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Lott to join Chamber as marketing director
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The Effingham Chamber of Commerce has hired Rick Lott as its new marketing and events director.

Lott, formerly a writer with the Effingham Herald, will fill the post left vacant when Tess Hynes was named Chamber executive director.

Lott has an extensive background in both events and marketing, having served as executive director of the Savannah Waterfront Association for a combined nine years, chairman of the Georgia Festival and Events Association for two terms and serving as festival director for Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. During his time in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Lott produced festivals in downtown Dallas and Fort Worth, including the Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival, one of the top 10 arts festivals in the country.

While serving in Savannah, Lott was responsible for building the first public boat docks in downtown Savannah and was responsible for the fireworks finale at the 1996 Olympic Yachting Opening Ceremonies with Walter Cronkite. Lott is also credited with starting the popular “Weiner Dog Races” as part of River Street’s Oktoberfest celebration.

Before going into festival production in the early 1990s, he owned a marketing/advertising firm that specialized in business to business advertising and PR and video and film production. He produced an instructional film for the John Deere Company and designed and produced collateral materials for various manufacturers.

“While I am very excited to be joining the staff of the Effingham Chamber, I have some mixed feelings too, as I have come to love and respect the staff of the Herald while working there,” Lott said. “However, I see this as an opportunity to be part of the next phase of growth for Effingham County. My wife and I raised our children here and are enjoying being back now. I think the sky is the limit for what we can accomplish here as we work together.”

“We are excited to have Rick join our team and are already looking at potential new events for the county,” Hynes said. “His depth of experience will be an asset to the Chamber and to the county.”