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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- Ottumwa hopes to attract more visitors with a new director at the Ottumwa Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Mark Eckman assumed the position effective June 1.

Eckman brings great experience having served 17 years with the Iowa Tourism Office and before that he acted as the director of the Villages of Van Buren.

Eckman is excited to be here and has a basket of ideas to help Ottumwa grow.

“Ottumwa is the hub of Southeast Iowa. It just naturally is being a place people come to seek out medical treatment, do their shopping, entertainment, eating out, that kind of thing. And what I want to do is try to underscore that and add to it,” Eckman said.

Some of Eckman’s plans include incorporating a backyard marketing strategy and incorporating the use of social mediums.

“A backyard marketing plan takes advantage of your community’s best assets which predominately are residents, the proud Ottumwans that live here and are proud of where they are at, and are certainly willing to talk it up to their family and friends and anybody they come across,” Eckman said.

One example Eckman provided was having Ottumwans attract family reunions and gatherings rather than going out of town for them.

He also wants to utilize regional businesses to come into Ottumwa for meetings.

"Why don’t you invite those folks to have those meetings, those conventions, those gatherings here in Ottumwa? Whether they happen at Bridge View or another facility in the city that has an impact and value in Ottuwma," Eckman said