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Hancock Tourism Development Bureau industry Person of the Year
Tourism...touted as the largest industry in the world, is one of the largest and brightest emerging industries in Hancock County. Through the efforts of the Hancock County Tourism Development Bureau and area tourism industry leaders, tourism?s economic impact is now a huge part of the economy of this county. In Hancock County, one out of every eight jobs are tourism related, and millions of dollars annually are generated, directly contributing to the public and private sector?s bottom lines.
Michael	Reinike
Cuevas, better known as ?Mike?, is director of cultural affairs for the City of Bay St. Louis, her second career with the city.
She served from 1988 -
1993,	primarily as Clerk of the Council and director of the	Development
Foundation.
After working with the cities of Waveland, d?Iberville and the Biloxi Port Commission as a community development specialist, she returned to work with Bay St. Louis in 1997 to finish the job she started in 1990?the restoration and re-opening of the historic Bay St. Louis Depot.
She established the Depot as the social heart of the Bay, developing and hosting exhibits, seminars and special events appealing to local residents and the growing number of visitors coming to the Bay.
The Bay Clay Studio, a working partnership with master potter Talle
Mike Cuevas
Johnson, is a unique, longterm project started by Cuevas that focuses on ?teaching the teacher.? Art teachers from throughout the Gulf South are frequent visitors to the studio. Cuevas is accepted as Bay St. Louis? city government historian, and has written numerous tourism and local history related brochures that focus on the influence of the city?s African-American history. She is currently working on a major publication documenting the advent of dockside gaming.
Mike is an active partner with The Arts-Hancock County, Hancock County Library System, and the Hancock County Tourism Development Bureau. She is currently participating in the first tourism professional certification class with the University of Southern Mississippi and is a certified Main Street Manager.
Mike is the wife of the late Sam Cuevas, and has two children, Katherine Cuevas Breath and Joseph Reinike Cuevas and a wonderful four-year old grandson, Charlie Breath.