Since beginning her role as executive director of the Mathews County Visitor and Information Center about eight months ago, Mathews resident Emily Allen has been working diligently to ensure Mathews stays on the map and in the eyes of those looking for somewhere beautiful to visit.

“My overall goal is to keep Sibley’s Store and the Mathews Visitor Center on the radar,” Allen said. “We want to keep the attention of both locals and visitors.”

She said the number of visitors into the center is up this year and MCVIC will bring on local resident Jim Robinson, a marketing consultant, to help with marketing and advertising and establishing a budget for that.

Over the past eight months on the job, Allen said she has enjoyed getting to know so many people in the county. “That is one of the most fun aspects of the job,” she said. “In doing so, I’ve become more familiar in what my role is supposed to be.”

She calls her job a &...