“Hot Springs is the best place to live, and the Black Hills is a wonderful area,” said Olivia Mears, executive director of the Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce.
When Mears moved to Hot Springs from Los Angeles, she changed her entertainment career to instead represent the town in the tourism industry.
The small South Dakota town has many attractions including the Fall River Hot Air Balloon Festival, The Mammoth Site, Evan’s Plunge Mineral Springs, and more.
Learn more about the executive director from her entertainment background to her favorite video game.
Have you always been interested in this industry?
My background is in the entertainment industry. After moving from Los Angeles to Hot Springs, there were not many film industry opportunities. So I worked in retail for a while and then switched to the tourism industry, which is really a great industry to be in. There are similarities between the two. Both require hard work and give great enjoyment.
Where is your favorite place to go when you aren’t working?
I love being at my house in Hot Springs, but when I’m in the mood for roaming around, I like the wildlife loop in Custer State Park, Wind Cave, and Spearfish Canyon.
What’s one of your guilty pleasures & why?
I love playing Assasin’s Creed on Xbox. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is my favorite, but I play a lot of fantasy games. It’s relaxing and fun and a great way to de-stress.
“So much to see. So little time.” – Oliva Mears
What’s your favorite part of your job?
This is a really great job–there are so many cool elements to it. I meet really interesting people. I enjoy the administrative side as well as planning events, but I think I enjoy representing Hot Springs the most.
What’s next for you?
Who knows? Life is great. I have so much to be grateful for. I’m just living the good life here in little Hot Springs, South Dakota.
