Love Where You Live!
Author: Rachael Brug
Love Where You Live!
Rachael Brug
My name is Rachael Elliott-Brug, and I’m the owner of Reading Leaves Books here in Townsend. Like many of you, I wear a few hats—business owner, neighbor, community member—and I care deeply about the future of this town. I’m writing today to introduce myself in a couple of new roles that I’m honored to hold, and to share what I hope we can build together.
I currently serve as President of the Board for Visit Southwest Montana Tourism, and as the Montana Nonprofit Association’s Rural Ambassador for Broadwater County. I’m also involved with the Townsend Area Chamber of Commerce. While these titles may sound formal, the heart behind them is very practical: I want to help Townsend be a welcoming place to visit, and I want to make it easier for local businesses and organizations to share information, resources, and opportunities with one another.
In a small community, we all feel the impact of the seasons, the economy, and changing travel patterns. We also know how much a single weekend can matter—when an event brings people into town, when visitors discover a new favorite shop, when a family decides to stay for lunch instead of passing through.
Those moments don’t happen by accident. They happen when we communicate well, coordinate when we can, and make it easy for people to see what Townsend has to offer.
One of my biggest goals in these roles is to help businesses and organizations promote themselves and the events that bring visitors to town. That includes the big, obvious things—festivals, markets, seasonal celebrations—but it also includes smaller gatherings that create community and give people a reason to come back: a workshop, a club meeting, a live music night, a fundraiser, a special menu, a grand opening. When we help each other get the word out, everyone benefits.
Another goal is strengthening the exchange of information and resources between local groups. Sometimes that looks like sharing a calendar so events don’t overlap unnecessarily. Sometimes it’s connecting a new nonprofit with a business that can sponsor a raffle item. Sometimes it’s simply making sure the right people know what’s happening—so volunteers show up, so visitors plan ahead, so locals feel invited too.
Tourism and community development can sound like buzzwords, but at the local level they’re really about relationships. They’re about telling our story well, welcoming people warmly, and making sure that when visitors come to Townsend, they leave feeling like they found something special. And they’re about keeping our own community informed and supported so that we can build a more vibrant economy—one that helps local businesses stay open, helps organizations grow their impact, and helps Townsend remain a place we’re proud to call home.
If you’re a business owner, part of a nonprofit, involved with a community group, or someone who hosts events (even occasionally), I’d love to hear from you. What are you working on this year? What do you wish more people knew about? What kind of support would make it easier to promote your work? The more we share, the more we can amplify each other.
To help with that connection, I’d also like to invite you to an upcoming gathering:
Southwest Montana Meeting
March 26 at 1:00 PM
American Legion (Townsend)
Lunch will be available for $15 per person.
Please RSVP at townsend43chamber@gmail.com.
This meeting is a great chance to meet other folks who care about strengthening our region, share what’s coming up, and find ways to collaborate. Whether you’re representing a business, an organization, or you’re simply interested in supporting Townsend’s future, you’re welcome.
Thank you for taking the time to read this—and for everything you do to make Townsend the kind of place people want to visit, and the kind of place we’re lucky to live.
