Burnet County Tourism and Marketing Director Blair Manning inside the historic Burnet County Courthouse, which is her office. Blair was named Favorite County Employee in the 2024 Locals Love Us contest. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
It’s a full-time job spreading the word about all of the great things to do in Burnet County, and Tourism and Marketing Director Blair Manning has been working at it since 2022. Whether she’s promoting the Bluebonnet Festival in Burnet or planning for the April 8 solar eclipse, she’s giving it her all, and her community has taken notice.
Manning was voted Favorite County Employee in the 2024 Locals Love Us contest by The Picayune Magazine readers and KBEY 103.9 FM Radio Picayune listeners.
“It’s incredibly humbling,” she said. “It shows me that I’m doing something right, so I’m going to continue to do that. My biggest thing is to treat others how you want to be treated, regardless of what line of work you’re in. I think just being a kind human is above anything else.”
Manning is the first person to hold the position of Tourism and Marketing director for Burnet County, as it was created in 2022. Before taking on the task, she worked in the county’s treasury department for 2½ years.
Manning’s job is to let people know about the many great recreational activities in Burnet County, which is home to five lakes. She rattled off several during her interview, including mountain biking, state parks, vineyards, festivals, impressive wildflowers, and hundreds of hiking trails.
She coined the phrase “Find Your Adventure” as a slogan for the county to encompass everything there is to do in the area.
Manning and her sons particularly love visiting Lake Buchanan, even with the ongoing drought, and hiking Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge.
“We are a huge outdoor family,” she said. “Having the lakes, having the trails and mountain biking, we take advantage of all of it on a weekly basis.”
That’s the kind of firsthand knowledge that leads to a job well done!
