'Love at first sight': New Ocean Center director sees 'magic' in Daytona Beach

DAYTONA BEACH — Although Lynn Flanders only officially stepped into her role as the new director of the county-run Ocean Center convention complex in mid-November, she will tell you that her advocacy of tourism at the World’s Most Famous Beach started long before that.

Her father, an accomplished saxophonist and singer, performed often at the Daytona Beach Bandshell in the 1950s and even composed a rock ‘n’ roll tribute to the destination, “Daytona,” released as a single.

Growing up in Atlanta, she would take autographed 45s of the song to show-and-tell in kindergarten to distribute to other classmates.

“So, 55 years ago, I started as an ambassador for Daytona Beach,” Flanders said on a recent afternoon in her Ocean Center office overlooking the convention center’s atrium. It wasn’t just a band PR pitch, either, because the family often vacationed here, she said.

“We’d come here every year for vacation,” she said. “I remember that we would stay at the Howard Johnson’s (hotel) and sometimes I would watch my dad perform at the Bandshell. So, our family has lots of ties to the area; it’s a special place for us.”

Now, as leader of the 205,000 square foot convention center, Flanders excitement about contributing to the area’s tourism industry rivals that childhood enthusiasm.

Ocean Center job was 'love at first sight' for new director

“It was love at first sight,” she said of the appeal of the $172,620-a-year job and the destination that lured her away from a lifetime of event management work in major-market Atlanta.

There, she worked for 23 years as assistant general manager of the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority. In that role, she was integral in directing a premier meeting facility that includes a 144,000-square-foot exhibit hall, 25,000-square-foot ballroom, a 5,500-square-foot special event space, 20 meeting rooms, and four executive board rooms.

“She’s a multi-tasker, somebody who is exceptionally organized and can do a lot of things simultaneously,” said Michele Swann, General Manager & CEO of the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority, who supervised Flanders for more than two decades.

“As a venue manager, you need to wear a lot of hats, whether it’s building maintenance, marketing and promotions, being in the political arena. You have to be prepared and that’s what Lynn does best. She thinks quickly on her feet, responds quickly in a crisis moment. She can do just about anything she’s charged with doing.”

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During more than two decades in that job, Flanders demonstrated her skills most abundantly on a task force that worked four years on a capital campaign to raise funds ahead of the 2007 opening of the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Swann said.

“She was involved with the performing arts center to develop it from the ground up,” she said. “We had seed money to begin the project, but we had to raise $145 million to develop the venue. Lynn is a natural for the (event management) industry, a people person all about ‘I can do good things for you and your community.’”

Flanders: 'I believe in the magic of Daytona Beach'

Although Daytona Beach continues to grapple with elevating the visitor experience in its core tourist district around the Ocean Center, Flanders is optimistic that it's an achievable goal.

Compared with the steel skyscrapers of Atlanta, the ocean view heading east on the International Speedway Boulevard Bridge is still breathtaking, she said.

“For those who see it every day, you take it for granted,” she said, “but I truly believe, in my heart of hearts, that it still has that magic that it had when I was child. I believe in the magic of Daytona Beach, and I believe most people who come here do, too.”

At the same time, she acknowledges there’s work to be done, including the revitalization of the nearby Ocean Walk Shoppes, where longtime anchor tenant restaurant Sloppy Joe’s just closed its doors, leaving another empty storefront.

It’s a job that is going to require dedication, she said, an attribution she describes by invoking one of her favorite phrases: “Every. Single. Day.”

In her meetings, with city and county officials, hoteliers and other business leaders, she initially has been impressed by the level of commitment to tackling such issues.

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“Knowing that everyone as a community is working to make improvements, I see it as an opportunity,” Flanders said. “All the parties are at the table, and that’s crucial. I think change is on the horizon and I love being part of that change.”

Recktenwald: Flanders to bring 'broader range' of events

Area leaders also are impressed with the approach that Flanders has established in her short time here.

“Lynn's visionary approach is already reshaping the Ocean Center's future, which will introduce a broader range and larger scale of events that will enrich our community,” said Volusia County Manager George Reckenwald.

“Her rapid acclimation and engagement with both the community and her team are fostering a sense of unity and enthusiasm. We are confident that under her leadership, the Ocean Center will achieve new levels of success and become a cornerstone of entertainment in our region.”

Likewise, Lori Campbell Baker, executive director of the Daytona Beach Area CVB, praised the new director’s enthusiasm about the World’s Most Famous Beach.

“I can’t say enough good things about Lynn,” Baker said. “She brings a wealth of experience to the position and has great enthusiasm for the destination. She’s going to be an excellent partner in promoting the Daytona Beach area.”

One of Flanders’ goals is to bring more concerts to the Ocean Center, a push that follows direction from the Volusia County Council earlier this year to explore potential opportunities to book more live entertainment at the venue.

“We have 40,000 (college) students in this area, so we’re working hard to bring different groups that would be attractive to them,” she said, “as well as diverse offerings that would play to the entire mix of the county.”

At the same time, Flanders emphasized that the Ocean Center doesn’t intend to compete with the vast resources in Orlando, including the Amway Center, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts or the massive Orange County Convention Center.

She wants to improve guest experiences at the Ocean Center by upgrading the concession operation and exploring ways to provide a more flexible exhibit space, she said.

“We’re not Orange County, nor will we ever compete with Orange County,” she said. “But we can create our own mix and be sought-after for what we do best.”

To Flanders, that’s a combination of small group and association meetings and events, youth sports and a growing list of community-oriented activities.

Atlanta commute helped inspire decision

After a lifetime in Atlanta, it was a recent commute along the city’s overburdened expressway system that opened her mind to new possibilities, said Flanders, 59.

“I called my husband, and told him, ‘I can’t do this anymore,’” she said.

In addition, there already was incentive of living closer to her daughter and 2-1/2-year-old grandson, Anders Tate Seyle, who had moved recently to Nocatee, an area between Jacksonville and St. Augustine.

“So, I followed a man,” she said, smiling.

Now, she and her husband, Doug Flanders, a bio-medical engineer, have temporarily settled in Palm Coast as they look for a permanent residence. Away from work, the couple enjoys boating and the outdoors, with the purchase of a boat next on the agenda after finding a house, she said.

Beyond that, Flanders is an avid reader, focusing primarily on self-help, leadership and Bible study books and podcasts that she plays daily on morning and evening commutes.

“I’m a lifelong learner and I use my car as a library,” she said, acknowledging that her driving time has been reduced by more than 50% compared with Atlanta gridlock.

“I always wanted to live on the ocean and now I am. I’m living my dream here. Every. Single. Day.”

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Lynn Flanders is new director of Daytona's county-run Ocean Center