After a slight restructuring in the 2015-16 budget, two Orange County government departments are coming together as one.

The Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau and the Orange County Public Affairs Department have merged into the “Orange County Community Relations and Tourism Department” – headed up by Laurie Paolicelli, who’s been the director of the Visitors Bureau since 2005.

Paolicelli says the merger was the brainchild of county manager Bonnie Hammersley. She says it makes perfect sense: the Visitors Bureau speaks mainly to out-of-towners and the Public Affairs department speaks mainly to residents, but both departments have always been engaged in “telling stories” about living, working, and playing in Orange County.

Paolicelli spoke Thursday with WCHL’s Aaron Keck.

 

Paolicelli says the Visitors Center will remain in its current spot on Franklin Street.