Malik Brown

Malik Brown is an LGBTQ advocate and political strategist, a first-generation American, and a lifelong Atlantan. He has been featured in prestigious outlets like “CNN”, “NBC News”, and “The Hill”. His writing has been featured in national publications like “Cosmopolitan”, “them.”, and “Out Magazine.”

Appointed as the City of Atlanta’s Director of LGBTQ Affairs by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Brown is the first full-time official in the Southeastern United States to focus on better connecting the LGBTQ community with municipal government. In this role, he advises Mayor Andre Dickens on policies, programs, and initiatives affecting the LGBTQ community. Brown is a founding member of the Mayor’s Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and serves as a member of the Senior Leadership Team. Additionally, Brown is one of the Administration’s key advisors on human rights.

During the 2020 Presidential Race, Malik was appointed to the Biden campaign’s Out for Biden LGBTQ+ Leadership Council, a national advisory coalition of LGBTQ+ leaders committed to electing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. During the 2021 Georgia runoff election, Brown was recruited by the historic U.S. Senate campaign of Reverend Raphael Warnock to serve as the Special Advisor on LGBTQ+ Engagement. In this role, Brown helped the campaign reach, mobilize, and energize LGBTQ+ Georgia voters.

A proud Executive Committee member of the Human Rights Campaign’s National Board of Governors, Brown brings a unique combination of political experience, LGBTQ advocacy, and HIV/AIDS education and prevention to his work. Additionally, Brown is a member of the LEAD Atlanta Class of 2022.

Melissa Cherry

Melissa Cherry is the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at Miles Partnership. In this new executive role at Miles, Cherry leads the development of the organization’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) consulting practice to serve current and future 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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

Melissa Legaux

Melissa Legaux, CMP is an enthusiastic sales professional with over 10 years of sales experience within the Atlanta, Georgia hospitality industry. While serving as the Director of Tradeshow Sales at Cobb Travel & Tourism, Melissa welcomes every opportunity to showcase and assist clients in hosting meetings and conventions in Cobb County, “Atlanta’s Sweet Spot”. Melissa has a solid record of accomplishment and career progression while maintaining a reputation for excellence. Her customer service-oriented focus leads to building strong business relationships while serving as a liaison between clients and local hospitality industry stakeholders. She possesses a Bachelor of Science Degree from Lester E. Kabacoff School of Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Administration with a Concentration in Meeting & Convention Management at the University of New Orleans, “GEAUX Saints”! In 2014, Melissa received her Certified Meeting Professional designation and was a proud recipient of Collinson Media & Events Collaborate Magazine “40 Under 40” Industry Leader Award. Melissa eagerly embraces every opportunity to expand her knowledge and skillset within her professional career. However, she is equally passionate to be of service within the community through volunteer endeavors. She actively engages in opportunities to serve on industry panel speaking engagements, conduct presentations at local hospitality educational programs, and support local nonprofit organizations by raising funding and awareness throughout the community. Recently, her efforts are focused within a leadership capacity while serving on Meeting Professionals International – Georgia Chapter Board of Directors. Her board service over the past five years has led to her current role as President Elect. She’s honored to welcome the opportunity to serve as the first African American female representee within this capacity. Currently, she oversees the chapter’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion task force which is paving the way to welcome the organization’s first DEI board position. This role is essential to ensuring our members voices are heard, honored, welcomed, and most importantly, inclusive within the fabric of our chapter’s operations. Melissa is an advocate of stepping outside of the box to push the pendulum forward and pave the way for future leaders ahead.

Zoe Moore

Honorably discharged from the United States.Army following 12 years of service, Chiriga Moore, affectionately known as Zoe (pronounced ZOH) completed an M.S. in Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism and then started an event planning company in Oakland, CA. 

Learning that Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) were not prioritized in the meetings, events and tourism industry, she became an advocate to help spark dialogue and action in the areas of supplier diversity, organizational culture and diverse representation in leadership.

Initially, spearheading the formation of an Inclusion & Diversity committee with MPI’s Northern California Chapter, she decided to become a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP)® to deepen her knowledge and place the focus on equity as a strategy. Having dissolved her company, LB Alliance due to COVID-19, she became the co-founder of Moore Consulting Agency LLC along with her son Jourden Moore. Doing business as Grow with Zomo she is supporting hospitality organizations with the development of their Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategies from Insight to Implementation. 

As an independent Hospitality EDI Strategic Consultant, she engages leaders of organizations through her speaking, writing, educational courses and consulting. 

The outgoing co-chair for MPIs 2021 Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Committee, Zoe is committed to holding industry leaders accountable to their expressed commitment to effective change. 

Zoe is a contributing writer to The Meeting Professional, Meetings Today, and her personal blog Unsolicited Advice. She resides in Marietta, GA with her 17 year old son, Jourden Moore of JEM Innovations. She loves homemade chocolate chip cookies, photography, and travelling. 

James Warren

James Warren is a storyteller and a strategist, passionate about the intersections of human and digital, and brands, culture and communities. James is the Vice President of Brand Strategy at JMI, a brand strategy and consulting firm uniquely focused on brand community engagement. He is also the Founder and CEO of Share More Stories, a human experience research company that delivers deeper human insights and solutions through storytelling and machine learning, to help brands and organizations create more value for and with their constituents. 

For nearly 25 years, James has used his unique blend of marketing, storytelling, strategic planning, organizational development and innovation experiences to help companies form lasting connections with their employees, consumers and communities. Over the last several years, James and his team have led groundbreaking studies focused on the travel experiences of historically excluded and underrepresented consumer groups, helping clients at the state and local level develop more authentic engagement and improve the visitation experience. 

A sought-after advisor, facilitator, contributor and convener, James serves on the BridgePark Foundation’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee as Chair-Elect; the YMCA of Greater Richmond’s Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and Mission, Equity and Inclusion Committee; and The Dwight School Foundation’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Board. James studied economics and literature at Princeton University and creative writing at Columbia University, and also writes for Richmond magazine on family, community, and lifestyle. Originally from New York City, James and his family now call Richmond, Virginia home. 

Lindsay Fruchtl

Lindsay Fruchtl has served as the VP of Marketing for Destination Augusta for six years. In this role she directs all marketing and communications, public relations, and advertising services for the organization and the destination. Prior to joining the Destination Augusta team, Lindsay served as the Senior Marketing Manager with the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce and Visitor &

Convention Bureau (VCB) in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. From 2009- 2013, Lindsay served as the Marketing Director for Visit Tybee on Tybee Island, Georgia. Lindsay has her Travel Marketing Professional (TMP) certification from the Southeast Tourism Society. She is a graduate of Leadership Augusta and serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Classic South Travel Association, and Girls Scouts of Historic Georgia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia. Lindsay is married to her husband Jason, and they have one son, Zachary, age 10. Personal tidbits about Lindsay Fruchtl: Growing up Lindsay was a competitive dancer specializing in jazz, modern, and lyrical dance styles, and minored in dance in college. Lindsay doesn’t like wooden popsicle sticks, tongue depressors or toothpicks. They’re like nails across a chalkboard and give her goosebumps. She enjoys hiking with her family, watching documentaries and anything on BBC, reading biographies and listening to true crime podcasts.

Dustin Woehrmann

Originally from Utah, Dustin has a unique background in design, experimental animation, and illustration, which shapes his unique style and approach. After finishing grad school at CalArts with a Student Academy Nomination for his thesis animation film, he became an animator on the “South Park” Movie. After working for a few smaller agencies, he decided to go on his own. 

His creative agency’s foundation was built on branding and designing websites for everything from lounges to large-scale events to entertainment industry websites. They created DVD release websites for Warner Bros. titles including “Mama’s Family”, “The Closer”, and “Dennis the Menace”, and movies such as “Undisputed”, “The Duchess” and “Into the Wild”, which got a Webby mention for use of photography. Recent entertainment work includes Academy Award digital campaigns and B2B creative banner campaigns for Showtime and Smithsonian Channel.

Now based in New Orleans, Dustin’s focus in the travel space has garnered clients including Condor Airlines, Visit Salt Lake, and Visit Sacramento. For over seven years, he has led New Orleans & Company’s efforts to promote inclusive travel for the city.  

Recent acknowledgments include the American Advertising Federation’s District Best of Show Broadcast for their video series “One Time in New Orleans With Varla Jean Merman”, and the Louisiana Travel Association’s Tourism Campaign of the Year for their World Pride activations. Dustin also speaks on inclusive marketing for travel conferences including the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association, eTourism Summit, International Pow Wow, and others.

Lee Sentell

Alabama’s Lee Sentell is the nation’s longest serving state tourism director, now in his 20^th year.  In 2004 he launched the Alabama Civil Rights Trail, the first in the country. After tasking a major university to inventory civil rights landmarks open to the public, he founded the U.S. Civil Rights Trail in 2018 with his fellow Southern tourism directors. The trail features more than 130 landmarks across 15 states and Washington, D.C. His department and the Luckie & Company advertising agency received the International Travel & Tourism Award in London for best regional destination marketing. 

Previously, Sentell was director of marketing at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., then served as Huntsville tourism director. He is past chair of Travel South USA, the nation’s largest regional tourism marketing agency.

He launched his book, The Official U. S. Civil Rights Trail: What Happened Here Changed the World in 2021. The book takes a journey through school integration, protest marches, freedom rides and sit-ins throughout the South. 

Sentell is a native of Ashland, Ala., and a journalism graduate of Auburn University which will present him with the Horst Schulze Excellence in Hospitality Award on April 21.

Laura Luker

Laura Luker is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in Public Relations. Laura has led the award-winning Henry County Convention and Visitors Bureau, now Visit Henry County, GA, as the Director of Tourism since 2008. Prior to joining Visit Henry County, GA, Laura gained valuable event planning and marketing experience working with Macon’s International Cherry Blossom Festival and as the Marketing Director for an environmental consulting company. Laura is passionate about creative storytelling and uses that passion to help share Henry County’s story with visitors.

Lily Pabian

Lily Pabian joined We Love Buford Highway in 2019 as the agency’s executive director, bringing her over 30 years of experiences within B2B, B2C, consultancy, and nonprofit industries. “Collaboration, connection, and communication are my optics for development,” says Pabian. “And fostering relationships is at the core of how we will continue to deliver our mission. I look forward to building many within this community.” 

When asked why she loves the Buford Highway corridor, her answer is grassroots, “because it was our family’s first home.” Pabian was a resident in an apartment complex right off the highway. “Buford Highway was my family’s first home in Atlanta. It’s where I learned to speak English and where I had my first taste of foods and knowledge of other cultures,” says Pabian. “As a 5-year-old Chinese-American kindergartner in the late ‘70s, all I wanted was to blend in, to do the impossible. Friendships that I made with other first-generation immigrants were special times, where I found solace, laughter, and simply to feel like a kid.”

A graduate of Georgia State University with a background in print journalism, and cultural anthropology, Pabian has a passion for all things related to mass comms and advocacy. She believes that people connect with one another through societal commonalities as identity, culture, and custom. These are the internal gut checks that drive referral, loyalty, and momentum. 

Buford Highway remains a mainstay for Pabian and her family. “I’ve lived all over Atlanta, but my roots are here. I get a visceral sense of belonging everywhere I dine or shop. Buford Highway is thriving and constantly changing. People need to know about it, and I have a strong sense to both protect it and educate about how unique, vibrant, and sacred this place truly is.” 

An Atlanta native, wife, and mother of three rising young adults, Pabian served as a member of Fulton County’s School Governance Council, and was a recipient of GADOE’s Parent Leadership Award. In 2021, Pabian was recognized as Georgia Asian Times’ 25 Most Influential Asian Americans and an honoree for the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award.

Billy Kolber

BIlly Kolber is a renowned voice in the LGBTQ+ travel segment, and a global innovator in inclusive hospitality. As the Co-Founder and CEO of HospitableMe, he and his team provide inclusive hospitality strategy and training for tourism, retail and healthcare organizations around the world, helping them provide a more respectful and inclusive welcome to diverse customers, patients and guests. Their clients include some of the world’s most respected and powerful brands, including Booking.com, NYC & Company, The Kering Group, Discover Puerto Rico, The Travel Corporation, Bottega Veneta, AIG Travel, and Costa Navarino.

Billy has a degree in Biology from Yale University, but has spent his entire career in travel, running an American Express travel agency before launching OUT&ABOUT, the first gay and lesbian travel magazine in the USA. He launched ManAboutWorld Magazine in 2012, one of the first built-for-mobile magazines of any kind, and HospitableMe in 2017. Currently, he and the HospitableMe team are launching a new curriculum:  Everyone Welcome: Seven Secret Principles of Inclusive Hospitality. This innovative approach to diversity, inclusion, equity, accessibility and belonging empowers hospitality providers to provide more personalized, authentic and considerate service to all guests, through the lens of 15 different forms of diversity/identity. 

Billy traveled and sang around the world with the Yale Whiffenpoofs, was a top selling Avon Representative for a decade (including 4 years as #1 in Avon’s Manhattan headquarters district), and is a two-time annual Pie Contest champion in Water Island. He served on the board of Yale. NYC for seven years, plus four years on the Yale Alumni Board of Governors, and is the only two-time recipient of a Yale Alumni Leadership Award. A 3rd generation native New Yorker, he has visited 76 countries, and currently lives with his husband in Frankfurt, Germany.