Hampton named to tourism post

By Editor | April 10, 2019 |

Having worked for the city of Vandalia on a part-time basis for several months, Jessica Hampton will continue to do so, but in a different capacity.

During a special meeting on Monday, the Vandalia City Council approved Mayor Rick Gottman’s appointment of Hampton as the city’s director of tourism.
Hampton, who has been working part-time as a police and fire dispatcher, will work an average of 20 hours a week, for $15 an hour, leading the city’s tourism efforts.
“She’s got a lot of energy,” Gottman said, “and it’s a position where we need a lot of energy.
“All of the answers we got (during the interview) were the right answers,” he said, “… and her references have been great.”
Hampton, 28, is a 2008 graduate of Ramsey High School who is working toward a college degree in public relations and mass communications.
Monday marked her fifth anniversary in the National Guard.
About her interest in the job, Hampton said, “It’s in the avenue that I’m going to school for, as far as public relations, working with the community.
“It kind of encompasses what I was hoping to do upon graduation,” said Hampton, who is taking classes at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.
She said that she also wants to be active in doing some good things for the community.
Having just moved back to the area from St. Louis, where she was going to school, Hampton said, “I wanted to get involved in the community. I was interested in contributing to the community.
“There’s a lot of history here, there’s a lot of community, there’s a lot of heart here, and this position kind of entails all of that,” she said.
On promoting the city’s rich history, she said, “Let’s showcase it to the rest of the state."