Junonia Award goes to former Sanibel city manager
The Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau presented its annual Junonia Award to recently retired Sanibel City Manager Judie Zimomra during its Tourism Outlook Annual Meeting on Nov. 9.
During her 20 years of service, Zimomra helped secure more than $30 million in tourist development tax funding for beach and shoreline projects.
“Today, we are recognizing her leadership, dedication and passion — but most importantly the way our visitors benefitted from her commitment to everything she did,” Executive Director Tamara Pigott said. “She was truly an ambassador who proved how amazing it is to live, work and play on Sanibel Island.”
Created in 2006, the Junonia Award recognizes individuals who positively impact Lee County’s tourism community by demonstrating unique capabilities, leadership, commitment and dedication. The award is named for the junonia, a treasured shell known for its rarity and exceptional quality.
Also at the meeting, the VCB announced record-setting bed tax collections for the 2020-21 tourism season. Bed tax collected for the fiscal year was $53,332,883 — breaking all records in the county’s history. It increased almost 40 percent more than in 2020 and almost 25 percent from 2019.
“The best bed tax in history is definitely something to celebrate,” Lee County Commissioner Brian Hamman, chair of the Tourist Development Council, said. “Our destination stayed open, welcomed visitors and watched as tourism thrived. In fact, it never even slowed down during the usually slower summer months.”
The VCB is funded by a 5 percent tourist tax collected from tourists on accommodations rented for six months or less. The allocation of bed tax funds is applied as 20 percent for sports facilities, 26.4 percent for beach and shoreline and 53.6 percent for tourism marketing.
“The fact that we had our best year during a pandemic speaks to our destination and its natural settings,” Pigott said. “It’s where every traveler wanted to go because of our beaches and wide-open spaces. The gifts we have from Mother Nature well positioned our destination during this time.”
In addition to the record-breaking bed tax, the VCB also unveiled a new branding strategy, new marketing campaign, new website and new visitor guide.