By: Liz Farmer

After tallying 5,000 votes between 42 candidates, the Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitors Bureau (AACCVB) has announced 12 winners for its “More than a Pretty Face” contest.

Says the tourism bureau, “contest winners epitomize the spirit of giving and selflessness that make Annapolis and Anne Arundel County so appealing.” Here are some of your winners:

Hands off ladies — these men are taken! Actually there were some women who made the final cut, but I couldn’t find pictures of them — sorry gals.

The More than a Pretty Face contest served as a prelude to the AAACCVB’s winter marketing campaign, which kicks off Monday with a new homepage look and feel. Visitors to www.VisitAnnapolis.org homepage can click on the “More than a Pretty Face” icon to read more about the winners, see their pictures, and view a video in which they describe what makes the destination special to them.

I’m all for promoting local figures…but it’ll be interesting to see if this campaign really makes any kind of splash with people OTHER THAN locals. When I think about destinations I’ve been to, I don’t really care what the chief of police has to say about it — I care more about what there is to do and how to get around.

But maybe I’m being cynical…thoughts?