Kerry Crawford still loves Memphis, but she’s saying goodbye to her “I Love Memphis” blog as well as her job as a social media specialist for the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau.

CRAWFORD

Crawford announced Wednesday, Sept. 4, that after four years, she’s now ready for a change.

Sept. 30 will be her last day with the CVB. After that, she’ll pursue “freelance digital content strategy, social media strategy, information architecture and user research.” She’ll be succeeded running I Love Memphis by Holly Whitfield.

“When the CVB hired me as their social media specialist in August 2009, I had no idea what I was doing,” Crawford wrote in a blog post Wednesday. “All I had was this idea for a website that featured all of the great, overlooked parts of Memphis. … Four years later, it’s that and so much more.

“I still love Memphis, so I’m staying in the city, at least for the time being. Memphis is, and always will be, home. … We built this crazy thing from scratch, together. You’re awesome, and I’m going to miss you a whole bunch.”

Crawford turned her love of the city and blogging into a professional job. She once told The Daily News her ideal way to spend a day in Memphis is taking her dog to the park, going to a record store like Goner Records or Shangri-La, maybe picking up cupcakes from Muddy’s Bake Shop and later having cocktails at The Cove.

Before starting her job, the CVB had approached her with an opportunity to do some freelance work and to craft a social media campaign proposal. She sketched out an idea that essentially became the job Memphians now know her for.

In her pitch to the CVB, Crawford added she’d need a salary, the freedom to never be in the office and complete trust from the organization.