DAPHNE, Ala. — New Director Margaret Thigpen has a clear vision of the Daphne Civic Center’s role.

“The Civic Center is here to be an economic engine for the community. We seek to attract events that will bring visitors to Daphne and are appropriate to the community. Visitors drop their dollars and leave,” Thigpen, 35, said.

As she conducts a review of last year’s program, ahead of drawing up a calendar for the coming year, part of her criteria is the number of visitors Daphne attracts to an event, and the money they spend in the city during their stay. Thigpen says that taxpayers benefit from these expenditures as increased revenue is reflected in increased tax income.

Though she formally took over her post in March, Thigpen left in April to give birth to her third son, Christopher.

She returned this week and is engaged in a review of the Civic Center program for the coming year.

“Finances are limited and we must focus on events that bring an economic benefit to the community,” Thigpen said.

Thigpen was formerly with the Visitors and Convention Bureau in Dalton, Ga., where her husband, Travis Russell, 33, worked for a carpet company that recently relocated him to Mobile. The couple have two other sons: William, 6, and Carson, 4.

Thigpen said that the oil spill has not had an impact on bookings: “We have had no events cancel,” she said.

One event under review is the annual Zydeco Festival, which was scaled back last year from three days to two, and was in doubt for some time because of budget cuts. There were 1,171 tickets sold for the event in 2009, and the expectation had been for a similar number this year, but only 720 tickets were sold to the scaled back event. Thigpen said that the reduced attendance has to be seen in the light of the uncertainty the event would take place, and that there was another music festival in Gulf Shores that weekend.

Thigpen said there were community considerations when seeking to attract events to Daphne.

“We have few hotels in the area, though there is overspill in Mobile, and the size of our facility dictates what sort of events we can accommodate,” she said.