Island's convention bureau exec suffers stroke

South Padre Island’s Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Dan Quandt is recovering from a minor stroke, town officials said Friday.

Quandt suffered a minor stroke Christmas Eve will visiting his family in Avon, Indiana, Mayor Robert N. Pinkerton Jr. said.

“I’ve heard from Clifford Rowell [the former city manager and fire chief] that he was in good spirits,” Pinkerton said.

A call to Quandt Friday, about an hour and half after his release from the hospital, showed him to be joking and optimistic about his recovery over the next two weeks.

“There’s no paralysis, there’s no [cognitive] problems,” Quandt said. “We’ve been joking here.

There were some after affects that will require treatment involving motor function, vision problems and balance.

“The doctors have said the side effects I have right now may be gone in a couple weeks,” Quandt said.

CVB spokeswoman Melissa Zamora said Quandt was working by phone from the hospital Friday before his release.

“I never spent Christmas in the hospital before so I wanted to do that,” Quandt joked. “They had a plasma television in the room.”

Quandt will stay in Indiana with family to receive medical care during his recovery.