COLUMBIA, MO. -- As a little girl growing up in Northeast Missouri, Amy Schneider always saw Columbia as a big city.  She moved to Columbia in 1989 to attend Mizzou.  Now, she’s the Executive Director of the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau.  Schneider replaces former director Lorah Zteiner who became the Tourism Director of Charlotte County, Florida.

Schneider said, “I don’t think anyone can ever fill the shoes of Lorah Steiner.  I was very fortunate to be assigned the task of interim director when Lorah left.  As I got into the role of interim director, I was able to see a bigger picture of the Convention and Visitors Bureau.”

Schneider wants to make Columbia a friendlier place for tourists.  She considers every Columbia resident as an ambassador to their city.  That’s why she wants to start a Certified Tourism Ambassador Program.

Schneider said, “Anyone that wants to can get certified in this program.  It’s basically a formalization of when you see someone on the street and they look like they don’t know where they are going or they look like they have a question, reach out there and say, hey, welcome to Columbia.  How can I help you?”

Schneider has a strong background working at hotels.  She said her work experience will come in handy this fall, when thousands of SEC fans come to Columbia for Mizzou home football games.

You can read our entire interview with Amy Schneider in this month’s edition of Inside Columbia Magazine.