2021 Travel Unity Summit Speakers -

VIRTUAL SESSIONS

NICOLE ‘NICKY’ HYLTON-PATTERSON

Carylann Assante

A seasoned tourism and association executive with more than 30 years of experience in the industry, Carylann Assante, CAE serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Student & Youth Travel Association, the international association that promotes student and youth travel worldwide. Carylann is also the Chief Staff Officer of the SYTA Youth Foundation, the philanthropic arm that provides scholarships and education experiences for students and youth who are unable to travel due to financial and personal hardship. In 2013, SYTA initiated a strategic research program that provides key industry insights on the student and youth group travel market globally.

Catherine Prather

Catherine Prather, CTP, joined the National Tour Association team in 1994. She serves as president for the Lexington, Kentucky-based organization with members in more than 40 countries. She guides the management team to strengthen engagement and business connections among the NTA community.

Catherine serves on the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, which is an advisory body to
the Secretary of Commerce. Other leadership and service roles include the Tourism Cares Board of Directors, Travel Unity’s Association DEI Working Group, the Retailing and Tourism Management Advisory Board for the University of Kentucky, and the Kentucky Advisory Committee for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.

Romey Louangvilay

As the Head of Communications at ELMNTL (Elemental) and President of the Board of Directors for Travel Unity, a non-profit focused on diversifying the travel industry, Romey Louangvilay’s primary goal is to ensure that all forms of marketing is a reflection of today’s society. From the captions you see on social media to the news stories featuring his clients, all forms of communications need to show an inclusive society. His accomplishments earned him a spot as a finalist in Forbes’ 2016 Top 30 Under 30 in Marketing & Advertising.

With ELMNTL, Romey leverages his nearly 15 years of experience to establish relationships with brands and their target audiences. His primary role is ensuring that there is a seamless integration of all marketing disciplines within campaigns, as well as provide overall strategic guidance and account management for the agency’s marquee accounts, such as ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), Tourism Authority of Thailand, Casa Lumbre US and a few others.

Lebawit Lily Girma

Lebawit Lily Girma is Skift’s global tourism reporter. She is a former corporate attorney who ditched the office for the road in 2008 and headed to Jamaica where she began crafting a second career as an award-winning travel journalist, photographer and storyteller focused on sustainable tourism and the Caribbean region.
Lily’s writing and photography have appeared in a variety of travel media and news outlets, including BBC, CNN, The Washington Post, AFAR, Travel + Leisure, Moon Guides and Conde Nast Traveler, among others. She also produced content for travel brands and Caribbean tourism boards. Her appearances and interviews as a tourism expert have ranged from CNN Quest Means Business to Canada CBC News, National Geographic Traveler, and the Washington Post.

Born in Ethiopia, raised in Cote d’Ivoire and with an education that spans three continents, Lily’s cross-cultural journey shapes her global perspective and defines her work, in which you’ll find a passion for diversity and responsible, immersive travel as a tool for development and growth.

In 2020, Forbes magazine featured her as one of “15 Black Travel Writers to Read Now.” Lily holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law, and a Professional Certificate in Sustainable Tourism from the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. She is fluent in four languages, including Amharic, French and Spanish, and is currently based between Maryland and the Dominican Republic.

Kelley Louise

A travel entrepreneur passionate about storytelling and sustainability, Kelley is the founder of Impact Travel Alliance, a 501c3 nonprofit and the world’s largest community for socially and eco-conscious travelers. She is also the Head of Content Marketing at Fora Travel, and was formerly Head of Marketing at ViaHero.

A leader in sustainable tourism, Kelley is currently serving as one of 30 global leaders on the World Economic Forum’s Global Futures Council on Sustainable Travel and as an advisor to the Future of Tourism Coalition.

Kelley has presented at the United Nations, MMGY’s Vail Summit and Women’s Travel Fest, and has been interviewed by press including the New York Times, Fast Company, National Geographic Travel, CNN Travel, Sustainable Brands, Forbes and Mashable.
She is the recipient of an award as an Outstanding Woman in Hospitality from Women in Travel & Tourism International (witti) and has been noted as one of the Top 100 Female Founders by Travel Massive.

Kelley has a bachelor’s degree in Media & Culture from The New School. She is based in Brooklyn, New York.

David Holder

Clarity of Place combines tourism and economic development expertise to help communities understand destination needs and craft actionable strategies that leverage their unique product mix, vision for destination development, and stakeholder engagement.

Joan Keddell

Joan Keddell is the President of the International Tour Management Institute (ITMI). Over the last four decades she has held various positions in the Travel and Tourism Industry both on land and at sea. Joan’s hands-on experience has given her unique insights into the industry both from a managerial and operational perspective.

As President of ITMI, Joan has been instrumental in identifying and training individuals to be travel leaders, who are beacons of inspiration and connection to people and places worldwide. She believes, these leaders are one of today’s frontline workers, who have an essential role to play in translating knowledge of history, cultures, traditions, and human diversity into meaningful dialogues that will spark actions to positively influence human relations and our environment.

Her vision for ITMI is to continue to equip individuals with stimulating educational offerings. Her primary efforts will focus on building alliances with like-minded educators and organizations actively seeking to advance online and in-person experiences in personal wellness and cultural awareness. Joan believes that by partnering with our individual threads, we can weave a tapestry that can consciously and purposefully help to sustain a global shift toward harmony. By doing so we enrich ourselves, the environment and secure our world for future generations.

Greg Takehara

Greg was previously the President of Trip Mate, Inc., a travel insurance administrator and service provider. He was previously in senior management at Aon Affinity/Berkely Travel from 1995 to 2014, specifically responsible for all claims related operations and risk management education for its Travel Agents Professional Liability program. Prior to joining Aon/Berkely, Greg served as General Counsel for The Mark Travel Corporation, a tour operator in Milwaukee, WI.

Greg was on the Board of NTA from 2009 – 2011 and the Board of the IGLTA Foundation from 2015 – 2016, and was on the Tourism Cares Board and served as Chairman in 2017. He has also served on SYTA’s Safety Committee and USTOA’s Associate Member Advisory Committee. He maintains his law license in the State of Wisconsin and is a licensed Adjuster, as well as a Life, Accident & Health Agent and Property & Casualty Producer. He is from Chicago, IL and has a Bachelor of Arts Honors degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and a Juris Doctor degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

Greg DeShields

Greg DeShields is a longtime tourism and hospitality professional. A native Philadelphian with a passion for his work, Greg is dedicated to giving back to the next generation of hospitality leaders. He is a qualified tourism/hospitality and academic professional, a Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE) proficient in developing and implementing plans, strategies, and initiatives specifically designed to raise destinations image for diverse, multicultural travel.

Greg is a Certified Diversity Executive (CDE) with demonstrated cultural competence, prepared to strategically position an organization to remove systemic barriers to inclusion, lead culture change, and transform brands.

Greg is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University, Providence, Rhode Island, with an A.S. Degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management; and B.S. Degree in Hospitality Management. Professional Development Leadership Graduate.

Greg is the recipient of the 2021 Event Industry Council: Social Impact Award”, 2020 Skål USA Chapter of the Year, 2020 Philadelphia Tribune Most Influential African American Leaders, 2020 Meetings Today Trendsetter (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Education), 2020 Funtime Magazine, and the Philadelphia Icon Award.

David Naczycz

Successful entrepreneur, leader and consultant that has launched 4 businesses, been a c-suite leader in both the for-profit & non-profit world and consulted with senior leaders in multiple sectors and industries on strategy and change. I am driven by a passion to make the world better by helping people, places, and organizations overcome oppression (both organizational and societal), operate sustainably, and transcend entrenched obstacles to growth and change. My current company seeks to transform the way people experience a place, as either a resident or a visitor, by vastly improving the quality and sustainability of travel and ensuring that our guests leave the places they visit with us better than they found them.

Nicole “Nicky” Hylton-Patterson

Nicole “Nicky” Hylton-Patterson is not a diversity trainer. She is not an Inclusion specialist. She is a Black Queer Activist Scholar and Community Organizer, who has spent the last 25 years working with marginalized and minoritized communities
around the world to seek justice.

The youngest child of functionality illiterate parents from Kingston 13, one of the most impoverished communities in Jamaica, she learned early about the impact of racialized class, sexualized genders, and the power of collective action.

For Hylton-Patterson, relief from the legacies of poverty and illiteracy came in the form of a gifted child program, for which she was selected at 10. For the next eight years, Hylton-
Patterson lived and attended school in Northern Norway. This experience helped to solidify the lessons taught by her Rastafarian father: That we must always recognize our shared humanity and our responsibility to the earth.

Today, she continues to draw inspiration from the wisdom of her ancestors, who helped guide her quest to attain an undergraduate degree from Mount Holyoke College, multiple master’s degrees from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and Syracuse University, and a doctoral degree in Women & Gender Studies from the School of Social Transformation at Arizona State University.

Her education is only eclipsed by an extensive career in the U.S. foreign service, a racial justice officer for the YWCA, Elmira, human rights coordinator for the Chemung County Legislator, and an academic who has taught courses in critical race and Black feminist theories, queer of color critique, Pan African studies and Africana philosophy.

In her current role as the Inaugural Director for the Adirondack Diversity Initiative, she
continues to mobilize and deploy the entirety of her personal, political, and professional
experiences. Her mission: To equip communities in the North Country with the tools, strategies, language, and VOICE needed to dismantle systemic racism and structural oppression.

Roni Weiss

Roni Weiss is the Executive Director of Travel Unity, a 501(c)(3) focused on increasing diversity in the world of travel through individual and community empowerment.

Through years of world travels, Roni visited 70+ countries, including every country in Europe, six of seven continents, and taught English in Italy, France, Taiwan, and Chile, both to youth and professionals.

He lives in Westchester County, NY with his partner, Lauren, and their four children.

David Epstein-HaLevi

David earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago in Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities, where he focused on philosophy of education. David enrolled at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy as the Ruth J. Simmons Fellow and earned his teaching license for all secondary sciences.

He earned a masters in adolescent education, with a teaching license in social studies, from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY in 2011. Thereafter he began his PhD at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he was also managing editor for the Comparative Education Review journal.

David transferred to UAlbany in 2013 and is now nearing completion of his PhD in Educational Policy & Leadership with a focus on eco-pedagogy, systems thinking, and their intersections with equity and justice. He has published book chapters as well as journal articles, on topics ranging from critical consciousness, critical civic literacy, inter-being, and eco-social resilience using alternative development methods such as permaculture.

Nicole Mahoney

Nicole founded Break the Ice Media, a marketing communications agency focused on the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry in 2009. As CEO, Nicole is responsible for working with clients to understand their business challenges, developing strategic marketing plans that deliver results, and leading a team of professionals to execute those plans.

In 2016, Nicole launched the weekly podcast Destination on the Left, interviewing tourism professionals from around the globe on creativity and collaboration in the industry. In 2020, she commissioned a first-of-its-kind research study to find out what makes collaborations successful and how important collaboration will be in helping the travel, tourism and hospitality industry recover from the current crisis. The study results plus more than 250 interviews are the basis for Nicole’s book on Collaboration scheduled to be released in 2022.

Nicole was recognized as 2019 small business-person of the year by the Small Business Council of Rochester. She serves as Board member for the New York State Tourism Industry Association (NYSTIA), as co-Chair of the NYSTIA DEI committee. On the Travel Unity Associations working group and is a member of the Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor Finger Lakes Regional Council.

Outside of the office Nicole loves spending time with her family (husband, four daughters and one future son-in-law). Traveling on family vacations. Playing cards with her long-time girlfriends. Living in wine country and drinking NY wine!

Savannah Doviak

A member of the ROOST team since 2017, Savannah Doviak leads and supports a variety of sustainability initiatives in the Adirondacks as ROOST’s Special Projects Coordinator. She also serves as Regional Marketing Manager for the Whiteface Region, a community-focused role. In the last year, Savannah has expanded her role within ROOST, leading the organization’s DEI committee, and helping to guide ROOST through expanded diversity programs and its partnership with Travel Unity.

Mary Jane Lawrence

The Chief Operating Officer for ROOST, MJ Lawrence is responsible for the overall program of work for the organization. A lifelong resident of Lake Placid, MJ has spent her career working for the betterment of her local community and of others throughout the Adirondacks. She is currently guiding ROOST through a transition from a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) to a Destination Management and Marketing organization (DMMO). The goal of this transition is to enhance the sense of community for those who live in the Adirondack region, while simultaneously enhancing the experience for travelers who visit. Expanding the organization’s focus will lead to greater long-term sustainability throughout the Adirondack region.

Michelle Clement

As Director of Marketing for the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, Michelle Clement oversees the destination marketing strategies for the region. Michelle holds a B.S. in Marketing from Plattsburgh State University and has spent more than a decade enthusiastically advocating for sustainability in northern New York. Prior to joining the ROOST team in 2014, Michelle served as the Events Coordinator for the Tupper Lake Chamber of Commerce. In her spare time, you’ll likely find Michelle out and about making memories with her husband and three children as they hike, ski, and eat their way through the Adirondacks.

Les Geller

Previous to 2005, and until Les retired in January 2020, Les was an architectural designer in New Jersey and North Carolina, specializing in new home design, additions and renovations. 2005 to 2007: Member of the committee that founded the LGBT Center of Raleigh. 2010 to 2016: Served as a member of the inaugural Board of Directors of the LGBT Center of Raleigh, serving as both the Treasurer and the Vice Chair. 2009: Founded, and was the Program Organizer of Gay & Gray, a program of the LGBT Center of Raleigh. 2012: Promulgated an affiliation between Gay & Gray and SAGE USA. 2012 to 2017: Program Coordinator of SAGE Raleigh (Now known as SAGE Central North Carolina). 2016: Created the SAGE Central North Carolina Senior Housing Initiative dedicated to educating existing housing organizations about the needs of older LGBTQ folks, and to building a new affordable senior housing community that is intended to be welcoming to people who are LGBTQ . 2019: Became, and still serves as, the Board Chair of Resources for Seniors RFS is the largest provider of senior services in Wake County, NC. 2020: Returned to the position of Program Coordinator of SAGE CNC.

Olivia Jaramillo

Olivia is a Diversity Equity and Inclusion Specialist. She is currently developing DEI training and is the Public Outreach Director for Equality Utah. She was born and raised in Mexico. She’s a retired United States Air Force Veteran, where she served in tours to Iraq, Europe, and humanitarian missions into Africa. In 2016 she was one of the first individuals nationwide to legally change her name and gender marker while still serving on Active Duty. She has worked in furthering DEI efforts for several companies and Organizations including the YMCA, Qualtrics, Dominion Energy, EDC Utah, and Adobe. She is a member of the YWCA’s Public Policy Committee, and was a political candidate in 2020. She currently lives in Salt Lake City with her son Oliver.

Colette Jones

Colette M. Jones is the Chief Marketing Officer for Destination Cleveland. In this role, she is responsible for working with her amazing team to promote Cleveland as a visitor destination and to support all areas of Destination Cleveland’s work. She oversees brand strategy, market research, media relations, digital marketing and integrated marketing.
In this role Jones led the the development and launch of the Cleveland visitor brand along with the launch of the #ThisisCLE local grassroots marketing efforts. In addition, she oversaw the marketing and communications efforts for the Cleveland 2016 Republican National Convention Host Committee. Since joining Destination Cleveland in 2012, not only has visitation increased, but resident recommendation of Cleveland as a place to
visit has more than doubled.

Prior to her role at Destination Cleveland, Jones worked for more than 20 years in brand management and sales working for companies such as KeyBank N.A., ConAgra Foods, Inc. and the Wm. Wrigley Jr., Co. Jones is a Marshall Memorial Fellow alumna, holds a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree in Education from Miami University in Oxford, OH.

Penny Peters

Penny Peters is a strong believer in the word “Community” and has found a passion in being a part of Akwesasne’s economic growth. Penny works with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe as the Tourism Industry Development Manager on Akwesasne’s Cultural Tourism Initiative, and has recently joined NYSTIA’s Board.

Hannah Belsito

At Destination Cleveland, Hannah Belsito leads the team focused on enhancing the visitor experience and improving the destination through place-making and programming, while also leading the organization’s strategic initiatives and community affairs. She joined the team at Destination Cleveland in 2011.
Belsito holds a master’s degree in urban planning, design & development from Cleveland State University and a bachelor’s degree in communications from John Carroll University. With nearly 20 years of experience across a variety of sectors, Belsito has worked for the Cleveland Leadership Center, The Cleveland Foundation, Association Estate Realty Corporation, KeyBank, Falls Communication, Clear Channel Communications, Playhouse Square and the Cleveland & Dayton International Air Shows.

Jaclyn Yost

Having lived in 4 continents and traveled to 41 countries by the age of 27, Jaclyn Yost is a sustainable tourism professional that is passionate about local tourism and shedding light on environmental and social sustainability matters through travel. She is the founder of ecomadic – a curated marketplace for local and sustainable travel, with an online green travel magazine that aims to educate and inspire travelers to make more impactful decisions with their tourism dollars. Additionally she is a Social Media & Marketing Consultant at Trove Tourism Development Advisors where she works on various global projects centered around sustainable development. In the past, she has experience working in sustainable tourism research, impact-driven startups, conscious media, and the hospitality industry.

Jessica Lewis

Jessica Lewis is the President & CEO of LáLew Public Relations and Communications Specialist for ROC the Future at Children’s Institute. She is a 2021 Forty Under 40 honoree and a Woman to Watch for the Democrat & Chronicle Newspaper. Jessica is a successful entrepreneur, owning one of the only Black-owned public relations firms in Rochester, New York. Jessica’s passion for public relations began in college. While she was an undergraduate student at Buffalo State College, she served as the president of an on-campus club called Black Active Minds which led student meetings around pressing issues such as race, equality and social justice. She often found herself engaging in meaningful conversations with her peers and would promote club activities and publicize special events. Years later, those experiences coupled with her professional experiences would come full circle with the launch of her own public relations company.

LáLew Public Relations is a full service PR firm specializing in media relations, marketing, branding, web management, social media and corporate event planning. LáLew serves a variety of clients and has landed client appearances on WROC News 8, WHEC News 10, WHAM News 13, Spectrum News, Democrat and Chronicle Newspaper, City Newspaper and more. Jessica’s success was recognized by the Rochester Business Journal as a Small Business Feature of the Week.

Jessica received her Bachelor’s degree from Buffalo State College in Social Studies Education grades 7-12 and a Master’s degree in Teaching and Curriculum from the Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education at the University of Rochester. Jessica holds membership in the Rochester Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, the Rochester Advertising Federation and the Theta Omega Sigma Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

Vincie Ho

Vincie (she/her/hers), a humane educator and social justice advocate, founded RISE Travel Institute in June 2020 with the commitment to engage young people in important conversations around human rights, animal protection and environmental sustainability in the context of travel. She is also the creator of Paths Crossing, a card game designed to foster cross-cultural connections and inspire mindful travel decisions. She has been involved with Impact Travel Alliance since 2018 and currently holds the position of Chapter Engagement Lead on their global team.

Before Vincie started working in the nonprofit world, she was a university French lecturer and linguist for over a decade. As an academic, she had the opportunity to travel around the world for conferences and fieldwork. In 2010, she left academia to work in the area of refugee empowerment in Senegal, a transformative experience that motivated her to pursue a second career in international peace and human rights, as well as sustainable travel.

Vincie has a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Hong Kong and a Master of Ars degree from University College London. She has also obtained various graduate certificates and diplomas from the Institute for Humane Education and New York University in the United States, the United Nations University in Japan, and l’Université de Franche-Comté in France. In 2021, Vincie has successfully completed the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Program and obtained the GSTC Professional Certificate in Sustainable Tourism. She is based in the Greater New York City Area.

Vickie Ashford-Thompson

Vickie Ashford-Thompson, Director of Travel Media for the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau. Vickie has worked for the GBCVB for 30 years and in this capacity for 25 years. Her position as director of travel media involves meeting content creators from all over the world by attending media marketplaces and cultivating through one-on-one communications. Her relationships with media members have landed several awards from Alabama Tourism and other community organizations in the Birmingham area including Tourism Professional of the Year and Top 50 Over 50 awarded by Positive
Maturity.

She is a member of several professional organizations including the National Association of Black Journalists, SATW, North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) international Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA) and Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) to name a few. Vickie serves on the board of directors and advisory board for a few organizations focusing on DMOs and travel media relations. She is very active in SATW and is a founding member and co-chair of the organization’s Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion committee (DEAI).

Vickie has assisted in leading the committee as it presented numerous dynamic webinars about diversity to the SATW membership. She has also served on numerous panels concerning diversity in other organizations. Vickie holds the current SATW board position of Associate-at-Large. She continues to champion DEAI causes to fellow DMOs as well as corporations in her area.

Olga Luz Tirado

Olga Luz Tirado is the executive director of The Bronx Tourism Council (BTC), a division of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation. In this capacity, she plays a significant role in creating a cohesive and symbiotic relationship between arts, culture and economic development, while rebranding The Bronx, its rich history, institutions, and diversity to a local, national, and global audience. Since joining The BTC in 2012, Olga has spearheaded a series of successful campaigns to increase the borough’s exposure internationally utilizing a variety of marketing channels, including comprehensive multi-media public relations outreach, content development, and social media.

Within the first year of her appointment, visitorship in the borough increased 14%. The annual cycling event, Tour de Bronx, increased from 3,500 participants to 10,000 and the official eNewsletter subscriber base increased from 2,500 to nearly 35,000 under her leadership. In 2019 she launched a digital magazine called Go Bronx and serves as its Editor-in-Chief. She serves as the official spokesperson of the borough appearing on the cover of the August 2012 issue of Crain’s New York Business and has been interviewed by various top-tier national and overseas broadcast, digital, and print media.

Her 2020 Savor The Bronx Restaurant Week was the most successful on record garnering media attention from WNBC’s Today in New York show and she has been interviewed by other top-tier media such as The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times among others.

Megan Padilla

Megan Padilla is a Minneapolis-based writer who traded her longtime Orlando home and reporting on Florida tourism for a four-season lifestyle in the Upper Midwest. She co-chairs SATW’s DEAI committee with Vickie Ashford-Thompson. The pair was appointed by Jane Wooldridge who formed the committee at the beginning of her SATW presidency in October 2019. Since the murder of George Floyd, the DEAI committee meets weekly to share, learn, explore and take action to help SATW and the travel and tourism industry become more diverse, equitable, accessible and inclusive. The committee has created sharable resources, produced and moderated webinars and professional development sessions, and presented — along with the Editors Council — the two-part (un)Learn Implicit Bias training program by Dr. Bryan T. Marks of Morehouse University. The DEAI committee meets every at 3 p.m. Eastern Wednesdays, and all SATW members are welcome to join the conversation. More at satw.org/satw-commitment-to-diversity.

Rob Gard

Rob Gard is the Director of PR & Communications for Destination Madison, the organization that promotes Madison, WI as a premier destination for visitors, meetings, and events. He focuses on media relations, building organization and industry awareness, community engagement, public affairs, and crisis management.

As a former travel and lifestyle writer, Rob seeks out and shares the unique, eclectic, experiential, and transformational stories of Madison’s diverse people and places to excite and entice travel writers and visitors. He was honored for his communications efforts with the 2021 Public Relations Society of America “WisCOMsin” Award for “Communicator of the Year.”

Rob has spent more than 25 years in public relations and journalism. Prior to his move to Madison, Rob served as the director of communications and marketing for CicLAvia, the largest Open Streets event and festival in the U.S., winning the Public Relations Society of America – Los Angeles “Outstanding Achievement in Publicity.” In 2021, Rob was awarded the Board of Directors Cup by the Society of American Travel Writers for his service and leadership, particularly in the DEAI space. Rob is a graduate of Colorado College and serves as president for PRSA-Madison.

Alessandra Alonso

Alessandra is the pluri-nominated, award-winning founder and MD of award winning social enterprise Women in Travel cic and a professional with 20+ years of experience in travel and tourism.

Alessandra started her career as a trainee in Tourism at the European Commission and later gained senior roles in companies including The World Travel & Tourism Council and KPMG. She subsequently pursued her passion for supporting women and diversity more generally by setting up consultancy Shine and co-founding the Shine Awards for Women’s Achievement in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality in 2004.

Recognized as a trailblazer in the sector and an expert in gender empowerment and mentoring, Alessandra is also a keynote speaker and regular contributor to publications. She was awarded the JourneyWoman Award in 2021 for her lifetime dedication to gender empowerment. She has been named one of 9 women transforming travel by the Matador Network; one of 50 ‘most important women in travel’ by Wonderlust Travel and recently completed the Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from the University of South Florida.

Olivia Jaramillo

Tim James

Tim James is a Senior Sales Manager with Visit Rochester, the official tourism promotion agency for Monroe County. Tim has been a member of the Visit Rochester meeting and convention sales team for over 30 years, and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in the meeting and convention industry to his role.

In his role as Senior Sales Manager, Tim is responsible for booking meetings and conventions into Rochester and Monroe County. His meeting sales markets include religious, multi-cultural and military groups and organizations.

Tim is a graduate of Florida A&M University, where he majored in education with a minor in marketing.

Over the course of his career, Tim has played an active role in the Rochester community, regularly volunteering for non-profit organizations – especially those serving youth in the community – and serving on the board of directors for Volunteers of America and Rochester Community Television.

Tim resides in the Rochester area, and is a proud husband and father of three children.

Colette M. Jones

In this role Jones led the the development and launch of the Cleveland visitor brand along with the launch of the #ThisisCLE local grassroots marketing efforts. In addition, she oversaw the marketing and communications efforts for the Cleveland 2016 Republican National Convention Host Committee. Since joining Destination Cleveland in 2012, not only has visitation increased, but resident recommendation of Cleveland as a place to visit has more than doubled.

Prior to her role at Destination Cleveland, Jones worked for more than 20 years in brand management and sales working for companies such as KeyBank N.A., ConAgra Foods, Inc. and the Wm. Wrigley Jr., Co. Jones is a Marshall Memorial Fellow alumna, holds a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree in Education from Miami University in Oxford, OH.

Penny Peters

Hannah Belsito

Belsito holds a master’s degree in urban planning, design & development from Cleveland State University and a bachelor’s degree in communications from John Carroll University.

With nearly 20 years of experience across a variety of sectors, Belsito has worked for the Cleveland Leadership Center, The Cleveland Foundation, Association Estate Realty Corporation, KeyBank, Falls Communication, Clear Channel Communications, Playhouse Square and the Cleveland & Dayton International Air Shows.

Belsito finds value in giving back to the community through civic engagement.

She lives in Lakewood with her husband and two children.

George Stone

An editor and writer for more than 25 years, George directs National Geographic’s travel media strategy across platforms and drives the publication of content that helps readers explore the world with an ethic of conservation. Nominated three times for the National Magazine Award (with one win!), George leads the development of storytelling that sparks curiosity and adventure, extends the National Geographic message to new audiences, and serves a global community of travelers who care about the planet. With a mission to inspire the explorer in everyone, National Geographic reaches audiences of every age around the world and counts nearly 500 million followers on social media.

Klaudija Janzelj

Klaudija is a travel and tourism expert with over 15 years of experience in helping purpose-led global organizations grow and scale, spotting innovative opportunities and in building remote and in-person global communities. She strongly believes business can be a force for good in the world.

Naureen Kazi

Naureen Kazi is a Vice President at TURNER, an integrated communications agency specializing in travel and lifestyle brands. She leads the agency’s bilingual Miami team as well as the travel trade division, and co-chairs the agency’s DE&I committee. As an executive leader at the firm, Naureen is responsible for guiding strategic planning and development of key client programs and integrated campaigns. Her work has led to award-winning campaigns for a variety of hospitality brands in addition to short and long haul destinations. Naureen sits on the board for Millennials in Travel, is member of USTOA’s Associate Member Advisory Committee and is on the steering committee for the organization’s DMO Forum. As part of her personal passion for the industry, Naureen is a founding member of ME Ecuador, a newly launched collaborative that prioritizes pathways to visibility for indigenous communities, artisans and artists amongst travelers, travel advisors and travel providers. As it expands into other countries in Central and South America, the collaborative offers micro-entrepreneurs in emerging tourism destinations opportunities for mentorship as well as the tools needed to succeed as part of the tourism equation. Naureen has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism & Mass Communications from Kansas State University, was born and raised in Mexico City and is fluent in six languages.

Lynette Phillips

Lynnette Phillips is a passionate leadership coach, certified Limbic Performance System facilitator, speaker, and live your best life enthusiast. Lynnette transitioned from the corporate world after a 17-year career with the Walt Disney Company to pursue her purpose of helping individuals and organizations empower their possibilities through her work as a coach and consultant. In 2019 Lynnette Co-Authored It’s Possible: A Dreamers Manifesto to Overcome Opposition, a collection of inspirational stories of overcoming obstacles. Lynnette is a VIP Contributor for Fairy Godboss, an online community offering expert advice to women in and re-entering the workforce as well as a dedicated volunteer with Gamma Phi Beta Sorority as a member of the Belonging, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee and The Acceleration Project as a pro bono consultant volunteer. In 2020 she Co-Founded the Fulfilled Mom Movement with two peer coaches curating group programs from moms to have clarity of purpose and the power of self belief.

Nick Kopka

Nick Kopka is young professional in the sports and entertainment industry.

Nick graduated from Ball State University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management and Ohio University with a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Sports Administration in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Nick has worked on a variety of events including: 2015 Men’s Final Four, Men’s and Women’s Big Sky Basketball Tournament, USA Cycling Amateur Road National Championships, Connect Sports Marketplace 2017, USA Cyclocross Championships, and the 2018 Super Bowl.

After completion of his Master’s in 2018, Nick joined the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission as the Logistics Manager where he oversaw event operations, budget management, and volunteer supervision. In July he will become the Event and Program Manager at the 500 Festival where he will specifically work on events such as the Mini Marathon Expo and Kid’s Day Festival.

Nick wants to continue working with sport tourism organizations in developing how they operate and focus on obtaining events that improve economic impact for their respective cities and regions.

Kelly Garofalo

As Senior Manager of Tourism Projects, Kelly manages the day-to-day administration and organization of several New York State Division of Tourism projects, most notably the I LOVE NY Assessible Program and I LOVE NY Workforce Initiative pilot program. She also serves as the Division of Tourism’s main point of contact for the New York State Tourism Advisory Council overseeing the success of several yearly board meetings. Kelly is a graduate of The George Washington University where she received her master’s degree in Sustainable Tourism Development and Administration. She has been with the New York Division of Tourism since 2017.

Ursula Petula Barzey

Ursula Petula Barzey has over 20 years of sales and marketing experience working for corporates in the United States and Europe. She is the currently the founder of Moxee Marketing, a London-based digital marketing agency that works with travel and lifestyle brands to develop and implement their content marketing and social media strategy to increase their website traffic and ultimately leads/sales.

She is also the founder of the award-winning digital platform and blog Caribbean & Co. It features the best cultural and food adventures, places to stay, and live/work opportunities in the Caribbean region. Established in 2014, Caribbean & Co. has won five travel media awards!

In June 2020, Ursula became a Co-Founder, Board Member and Research Committee Chair of the Black Travel Alliance, a nonprofit that advocates for meaningful representation of Black voices across the travel industry. Research projects undertaken since launching including #PullUpForTravel Campaign, The Black Traveler study with MMGY Global and the History Of Black Travel, a website with timeline providing insight on the early Black travel explorers and groundbreakers, major migration movements, and leisure travel developments of those from the African Diaspora.

Danny Guerrero

Danny Guerrero brings 20 years of leadership in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry to MMGY Global. His perspectives on travel and tourism strategies, global experience and his business acumen are derived from his deep experience with a variety of travel verticals in marketing, agency, and in-house roles.

Danny is a passionate, and committed travel industry veteran, having led teams in North America offices for three different MMGY Global brands from his post in Los Angeles where he serves as that office’s General Manager. Danny has led integrated campaigns to reach the North American traveler for clients on nearly every continent, has crafted positioning strategies for luxury hotels throughout the Americas, and has developed distribution and travel trade platforms for international destinations, worldwide. His assignments include work for Tourism Australia, Visit California, Viceroy Hotel Group, Fiji Airways, Turismo Chile, The Travel Corporation, Visit West Hollywood, and the Los Cabos Tourism Board, among others.

A recipient of the ‘Outstanding Contribution Award’ by the World Travel and Tourism Council for his work advancing diversity and equity in the industry in 2021, and the Chairman’s Award granted by the National Association of Black Meeting Professionals for leading MMGY Global’s contributions to the Black meetings industry in 2020, Danny is dedicated to advocating for underrepresented travelers and promoting travel as a career path for diverse youth. Danny serves as the agency’s Co-Chair for Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI) Council, the California Travel and Tourism Association’s DEI Task Force and Destinations International’s EDI Committee.

A proud first-generation Mexican-American, and native of San Diego, California, Danny lives with his husband and their dog in LA. He is a graduate of the University of California at Riverside where he studied Political Science and Marketing with a focus on International Trade.

Stephanie M. Jones

Stephanie M. Jones, MBA, Founder & CEO of the Cultural Heritage Economic Alliance, Inc. (CHEA), is a business and marketing strategist, DEI consultant, and a leading cultural heritage tourism thought leader introducing award-winning innovative and sustainable tourism initiatives designed to leverage cultural heritage tourism as an economic driver for fueling local tourism businesses and cultural institutions in underserved communities.

Jones is the founder of some of the most innovative tourism initiatives designed to create diversity, equity, and inclusion in the travel & tourism industry such as Black Cultural Heritage Tours (www.experienceblackculture.com). She is also the founder of the National Blacks in Travel & Tourism Collaborative (www.blacksintourism.org), an initiative leveling the playing field for small black and brown travel & tourism businesses, assisting them in accessing equitable opportunities in the industry through the Black Tourism Talent Directory (www.blacktourismtalent.com) and Diversity Tourism Academy (www.diversitytourismacademy.com).

Jones is the founder for the Cultural Heritage Educational Summit + Multicultural Marketplace taking place in 2023. She is a tourism development consultant working with destinations to develop programs that leverage cultural heritage tourism as well as engages and positions local community assets to attract multicultural travelers to businesses and attractions in underserved communities within destinations.

Jones serves on the United States Department of Commerce’s Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, Destinations International’s Global Leadership and Governance and Nomination Committees, Northstar Travel Group’s Black Travel Advisory Board, Newsweek’s Future of Travel Awards Advisory Panel, Hurtigruten’s Black Travel Advisory Board, and the Future of Tourism Coalition Advisory Board. As a global tourism leader and innovator, Jones is the only U.S. based founder selected as a top 10 finalist for the 2021 Social Entrepreneurship Competition in Tourism presented by UNWTO, TUI Foundation, Travel Massive and ITB Berlin.

She is a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator on DEI in travel and tourism, responsible travel and sustainability, multicultural marketing, leveraging opportunities in cultural heritage tourism, local stakeholder engagement, anti-racism in tourism, and the Black travel movement.

Courtney Cacatian

Courtney joined the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau as the Executive Director in August 2019. She brought a collaborative and data-driven approach to her position and fully immersed herself in discovering and sharing all Albemarle County and Charlottesville have to offer visitors. She is looking forward to shifting perceptions about her destination to one centered as one of the most inclusive, innovative and experiential destinations in the country. Prior to coming to the CACVB, Courtney served as the Executive Director of Discover Bristol TN/VA and the Marketing Director for the Arlington Virginia Convention and Visitors Service. She is a frequent guest lecturer at The George Washington University, where she earned her Master’s in Tourism Administration in 2010 and was recognized by Beta Gamma Sigma for her academic achievements.

Renee Areng

Renée Areng leads Brookhaven as the inaugural Executive Director for the Brookhaven Convention and Visitors Bureau, now Explore Brookhaven since 2018.

Previously, Areng served with three destination marketing organizations: most recently Visit Mississippi Gulf Coast. Throughout her leadership, Areng increased all metrics including visitation and overall revenue for non-gaming hotels. Additionally, she unified all messaging in marketing and sales increasing all digital and social metrics.

Most recently, Areng consulted with Destination Organizations on strategic planning, accreditation, streamlining databases and increasing visitation. Clients include Visit South Walton, Louisiana’s Northshore, Tupelo CVB, Visit Mobile, Jeff Davis Chamber and CVB, Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou and Pat Harrison Waterway District. Prior to joining the Mississippi Gulf Coast, she served as Executive Vice President for Visit Baton Rouge, and she served in statewide and national political arenas.

Areng is a cum laude graduate of University of Louisiana with a BA in Public Administration and French. She earned her Certified Destination Marketing Executive (CDME) designation from Destinations International in 2007 and served on the CDME review committee in 2018. She has led five organizations through six accreditations through Destinations International’s DMAP program.

Leon Pathways

A native of Los Angeles, Leon Burnette has spent the last 45 years working to Close The Opportunity Divide in the Music, Entertainment, and Tourism Industries.

He’s an author, publisher, musicologist, experimental education specialist, Certified International Tour Director, and former worldwide concert tour manager for A-list chart-topping recording artists.

During Leon’s career, he has managed over 2,000 concerts, conventions, special events, group education, and leisure travel experiences.

There are three interwoven themes in Leon Burnette’s life that have granted him a vast wealth

knowledge and experience: Global Studies, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Transformative Power Black Music, All three are underpinned by his love of travel.

As a result of his passion for travel and entrepreneurship, the Media Arts Institute of Alabama, a 501 c3 nonprofit, was born in 2006 and, in 2021, the Tourism Pathways Project was launched, a Tourism Workforce Development and DEI initiative committed to creating a pathway for diversity, equity, inclusion and success for minorities in the group tours and experiences industry.

As the Managing Director of the Tourism Pathways Project, Leon leads a growing coalition of tour operators and nonprofit tourism organizations that take a hard look at solutions to increase the recruiting, hiring training and placement of minorities and people of color in the group travel and experiences industry.

To help the tourism industry rebound from the effects of a worldwide pandemic, Leon is committed to creating training, outreach, and mentoring programs that intentionally chart a more equitable path for success and growth in the tourism industry.

Leon is the founder of Civil Rights Trail Tours, a professional full-service travel logistics and, education travel company specializing in Civil Rights and Black Music History travel experiences throughout the United States.

He is the author of The Civil Rights Trail Travel Guide for developed specifically for Tour operators, Tour guides, and Social Studies teachers. This concise easy to read guide serves as an invaluable tour management resource that offers tour professional hundreds of pages of his finest research, logistics, stories, interesting facts, information that can make Black Heritage and Cultural travel experiences come to life.

Tony Snell

Tony Snell is an accomplished human rights advocate and serves as the chair of the City of Milwaukee Equal Rights Commission and is the visitor experience manager for VISIT Milwaukee. He also served as senior director for the Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee, the host organization of the 2020 Democratic National Convention and as the Wisconsin deputy coalitions director for the Biden-Harris coordinated campaign.

As a member of the ERC, Tony initiated a successful effort with staff to advance the City’s Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index score from a 72 to a 100; helped champion the first in the country integrated adaptive bike program; spearheaded the City’s inaugural International Human Rights Day celebration; coordinated efforts with the Mayor’s office, the Department of Public Works, neighborhood enterprises, and Milwaukee Pride to pave the way for Milwaukee’s Rainbow Crosswalks at Cathedral Square; and joined colleagues to craft the new ERC governing ordinance to extend safeguards that protect gender identity, gender expression, HIV status, source of income, veterans, and cultural hair styles. As the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center interim executive director, he and his team led a community coalition ensuring the passage of Milwaukee’s ordinance banning conversion therapy, the first in the state.

“Milwaukee Magazine” said, “Tony is passionate about human rights” and his Twitter account is “one of ten you’re gonna want to follow” (@TonyEquality). Tony hails from South Carolina and is a featured contributor in the book “Southern Perspectives on the Queer Movement” which also chronicles his coming out story and advocacy. He was also interviewed by the New York Times in a ground-breaking, front page story about LGBT political organizing in the South. Demanding transgender inclusion, he was instrumental in the crafting and passage of the City of Columbia Human Rights Ordinance – one of the first in the South. He was also a founding member of the Equality Federation (a national group of state LGBT organizations).

Tony, a Spanish-American, is happily married to Dr. Wujie Zhang and proud to call Milwaukee their home.

Melissa Cherry

Melissa Cherry is the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at Miles Partnership. In this new executive role at Miles, Cherry will lead the development of the organization’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) consulting practice to serve current and potential clients, in addition to guiding the company’s internal DEI processes and best practices.

From 2016 to 2021, Melissa Cherry served as the Chief Operating Officer at Destinations International and was responsible for the development and execution of the overall marketing and communications, information technology, meetings and education strategies to promote and elevate the association’s mission and brand to drive awareness of its impact to advance the success of the destination marketing industry. She also led and developed the association’s first equity, diversity and inclusion strategic roadmap released in 2020.

Prior to joining Destinations International, Cherry was senior vice-president for marketing and cultural tourism at Choose Chicago leading domestic and international marketing strategies, including all efforts for brand strategy, integrated marketing, research, advertising and event marketing. Additionally, she launched the first-ever Cultural Tourism Strategy to increase visitation and awareness to Chicago’s cultural entities, events and neighborhoods. Cherry’s 25 years of experience in the industry includes prior positions at the Chicago History Museum and was responsible for implementing marketing and communications strategies, and the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board where she was responsible for promoting the cultural destinations of Los Angeles.