N. Main Street
Porterville, CA 93257
www.ci.porterville.ca.us/newslist.php
For more information, contact:
Yuriko Velarde, Administrative Analyst
(559) 306-1211
yvelarde@ci.porterville.ca.us
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MIGHTY 190 TOURISM COALITION HOLDS STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION
Porterville, CA – February 3, 2023
On Thursday, January 26, 2022, the Mighty 190 South County Tourism coalition met for a strategic planning session for the next 1-3 years. The Mighty 190 is a local promotion and tourism collaboration that promotes the natural amenities and communities located in southeastern Tulare County along State Route 190. The Mighty 190 began in September 2016 as the Highway 190/Western Divide Highway Snow Removal committee and evolved into what it is today. The mission is to strengthen tourism through commerce and recreational opportunities, leading to a robust economic base while protecting the area’s natural history.
Many community partners attended the strategic planning session to provide input and help establish goals for the future. Partners in attendance included County of Tulare Board of Supervisor (BOS) Chair Dennis Townsend, Porterville Vice Mayor Kellie Carrillo, Porterville Council Member Greg Meister, former Porterville Mayor and Mighty 190 Chair, Virginia Gurrola, and City of Porterville and County of Tulare staff. Also in attendance were representatives from local businesses, the U.S. Forest Service, and the members of the 2023 Leadership Porterville Cohort.
The Workforce Investment Board (WIB) facilitated the strategic planning meeting with a series of thought-generating exercises and helped the Mighty 190 group to develop goals and identify key actions to take over the next few years. Key focus areas include collaboration, seeking new partnerships and securing additional funding. In 2021, the City of Porterville funded the Mighty 190 initiative at $15,000. In 2022, the Mighty 190 received $20,000 from the City of Porterville and $40,000 from County of Tulare. At the meeting, BOS Chair Townsend presented the group with a check from the County of Tulare. Funding for the Mighty 190 will be apportioned consistent with collective recommendations from the group’s stakeholders in upcoming monthly meetings.
The strategic planning session helped the group fine-tune its vision and goals. To date, the Mighty 190 has succeeded in launching an informational website www.themighty190.com and social media accounts as well as increased the communication within the agencies involved to keep the stakeholders informed of the status of the gate at Highway 190 and M-107. Goals for the next 1-3 years include increased branding and marketing work, building more partnerships and bringing more visibility to the area in the interest of promoting economic vitality.
To learn more about the Mighty 190 and discover new adventure opportunities those interested can follow the Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Mighty190) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/explorethemighty190/) social media pages.
Businesses and community members interested in participating are invited to contact explorethemighty190@gmail.com.
