SCHNELLE: How long have you worked with Joplin, and I guess visit Joplin?
TUTTLE: I've been visit Joplin for about 15 1/2 years and in the tourism part of the city for 17 years.
SCHNELLE: What were your jobs before you worked for Joplin?
TUTTLE: I spent 20 years in the United States Air Force and then when I got back into town here, I worked for Crowder College for eight years. I worked for two years on the sports side and then before moving over to the leisure travel side.
SCHNELLE: So I guess what have you learned from your time at Joplin?
TUTTLE: We're very unique in world tourism that we're on the border between Kansas and Oklahoma, and we have the connectivity of Route 66 that goes right through here. So from early on, we've always developed partnerships. We work closely with everybody else, and we can promote ourselves because we have the largest hotel market in the area. So it gives us some little leverage to do things, but it also gives an opportunity to lift up the smaller communities that have their own unique quality to them. They also have something different along Route 66 that we don't have. So it's been a good partnership of pulling everybody together.
SCHNELLE: You mentioned Route 66 was big for Joplin this year because it was the anniversary of Route 66. What was this year like for you and your position? What was the most enjoyable part?
TUTTLE: Well, we're not done yet. The centennial, technically, the birthday doesn't start until November 11th. So we're in the centennial year, but we still have another year to go. We're kind of anticipating this has been a three-year process, with last year kicking it off. And then this year, a lot of internationals because the World Cup did not travel this year. But there's also a lot of purists that understand that the birthday is technically November 11th, so the centennial starts next year. So it's going to be a three-year party. So this was a unique thing that we focused on April 30th, which is the day that the telegraph came from Washington, D.C., to Springfield and blessed the numbered highway system for the whole country. So the whole centennial for the numbered system of highways that we have is actually at a centennial year.
SCHNELLE: Getting to the big questions, is there anything that you regret in your career with Joplin?
TUTTLE: Oh my God, no. I mean, there's been a lot of things we haven't got accomplished. I think we could have done a better job on, but you're always going to have that. And nothing to second-guess about. This is not a Schindler's List moment. I know his last line of the movie was, I could have done so much more. But I think we accomplished a lot of things. I had a good staff with me to work with. We've put Joplin on the map in several different categories. With tourism, we've got a lot of things that we work with. Leisure travel is a very active part of our business. The guys on the sports side have done really well. We've got the new sports venue coming in, which is going to be a huge project, partners, the airport, and everybody else. I think they're all in really good standing with the activities that are going on. It's been good. There's no regret.
SCHNELLE: In your career, what do you want to be remembered for?
TUTTLE: One thing I think is just the partnership, people working closely together. That really makes a difference. In this business, it's a lot of reputation, and a lot of that is word of mouth. We've done some unique little things I think will carry through from people all over the world that have already heard I'm retiring. It's a cool thing that the word has gotten around the globe that One little guy sitting in Joplin, Missouri, is leaving the business, but obviously it has an impact on all the people. So I just hope we continue with whoever he or she steps in, works with the partnerships, and continues to keep those close relationships around the globe. I've always done this kind of line of work. I mean, even back, I'd say my background is in live entertainment. All through high school and growing up, I've always had my finger in some sort of active event, not so much being on stage and being the glorious person, but I like being back behind the scenes and moving things. And that's no different with this job. No, it's been a great partnership. And I think all the colleagues throughout the state and the four-state region, I think we're all closer together because of the work we've done together. And I just hope that continues.
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