Vistors bureau names new board president

EVANSVILLE - Sales veteran John Montrastelle has been named president of the board of directors for the Evansville Convention and Visitor Bureau.

Montrastelle replaced Steve Schaefer, who was not reappointed because of his new role as chief of staff under Mayor Lloyd Winnecke.

Montrastelle's appointment came during Monday's CVB meeting, which also included the appointment of other officers. Barbara McCarty was named vice president and Mike Roeder was named secretary.

Along with electing the new officers, CVB board member and Casino Aztar General Manager Ward Shaw provided a presentation on how a proposed smoking ban that included the riverboat gaming facility would hurt revenue by 30 percent and leave at least 280 people without jobs.

Shaw's presentation prompted the board to ask CVB Director Bob Warren to draft a resolution that would exempt the riverboat from the ban. Under the current proposed resolution, smoking aboard the riverboat would be restricted to outdoor areas.