Condray retiring as Tourism co-director
Marian Condray, the co-director of Cloud County Tourism, is retiring at the end of the year.
“This isn't a decision made in the last two weeks,” Condray said. “Susie (Haver) and I have been talking about this since May. It's just time. I want to spend time with my grand-babies.”
Condray joined the Tourism Office on May 18, 2017. “Now, 1,688 days later,” Haver said, “it's sadly coming to an end. It's been terrific working with Marian at Cloud County Tourism. She's just the best. We've had lots of fun.”
Since May 2017, 23,574 people have come through the doors of the Tourism Office, and Condray and Haver greeted each of them personally. Condray has many fond memories and, literally, hundreds of stories to tell.
“I'm really proud of the Big Dig,” Condray said, referring to the event held at the Kurt Kocher farm on August 27-29 that brought thousands of visitors to the Concordia area. “There's the Prairie Plowing Days, and the Rural Prosperity Listening Tour that we did with then-Lt. Governor Lynn Rogers. It was a real listening tour. He was interested in what people had to say. He's our friend now. He came to the Big Dig.”
Condray has been a common fixture at many community events and conducted numerous tours around the town. “We are called upon to do a variety of things,” Haver said, “and that's what Marian is so good at.”
Condray is going to miss all the personal contact that came with her job. First and foremost, she's going to miss working with Haver. “Susie's enthusiasm for Cloud County is just so contagious. I learned so much from her. I'm going to miss the never-ending opportunities we were given. Like the Fly Kansas celebration, and the town's Sesquicentennial Celebration. We were on so many committees. And we were able to light the Anna Laura Hill statue at night. Now it's kind of a beacon for the town with the traffic on the highway. I wanted to see those things through to the end before I retired.”
There's no doubt what Condray is going to miss most: the people. “I'm going to miss telling them stories about our town, and hearing their stories.”
Condray recalls the first tour group she handled by herself, in August of 2017. “I was nervous. When I finished I told them that it was my first bus tour all alone, and they cheered.”
Condray became emotional when recalling a different kind of story about a visitor who came to the Tourism Office. “For so many people who come in here, we don't know why they're traveling. And this woman was traveling to her father's funeral. We talked a long time, and then she said to me: 'I know there was a reason why I stopped here today. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that you listened to me.' That was so meaningful to me.” Condray dabbed at her eyes and then added: “She was very down when she stepped through that door. By the time we finished talking, she asked if she could hug me. Those kind of days are very special to me. You just never know who you're going to be a bright spot for. You never know when you're going to meet someone who just needs you to listen to them.”
Condray has been a part of numerous tours and celebrations at two of Concordia's busiest tourist attractions: the Orphan Train Complex and the POW Camp Concordia Museum. “I'm always amazed at the way people react to the stories about the Orphan Train Complex, and the POW Camp. People have cried on these tours. So many people have told us that they didn't know this happened, or that this existed.”
Condray cherishes all the travels she took around the state promoting Cloud County tourism. “I learned more about Kansas than I ever thought I'd know,” she said, and then added with a laugh: “I visited so many towns, and ate pie; I visited museums, and ate pie; I even visited cemeteries, and ate pie. Checking out the restaurants in all the towns was a highlight.”
Here's a keen insight into successful community marketing: know something about other towns in the state. “That's the plus side of all our travels – we got to know so much about other towns. Then, when they come to visit Concordia, they really like it when you know something about their town, too.”
The year 2020 – and the shutdowns brought about by COVID-19 - was tough on tourism, and Cloud County was no exception. The Tourism Office fell from constant bus tours to a dribble of people. “We kept busy doing things, but you really felt it. I mean, the whole world shut down. But we bounced back.”
Condray's last official day of work will be December 30. The Tourism Office is planning a special going away party for her in January.
“We're going to have an open house for people to come say goodbye to Marian on January 20, which just happens to be Kansas Day,” said Haver.
When Condray contemplates her last days at the Tourism Office her eyes mist with tears, but she will leave with a lot of pride for all the work she and Haver have done. “I'm glad to have been a part of something where I can say I did my best.”