Known as “Mrs. Hospitality” on the Boothbay peninsula and beyond, Laura Honey will give a presentation on Oct. 13 at the Boothbay Region Historical Society museum about local and state tourism and her experiences in the industry over a 50-year period.

Originally from Bangor, Laura came to Boothbay Harbor in 1957 with her husband, Kenneth, who accepted a job here with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as a marine biologist. Later, when faced with a transfer to Washington, D.C., the family decided to remain in Boothbay Harbor and Ken accepted a new position with the Maine Department of Marine Resources, eventually becoming director of the DMR lab at McKown Point.

Laura initially went to work for Dr. Andrews as a medical secretary where she remained for 19 years. In 1965, she took a part-time job at Fisherman’s Wharf Inn, rising in 1982 to be the hotel’s assistant manager. In 1988, she assumed the position of manager and in 2011, became the manager of special events, a job which allowed her to work more closely with hotel guests. In October 2014, Laura was honored at a gala event to celebrate her retirement from the hotel that fall.

Not only did Laura spend almost 50 years at Fisherman’s Wharf, she has also been an integral part of the community in many other ways. She served on the board of the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce, twice as its president; served on the original board of the Opera House and as a trustee at St. Andrews; and was a member of the steering committee for the Zimmerli Pavilion at St. Andrews Village.

Laura has received a number of honors along the way, including being the Grand Marshal of the 2007 Windjammer Days Parade; being named as the Maine Innkeeper’s Association Innkeeper of the Year in 2008; awarded the Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club’s Lifetime Achievement Award and being the first woman to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Maine Restaurant Association; and named to the Maine Tourism Association Hall of Fame in 2014, among others.

Laura has had a front row seat to changes in Maine tourism since the 1960s and notes that travelers are much busier than they previously were and don’t have the time to devote to planning detailed itineraries. She also said that people don’t have the same level of disposable income they once had and want good value for their vacation dollars.

The program will be held at the BRHS museum at 72 Oak Street, Boothbay Harbor and is free to the public. The doors will open shortly after 4 p.m. and the program itself will start at 4:30 p.m. Due to a recent change in policy, seat reservations are no longer accepted and seating is now on a first come, first seated basis and is limited to the capacity of the main room of the museum. For additional information, please call the BRHS museum at 207-633-0820.