Megan Beauregard
Megan Beauregard’s career path has progressed along nicely since she was featured in her first tourism job as Tourism Visitor Information Centre Counsellor. Following her time in this role with Parksville and District Chamber of Commerce Visitor Information Centre, she started working with Tourism Nanaimo, moving within the organization from Manager, Visitor Services to her current role, Stakeholder & Communications Specialist.
The last time go2HR featured me, I was a Visitor Information Counsellor working for a different organization. Since then, I moved to Tourism Nanaimo and took on the role of Manager, Visitor Services. I was overseeing the staff and volunteers of the visitor centre there for four years until we transitioned over with the City of Nanaimo staff from Destination Nanaimo & Economic Development and became the Nanaimo Economic Development Corporation. I then came into my current role,” says Beauregard, who acknowledges that there were some stressful times and unknowns during the organizational changes.
Today as Stakeholder & Communications Specialist, Beauregard looks after stakeholder marketing programs such as website listings, brochure racking at the visitor centre, visitor maps, social media, marketing campaigns, and more. “When we work so hard to see a marketing piece come together and people send in comments, or there’s chatter about how awesome it is on social media, we know we’ve done a good job. It just feels great. Another reward is seeing the stakeholders happy,” says Beauregard.
“I find myself growing each day, and in spots of the job I was nervous about doing well in, I find that I’m surprising myself and excelling in them! I’m also realizing as the job progresses, my interests are changing,” comments Beauregard. She also noted that she appreciates the opportunities that her employer offers for ongoing professional development.
As a graduate of the Tourism & Recreation Management Degree program at Vancouver Island University, she advises any potential tourism career seekers to consider formal tourism education, and to follow their heart. “If you can’t stop thinking about a career, it’s probably because you are meant to work in that career. Take the time, invest the money in training or schooling, it will be worth it in the end.”
Beauregard looks forward to the future in her role, and for Nanaimo’s evolution as a tourism destination. “I really love where my career in tourism is headed, and how my job is evolving. I’m thrilled to be working alongside an amazing tourism team/department with a leader that ‘gets’ destination management and wants to see Nanaimo be the Nanaimo it’s meant to be. I’m excited for this journey and can’t wait to see where it takes me next!”