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America In Bloom’s two agents were hosted in Brewton this week to tour the city and all the beauty it has to offer.
AIB President Rod Barnes was joined by agent Jessica Young on a tour led by Connie Baggett, director of programs for the City of Brewton. The two agents said the Brewton community has much of which to be proud.
“I was excited to be able to come to Brewton,” Barnes said. “We have heard about Brewton at the National Symposium and I was excited to come see about what I had heard.”
Barnes said the two-day tour has led them around the community and has been a pleasant, welcoming experience for the agents.
“We’ve see the dedication from the staff around the city,” Barnes said. “We’ve seen well-maintained flowers that are healthy and inviting. Even in the park after the weekend’s Blueberry Festival, everything was just beautiful. That’s what we want to see. It shows good aesthetics for the community and a good infrastructure.”
Following their visit, the two agents will begin scoring and compiling their reports about what they saw in Brewton.
“We will work on a report on the seven areas of the criteria,” Barnes said. “In that report, there will be recommendations on how to improve, to point out great things in the city and congratulate them for that and give a roadmap to continue to improve.”
That report will look at a profile of the city and all it has to offer, Barnes said.
“Connie and the city has provided a profile ahead of time to us,” Barnes said. “We will also take a look at Facebook, the website and anything available to find out more about the city.”
Barnes said staff with the City of Brewton has made the tour and the impending scoring easy for the team.
“Mayor Yank Lovelace as made AIB one of his priorities,” Barnes said. “And, he makes sure to keep Connie and the staff busy.”
An awards ceremony at the National Symposium set for September will reveal the city’s placement in the scoring following the visit.
Barnes said the symposium will be held in Logan, Ohio this year and will be more than just an awards event.
“This is a great time for everyone t come together to learn about sharing ideas and best practices,” Barnes said. “The workshops held in conjunction with the symposium are a great time for learning and continuing to grow.”
Young had a great introduction into her new role as an agent.
“This is my first year and my first community,” Young said. “It’s just a beautiful city and we have been hosted very nicely. This has been a wonderful experience and Connie is a generous tour guide.”
The pair is now traveling to their next destination at Highwood, Ill. — a city grouped into the same categories as Brewton.
The results of the visit by Barnes and Young will be made public in September.