Travel Unity is a non-profit organization focused on making travel more welcoming for all through education, advocacy, and collaboration. The Travel Unity Summit Southeast is a regional event format that combines structured masterclass elements, industry panels, and case studies to help Southern travel organizations implement meaningful diversity practices. The 2023 Lake Charles gathering marked the second time the Southeast regional summit was held.
The summit was designed to bring together destination marketing organizations (DMOs), travel industry professionals, community leaders, and economic development professionals. The primary focus was figuring out how regional destinations can become more welcoming, inclusive, and accessible to travelers of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities, while ensuring all faces and voices are represented in local tourism economies.
“Part of our goal in Travel Unity is to connect leaders in the travel industry who are committed to applied DEI with relevant community stakeholders. By coming together, they can collaborate to make sure that all voices are heard and all faces are seen.”
Practical approaches to crafting and executing comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion blueprints for travel organizations.
Intentional media, marketing, and sales initiatives aimed at attracting diverse travel groups.
Cultivating diverse talent and connecting industry leaders with local grassroots stakeholders to boost local tourism economies.
The event was hosted locally by Visit Lake Charles (Southwest Louisiana). Key leadership involved from the host destination included Kyle Edmiston (President and CEO of Visit Lake Charles) and Timothy Bush (Chief Marketing Officer for Visit Lake Charles and DEI co-chair for the event).
Session Details
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TIME
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TOPIC
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SPEAKER
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8:00 - 9:00 am
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Registration & Breakfast
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Sponsored by Visit Lauderdale
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9:00 - 9:10 am
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Introduction and Welcome
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Kyle Edmiston
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9:10 - 9:15 am
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Welcome
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Mayor Nic Hunter
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9:15 - 10:00 am
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Keynote Session
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Sophia Hyder Hock
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10:00 - 11:00 am
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Panel: Tips and Tricks for Crafting a Comprehensive DEI Plan
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Moderated by Berkeley Young
Featuring: Renée Areng (CDTP), Timothy Bush (CDTP), Zondra W. Jones (CDTP) |
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11:00 - 11:30 am
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Break
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11:00 - 12:30 pm
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Panel and Workshop: Leadership and Collaboration in a Multi-Generational Workforce
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12:30 - 1:30 pm
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Lunch
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Sponsored by Explore Brookhaven
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1:30 - 2:30 pm
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Attracting Diverse Groups through Media & Sales (Concurrent Breakout)
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Breakout Room: Memorial I
Moderated by Jada Durden Featuring: Nicole Twigg and Najauna White |
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1:30 - 2:30 pm
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Strategic Approaches to Applied DEI (Concurrent Breakout)
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Breakout Room: Memorial II
Moderated by: Timothy Bush, CDTP Featuring: Sonya Bradley and Melissa Cherr |
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2:30 - 3:30 pm
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LGBTQ+ Inclusion: Marketing to LGBTQ+ Communities and Working with LGBTQ+-owned Businesses (Concurrent Breakout)
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Breakout Room: Memorial I
Moderated by Tico Soto Featuring: Dustin Woehrmann and Mark Romig |
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2:30 - 3:30 pm
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Building a Hiring Pipeline (Concurrent Breakout)
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Breakout Room: Memorial II
Featuring: Dr. Edward Walden, Caitlin Scanlan, Lauren A.K. Darnell, and Craig Kennedy |
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3:30 - 4:30 PM
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Panel: Integrating DEI and Sustainability for Your Community
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Moderated by Jen Gray-O'Connor
Featuring: Lauren Bruggemans, Greg Takehara, and Chi Lo |
Session Details
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TIME
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TOPIC
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SPEAKER
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8:00 - 9:00 am
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Registration & Breakfast
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Sponsored by Visit Lauderdale
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9:00 - 10:00 AM
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Keynote Session
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Neki Mohan, Mark C. Romig, Arielle Desse, Laura Russett
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10:00 - 10:50 AM
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Cultural Tourism: How to Responsibly and Collaboratively Tell Community Stories
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Includes the two detailed sub-focuses listed below:
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10:00 - 10:15 AM
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Cultural Tourism in the 2020s
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With Cheryl M. Hargrove
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10:10 - 10:50 AM
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Justice + Storytelling: Sharing the Experiences of the Black Diaspora
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Featuring Leon Burnette
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10:50 - 11:00 AM
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Break
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11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Panel: DEI Case Studies from Across the Southeast
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Featuring: Portia Conerly (CDTP), Sierra Jones (CDTP), Heather Kouns
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12:00 - 1:00 PM
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What's Your Reaction?
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Featuring: Craig P. Kennedy, Elijah Washington, Cheryl M. Hargrove
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1:00 PM
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End of Program
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The Travel Unity Summit brought together a diverse group of leaders from tourism, media, marketing, and community organizations. These speakers shared their insights on inclusive travel, storytelling, community engagement, and the future of the tourism industry.
Renée Areng has led 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.
In April 2021, Sonya transitioned from serving as Visit Sacramento’s longtime Chief Marketing Officer to the Chief of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. This position was created specifically to address the
organization’s commitment to taking actions and creating change when it comes to DEI within Visit Sacramento, the tourism industry in the Sacramento region and beyond.
As a 25-year veteran of the tourism industry, Sonya felt a deep, personal call to use her expertise, widespread relationships, and experiences to create a better path forward for people of color and other underrepresented people in her community to be part of Sacramento’s tourism industry. In this role, she will be involved with all Visit Sacramento departments to ensure that DEI is brought to the forefront of every program and practice. Sonya shares and collaborates on best practices and continues to explore
with peers around the country how tourism organizations can better incorporate DEI into daily operations.
She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pepperdine University and a Master of Science from San Jose State University. She serves on various committee and Boards, including CalTravel, Destinations
International, DMA West, and a Sacramento non-profit that focuses on youth and family. She’s a self- described nerd who enjoys reading (especially true crime), armchair decorating, traveling, spending time with family, going to baseball games and hacking around a golf course.
Twenty-five years of travel/tourism research, marketing, management and speaking experience.
Berkeley Young specializes in destination research, planning and strategy. Young’s travel industry experience includes management positions at a destination marketing organization, a Chamber of Commerce, a resort and a research and planning firm. In 2004 Young formed his Charlotte, NC based company focusing on research and strategic planning for all aspects of travel destinations. Young’s firm is known for its custom-tailored approach in using research to address specific issues for DMOs.
In the last twenty years Young has worked with over 150 destinations in thirty-five states and is a popular speaker at regional and national conferences and conventions.
Lauren Bruggemans is the Director of Sustainability & Community Engagement at Visit Greater Palm Springs (California), where she leads their sustainability, DEI, and workforce development initiatives.
Lauren started her career in hospitality operations managing teams across multiple divisions. In 2015, she become the Executive Director of the Sumba Hospitality Foundation, a hospitality & sustainability focused workforce development program in Eastern Indonesia. Lauren continued working in the hospitality education and social impact sectors as the founding CEO of We are One United, a community development social enterprise, and as an adjunct faculty member at California State University, San Bernardino.
Lauren has a master’s degree in Social Business & Entrepreneurship from the London School of Economics and earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Politics at the University of California, San Diego. She is passionate about empowering young people through work-based learning opportunities and fostering diversity and inclusion in organizations.
Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, California, Leon Burnette escaped the gang- infested streets to become a leading advocate for self-determination, cultural education, and mentoring.
Leon has spent over forty-five years working in the Travel, Tourism, and Entertainment Industries as a Tour Director, Producer, Manager, Entrepreneur, and Mentor.
During Leon’s career, he has managed over 3,000 concerts, conventions, special events, and group youth and adult tour adventures. Leon is credited with launching and guiding the careers of Grammy award-winning recording artists and super producers: Midnight Star, Rick James, LA Reid, and Kenneth Babyface Edmonds, along with Motivational Speaker Eric ET Thomas
As Founder and CEO of the Media Arts Institute of Alabama and Civil Rights Trail Tours, Leon Burnette designs and manages multiday travel programs for organizations wishing to deepen their understanding of the Impact of Systematic Racism, Implicit Bias, and Discrimination in Criminal Justice, Healthcare, Employment, Housing, Education, and Political Representation.
Civil Rights Trail Tours uses the power of travel, space, and place to enhance its client’s Justice and Racial inequity lens with intelligence gained on the US Civil Rights Trial
In addition to these responsibilities, Leon is the Managing Director and Architect of the Tourism Pathways Project, a nationally recognized EDI +Justice tourism workforce initiative that partners with tourism organizations to help them address the blind spot of ethnic disparities with their products.
Timothy Bush is the Chief Marketing Officer for Visit Lake Charles. Through his role, he oversees and manages the administration of Visit Lake Charles destination marketing, brand management, communication, research, data intelligence and creative services.
Prior to returning to Louisiana, Bush was the chief tourism development officer for OneSpartanburg, Inc. During his 18-year career, Bush served as the President/CEO of Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism, the marketing manager for Visit Macon, and the vice president of sales and marketing for Experience Ruston. His tourism career started in Beauregard Parish with the Beauregard Tourist Commission as executive director.
He is a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Monroe with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism with a concentration in Public Relations.
A self-described foodie, Timothy enjoys trying new restaurants and traveling with his husband Marcus, as well as spending time with friends and family.
Bennish Brown has served as President/CEO of Destination Augusta since July of 2018.
Among his most fulfilling accomplishments in his time at Destination Augusta are:
Bennish feels all of these are as much about building and amplifying community pride as they are about attracting visitors.
He serves on the Board of Directors for Destinations International, the global association for destination organizations. He recently ended his term as a Board member of Southeast Tourism Society (STS), a travel-and-tourism association with membership from 13 southeastern states and the District of Columbia.
Locally, he is on the Boards of the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Alliance for Fort Gordon, the Augusta Sports Council, and the Greater Augusta Arts Council.
Prior to Augusta, Bennish served for six years as the President/CEO of the Tacoma + Pierce County Convention & Visitors Bureau in Tacoma, WA, and before that at the Rock Hill, SC Convention & Visitors Bureau for 12 years.
Before working in the tourism industry for more than 20 years, Bennish also spent nearly two decades in communications. He has worked in the radio industry, including time as an on-air radio personality and as station management. He has been a
newspaper reporter, and worked in many aspects of public relations and public information for local and state government, and in the corporate world.
Bennish holds a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and a master’s degree in public relations from the University of South Carolina. An avid traveler, Bennish, his wife and their son have visited every continent but one, Antarctica.
Melissa Cherry is the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at Miles Partnership. In this 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.
Portia Conerly is a highly accomplished veteran in the Tourism, Travel & Economic Development arenas. With experience in tourism, sales, transportation and the travel industry, Portia brings a wealth of experience, valued perspective and leadership to her work.
With over two decades in Sales Management, Portia has exceeded all benchmarks in her roles, with impressive accomplishments such as; sales manager of the year, lead booking manager in transportation and most recently, recipient of the Arlington County Merit Award for her continued success & leadership during the pandemic.
A native New Orleanian, Portia earned her stripes in tourism in the highly visited and beloved city of New Orleans. As a young Sales Manager for New Orleans Tours, Portia quickly stood out amongst her peers showing promising leadership skills training desk agents, supervising hotel staff and maximizing agent sales through her team development and collaborative approach to problem solving. Portia was recognized early as a hard working dependable
leader. Portia led in various Management positions for New Orleans Tours for almost a decade.
In 2002, Portia relocated to the state of Virginia and soon thereafter began her work as the Manager of Local Operations for The Convention Store. In this role, Portia managed large-scale
events, securing transportation jobs for the company throughout the Washington, DC, Virginia and Baltimore region. In this role Portia developed and maintained business relationships,
wrote bid proposals for new business and managed the full experience of transportation accounts from securing contracts to tailoring staffing and logistical needs for clients. Portia
continues to assist The Convention Store as a trusted and expert leader in transportation & event logistics.
After three years with The Convention Store Portia revisited her first love of tourism & sales in a new role of Visitor Counselor at Arlington Convention and Visitor Center. Portia became highly
knowledgeable in all that Arlington had to offer visitors. Assisting visitors with a wide variety of needs, Portia excelled and was promoted to Senior Destination Sales Manager.
Currently, Portia serves as the Director of Sales for Arlington County. In this role Portia travels domestically and internationally, attending conferences and trade shows to promote the county
and attract large groups while generating new business opportunities. Not only has Arlington County seen record increases of sales under Portia’s leadership, but Portia has become known as a leader in the travel industry as Arlington leads among Virginia counties in visitor spending for 12 consecutive years.
Portia is a graduate of the University of New Orleans where she majored in Mass Communications and Marketing. She lives in Fredericksburg, VA where she has made her home with her husband Ado Conerly, Jr. Portia is involved in her community in various roles, of which two she is most proud, her service as a Youth Sunday school teacher at her church home Spotsylvania Church of Christ and her role in promoting inclusion as the Chair of the NTA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Group. Portia Is a leader in promoting diversity and inclusion in the region.
Lauren Darnell is the Executive Director of Made in New Orleans Foundation (MiNO). Since 2018 she has been leading the non-profit organization in its work to create a transformative vision of the future of the Hospitality Industry in New Orleans. MiNO’s work is centered on equity in hospitality, bringing people together to create workplaces where BIPOC are seen, supported and thrive. Under Lauren’s leadership, MiNO has developed programming that provides direct cash relief to BIPOC workers, increased support and visibility for BIPOC chefs and, coaching for restaurant owners who are part of the solution, creating roadmaps for their businesses to retain, and promote BIPOC professionals in the industry.
Lauren’s leadership is rooted in building community for a common purpose and meeting people where they are. She is curious about human relationships and the practices that support well being. For over 20+ years she has been in the study of various forms of art that contribute to healing and wellness including culinary arts, healing arts, written word and movement. Her participation in programming with the Concorde Institute for Integral Studies in the UK and with Bodymind Consultant Christiane Piano in Como, Italy speaks to her deep curiosity about practices that support personal growth and freedom. She has been a yoga teacher since 2009 and a children’s yoga instructor since 2011. She is committed to facilitating experiences and conversations that inspire to integrate wellness into all aspects of life.
Lauren has received the Ella Brennan “Stand Up For Your Hometown” Award and the Essence “Essential Heroes” Award. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from University of New Orleans in Anthropology and Women’s Studies. When not developing MiNO Foundation, you can find her exploring with her 8 year old son, Tenzin.
For over 20 years Jen has worked with clients to create equity-driven community engagement that provides opportunities for inclusive decision-making in visioning, planning and development. Jen’s research focuses on how social inequalities are addressed in sustainable urban planning, particularity in transit-oriented development. Jen is a certified community mediator and served on the board of the International Association for Public Participation.
Jada Durden is a marketing professional and food fanatic that has a knack for telling stories through visual and written content. Jada’s articles have been published in USA Today, Huffington Post, and several other national publications. Her work has earned her Media Partner P.R.I.D.E. Award presented by the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau, Best Blogger Award by SB Magazine, Communicator of the Year nominee by PRAL NW, and Most Popular Blog in Louisiana designation by Louisiana Travel.
Jada is currently a Social Media Manager for a luxury resort and owns a social media management firm, Durden Media Group, where she specializes in restaurant, bar, cannabis, and hospitality social media management, event curation, and project management. When Jada isn’t working, she chronicles her adventures across the country on her social media under Loving this Life Jada.
Kyle Edmiston is the President & CEO of Visit Lake Charles.
Previously, he spent 16 months as the Chief Operating Officer of the CVB, served for 6 years as the Director of the Louisiana Office of Tourism under two different administrations and served for 6 ½ years as the President/CEO of the Ruston Lincoln CVB.
Visit Lake Charles was honored by the LA Travel Association as the CVB of the Year for 2019. In 2017, Kyle was honored as the National State Tourism Director of the Year by his colleagues and was named one of the Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in the United States for Marketing by Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI). He was awarded the Southeast Tourism Society Rising Star Award in 2009 and earned his Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) from Destinations International in 2008.
He previously served as Chair of the Travel South USA Board of Directors and the Louisiana Association of CVBs.
A life-long resident of Lake Charles and a small business owner, Nic Hunter was elected to the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury in 2011 and was in his second term when he was elected to the office of Mayor of Lake Charles on Saturday, April 29, 2017.
Early in life, Mayor Hunter acquired his work ethic by bussing tables and washing dishes at his grandparents’ restaurant, Harlequin Steaks & Seafood, which they opened in 1956. With his grandmother’s blessing, he began running the restaurant full time at the age of 17. Today, he is a partner in The Villa Harlequin restaurant.
Since taking office, Mayor Hunter has had a steady focus on infrastructure and economic development. Making good on his promise to “turn dirt on the lakefront,” Mayor Hunter announced the lakefront development project Port Wonder, a $20 million plus science and nature center and state of the art children’s museum. This historic project was made possible by securing dozens of public and private funding partners.
Mayor Hunter has passionately led the community through a string of natural disasters, including Hurricane Harvey (August 2017), the COVID-19 Pandemic (March 2020- Present), Hurricane Laura (August 2020), Hurricane Delta (October 2020), Winter Storm Uri (February 2021) and a 1,000 Year Rain Event/Flash Flood (May 2021).
Mayor Hunter has been married to his wife, Becky, an accomplished lawyer in Southwest Louisiana since 2015. They welcomed their first born, a son named Harrison, into the world in August 2017 and welcomed their second child, a daughter named Colette, in February 2020. Together, they have 2 rescue dogs: Humphrey and Jolene.
Author, Instructor, and 35-year travel industry veteran, Hargrove is best known as the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s first Director of Heritage Tourism. During her tenure with the organization, Hargrove developed the key steps and principles for sustainable tourism focusing on history and culture. She recently worked with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Tourism Division, as Director of Industry & Partner Relations. Hargrove also served as Associate Director of National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destinations, assisting destinations in developing and marketing their place-based experiences.
Hargrove authored Cultural Heritage Tourism: Five Steps for Success and Sustainability (Rowman & Littlefield, May 2017) as part of the American Association for State & Local History book series. She is a Certified Interpretive Guide (by the National Association of Interpretation) and an associate member of the Society of American Travel Writers. Hargrove serves on the Coastal Georgia Historical Society Board of Directors and the Georgia Sea Grant Advisory Council. She holds a Master of Tourism Administration from The George Washington University and a Certificate for Tourism & International Cooperation for Development from the UNWTO Themis Foundation/ The George Washington University. She is also a graduate of the University of Georgia’s Grady School of Journalism.
Her consultancy currently focuses on cultural heritage tourism assessment, planning, development and management, and nonprofit/tourism business sustainability. In the past decade, her firm has assisted more than 150 destinations, government agencies, and businesses, including work in every state in the U.S. and in 15 countries. Through USAID and the U.S. Department of State, she participated in international tourism leadership and training programs for cultural heritage tourism in Kosovo, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Croatia. She also consulted for over a decade with the US-China Arts Exchange, where she helped preserve, protect, and promote indigenous culture in Yunnan Province.
Hargrove is frequently asked to speak at conferences, including the World Heritage Forum in Copenhagen, the Canadian Museum Association, the China Leadership Summit, the Educational Travel Conference, the APEC Tourism Policy Forum, and numerous state and regional conferences. Since 2020, her company has managed the Appalachian Regional Commission’s READY Nonprofits online training program providing instruction for more than 200 organizations.
She lives on St. Simons Island with her husband, John Bauser, and five-year-old beagle, Tanner.
Sophia Hyder Hock has spent 20 years developing tailored strategy, training, facilitation, and coaching services on topics pertaining to diversity and social inclusion, gender empowerment, community engagement and outreach, emotional intelligence, and cultural awareness for clients in the international development and travel industries. She integrates human centered design thinking, and mindfulness practices into her work as a holistic way to develop sustainable outcomes that align with business performance and the enabling environment. Operationally, Ms. Hyder Hock has experience creating and managing budgets of $145M+ for development programs around the world.
In 2020, as a member of the Board of Directors of Travel Unity, Sophia played an active role in developing the DEI Standards for Travel and Tourism and the Certified Diversity Travel Professional (CDTP) program.
She has spoken at universities, travel industry events, and entrepreneurial platforms about how to integrate DEI in a practical and sustainable manner. Sophia has traveled to 40+ countries and is always excited to learn about people, history, and cultural nuances.
Sierra Jones is the Vice President of Destination Marketing & Development for the Greenville-Pitt County Convention & Visitors Bureau (Visit Greenville, NC), the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Greenville-Pitt County.
Zondra is a third generation native of St Tammany Parish. After graduating High School, Zondra earned her associate degree in Broadcasting with a minor in Communications. Upon receiving her degree, she returned to the Northshore, married her high school
sweetheart and started a family.
Zondra started her professional career in tourism over 25 years ago as a front desk clerk and quickly began moving up in the ranks. In 2006, she joined Louisiana Northshore and is currently the Senior Sales Manager and is responsible for the Corporate, Association and SMERF markets and serves in leadership roles for local, regional and national organizations that promote tourism. She is a graduate of Leadership St Tammany and Louisiana Travel Leadership Academy. Has certifications in Governmental Meeting Professionals, Diversity Travel professionals, Oil and Gas Vendor and Supplier and was voted Meeting Planner of the year by Society of Governmental Meeting Professionals, Louisiana Chapter and meeting planner to watch in the Convention South Magazine for 2021 and 2022.
Zondra and her husband Charles are the proud parents of three young adults who are all college graduates and grandparents of two beautiful granddaughters. In addition to working at Louisiana Northshore, she is also a performer, sharing lead singer with her
sister in the popular band Soul Revival.
Craig is a Program Coordinator and trainer with the Open Doors Organization with more than 20 years of experience working with people with disabilities, disability travel and tourism and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Craig moved to Steamboat Springs, Colorado from the Adirondacks in upstate NY in 1994 where a skiing accident left him paralyzed from the waist down just two years later. Craig now lives in the Knoxville, TN area and is an avid traveler.
A published author and Co-Founder of an Adaptive Travel Resource Company called Access Anything with his wife Andy, and founder of CK Consulting, he has spent more than 20 years motivating people with disabilities to look beyond their perceived abilities and advocating for their rights as both people and travelers. He spent the last 10 years as a founding Board Member and Program Director for Steamboat Adaptive Recreational Sports (STARS) helping to grow that Adaptive Sports Program from the ground up while teaching others with disabilities how to ski and recreate in the outdoors. Craig is also a Whole Food Nutrition and Business Coach with the Juice Plus Company and brings an infectious positive attitude with him wherever he goes and hopes to affect positive change, better health, and improved access to the world of disabilities.
Elijah Washington has dedicated his life to providing youth the support he didn’t have while growing up in Yonkers, NY. As Travel Unity’s Youth & Collegiate Programs Director, Elijah has provided vision and led both virtual and in-person programming aimed at exposing youth to travel as an activity and possible career path.
Outside of TU, Elijah has served as an AmeriCorps Member, working in City Year New York as a student success coach, where he offered academic support in 8th grade mathematics and provided social and emotional support to help them reach their goals.
Elijah was a camp counselor at Camp Morty, a camp dedicated to reuniting siblings separated in the foster care system, and while in high school, led Youth Giving Back, a student-run volunteer organization. In this role, he helped secure funding from the Sodexo Foundation to plan the first-ever Childhood Hunger Summit in Yonkers, NY
A graduate of Florida State University, Kouns has 10-years of experience in the hospitality and recreation industry. Heather has earned the Professional in Destination Marketing Certification (PDM) through Destination International and Certified Culinary Destination Marketer (CCDM) through the World Food
Travel Association.
Prior to joining the North Little Rock CVB, she spent 3 years in the Pacific island of Saipan working at an all-inclusive resort with primarily Korean, Russian, and Japanese clientele. Moving back stateside she resided in Miami Beach moving from hotels into the restaurant industry. She spent her time during the pandemic in Bentonville, Arkansas eventually moving to North Little Rock.
As Director of Destination Projects for the North Little Rock CVB , she manages projects such as “Setting the Table” culinary initiative, grants program and the Downtown Riverside RV Park. Her biggest project is the “Setting the Table” culinary initiative which focuses on optimizing the local food ecosystem as a key driver for the city’s brand.
Eric founded Open Doors Organization (ODO) in 2000, after personally experiencing the restrictions that people with disabilities face in everyday life. At 30 years old, Eric was diagnosed with Von Hippel Lindau (VHL) and as a result of a spinal cord tumor, experiences reduced mobility and a number of medical
conditions.
Under Eric’s leadership, ODO has assisted countless companies, including Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Norwegian Cruise Lines, British Airways, Hilton Brands, Uber, Lyft, Amtrak and many city and local tourism bureaus, to better serve the disability community. Eric also co-authored the first and most comprehensive access guide for the City of Chicago. His expertise and influence cover every mode of transportation including air travel, cruise lines, motorcoach, rail, and accessible taxis and ridesharing
services.
Eric is a recognized expert in ADA and ACAA regulations and universal design. He speaks globally on access in travel and tourism and represents the disability community on numerous accessibility advisory boards including that of Alaska Airlines, the Port of Seattle, Portland International Airport, Pittsburgh Airport, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, United Airlines, and the Transportation Security Administration Aviation Security Advisory Council.
Chi is a sustainable tourism expert with a breadth of experience across four continents. She specializes in sustainability strategic planning and reporting, cross-sectorial and cross-cultural relationship building, with particular interests in community-based tourism, DEI, wildlife, (food) waste, and certification. Chi currently leads Travel Unity’s Resources department, and as a consultant, she works with sector entities aiming to become more sustainable. Her affiliations stretch widely, including serving as an advisory board member for the World Tourism Association for Culture & Heritage, and sitting on the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Communications & Membership Working Group – among other industry and community engagements. Chi is happiest exploring the wide world with her husband and young children.
Neki Mohan is the VP of MultiCultural Business & Community Engagement for Visit Lauderdale.
The longtime resident of BROWARD COUNTY is a passionate advocate for showcasing the diversity of her community and creating opportunities for everyone. She is excited to weave the many cultures of South Florida into the marketing and hospitality experiences of her destination.
As a journalist of decades, she is known for her energetic storytelling and has won awards for her work at home and abroad. A sought after motivational speaker and moderator, she is an asset to teams getting out vital information to the community. Passionate about building community and sharing good news, she has served as an ambassador for the Caribbean Community on arts and culture, health news, educations and empowering women.. She has been named one of the top Caribbean Influencers in South Florida by Legacy Magazine.
Most recently she anchored a number 1 rated morning show at the ABC affiliate in Miami for over a decade. A compelling storyteller, her reporting has taking her across the Caribbean, the US and the World. She has covered red carpets, world leaders and some of the biggest news stories at 10 TV stations in 5 cities. Her stories have won many awards by several organizations.
Born in Brooklyn, NY to West Indian parents, she was raised in Trinidad and Tobago and came back to the US for College. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Politics from the University of Maryland. She began her career alongside journalism greats like Carole Simpson, Peter Jennings, David Brinkley and Sam Donaldson at ABC News Washington Bureau. Her on air career began in Jackson Mississippi and has taken her to Los Angeles, Cleveland and 2 decades in Miami.
Neki is a passionate mentor and has been mentoring for the Women of Tomorrow program for 20 years. She has also been an adjunct professor at Barry University and is a board member at the Jack and Jill Early Childhood Education Center in Fort Lauderdale.
A native New Orleanian, Mark is the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of New Orleans & Company, the New Orleans tourism industry’s destination marketing and sales organization.
His public relations career has spanned more than four decades and has taken him from teaching in college classrooms to the 1984 Louisiana World’s Fair, from working as a Staff Assistant to U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Dole during President Ronald Reagan’s administration, and the 1987-88 presidential campaign of U.S. Senator Bob Dole, to corporate and non-profit public relations and marketing counseling.
In 2013, Mark became the Stadium Announcer for the NFL’s New Orleans Saints in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, succeeding his father, Jerry (who served in the same role for 446 consecutive Saints home games over 44 years). Mark is also a member of the Board of Directors of Fidelity Bank, headquartered in New Orleans.
Active in his community, Mark recently served as the appointed volunteer President and CEO of the 2018 NOLA Foundation, the organization responsible for organizing the City of New Orleans’ Tricentennial celebration in 2018. He is also working in several other volunteer roles, including past Chairman of the Board for the Louisiana Travel Association. Among his community activities, Mark is a member of the Board of Directors of the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, WYES-TV (Vice-Chair), Fore!Kids Foundation (Vice-Chair), Methodist Health System Foundation, and the Academy of the Sacred Heart. He also serves on the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Travel and Tourism Advisory Council and as an advisor to the Louisiana Hospitality Foundation.
Mark is also completing his service as a member of the Board and President of the Board of Directors for the Parking Facilities Corporation (PFC), the non- profit organization which operates the long term and economy parking garages at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
Mark is a graduate of Brother Martin High School (’74) and the University of New Orleans (UNO) (’78) and was named the 2016 Alumnus of the Year for UNO. In 2017, Mark was awarded the Ordre national du Mérite (National Order of Merit) by the French government for his work in helping to advance the cause of French American relations in New Orleans. For his work to help strengthen the relations between Spain and Louisiana, Mark was awarded the Order of Civil Merit, in its degree of Encomienda (Commander) by His Majesty the King Felipe VI. He was the recipient of the 2018 Silver Medal from the New Orleans Advertising Club, its highest honor, for outstanding achievements in his career and for his service to the community. In 2019, he was presented with the Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Award by the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Orleans Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. Mark is a former member of the Xavier University Board of Trustees, former Chairman of Project Lazarus, former member of the Board of Commissioners of New Orleans City Park, former member of the Board of Directors of the Audubon Nature Institute, past International President of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity and former President and Chairman of the Board of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Committee.
Mark is the son of Janice Collins Romig and Jerry E. Romig (deceased), brother to Jay, Anne, Mary Beth, Ellen Marie, Ruth Ellen (deceased) and Jan Marie (deceased), and spouse to David Allen Briggs. Mark is an active parishioner of St. Rita Catholic Church in New Orleans.
Arielle Desse is the Senior Manager of Public Affairs at New Orleans & Company, the destination marketing organization for New Orleans. In her role, she is responsible for building community
partnerships and business relationships within the city, while advocating for the hospitality and tourism industry. Her work in community outreach and engagement also includes being a
liaison for city government affairs, implementing the organization’s corporate social responsibility through establishing diversity, equity and inclusion, implementing internal sustainability practices, developing the company’s workforce development initiatives, and
connecting conferences and meetings with voluntourism opportunities when they arrive in the city.
Arielle earned her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Loyola University in New Orleans and earned her Diversity, Equity and Inclusion certification from the University of South Florida. She is currently furthering her education through the Institute of Politics fellowship at Loyola University in New Orleans.
Specializing in human resources and employment management, Laura Russett is the Director of Administration & Human Resources for New Orleans & Company, a nationally accredited, 1,100-member destination marketing organization and the largest and most successful private economic development corporation in Louisiana, where she develops and oversees the daily human resources functions, organizational compensation and benefits, employee relations and operational policies, as well as administrative oversight of shipping and receiving, purchasing
and reception.
Laura has more than 25 years of multi-level human resources experience with respected companies, such as the New Orleans Saints & Pelicans, Louisiana Media Company, Kencoil & Scott Armature Companies and The Delta Queen Steamboat Company/American Classic Voyages. Laura served as a board member and business engagement co-chair (hospitality committee) for the New Orleans Workforce Commission Development Board from 2016 through 2020, is currently a member of the national chapter of the Society for Human
Resources Management (SHRM), as well as the local chapter of NOLA SHRM.
Caitlin has served as a professional fundraiser for over 15 years and brings a background in Annual Fund development and Major Gifts. Prior to joining Reconcile she served as Development Director at Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana, Habitat for Humanity Coastal Fairfield County, and East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity. She is a past Board President and current Board Member for the New Orleans Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and was the association’s 2019 Outstanding Professional Fundraiser of the Year.
Tico has a passion for tourism and travel, and it’s reflected in his background in managing markets in the United States, Europe, and beyond for over two decades. As a Certified Destination Management Executive, Tico has emerged as an innovated leader not only in increasing sales figures but also in developing real relationships with receptive operators, wholesalers, and attractions.
Louisiana raised, Tico has spent 13 years as the Sales Director of the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau, where he managed sales operations and developed niche tourism markets. As the Director of Tourism in New Orleans, he set his sights any and everywhere by overseeing three European offices, promoting the Big Easy as one of the premier tourism destinations in the world, and creating and updating itineraries for all of the attractions in the city.
Now, Tico is using his years of experience to focus on international tourism, sales relationships, and product development with his venture Tourism Tactics by Tico.
Greg joined Tourism Cares as its CEO, effective May 1, 2019. He served as a Board Member since 2012; acted as its Vice Chair in 2017 – 2018 and its Chairman from December 2018 through April 2019. Greg was previously the President of Trip Mate, Inc., a travel insurance administrator and service provider. He acted in that role from January 1, 2018 through April 2019, after joining the company in November 2014 in a senior management capacity. 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. 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.
Rickey L. Thigpen currently serves as the President & CEO of Visit Jackson (formally the Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau).
Thigpen is a member of numerous professional organizations, including Destination International. He serves as an Association Executive Board Member and a member of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee, where he serves as co-chair of the CEO sub-committee. He is also a member of the U.S. Travel Association Board of Directors, the Mississippi Tourism Association’s Executive Board, an officer of the Capital Area Tourism Association, Downtown Jackson Partners Advisory Board, the Greater
Jackson Chamber Partnership Board of Directors and is an ex-officio member of the Capital City Convention Center Commission.
In 2019 Thigpen was named Mississippi Tourism Association’s Member of the Year. Thigpen has appeared in Black Meetings & Tourism magazine as one of the most influential African Americans in the tourism industry multiple times and in 2020 received its coveted APEX Award. In 2021 Thigpen appeared on the cover of Black Meetings & Tourism with a feature story entitled “A Conversation with Rickey Thigpen.” In 2020 Thigpen was recognized by the Events Industry Council, receiving its Social Impact Award lauding his work to bring attention to the tourism industry and its lack of diversity. Under Thigpen’s leadership, Visit Jackson was recognized by the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership as the 2021 Business of the Year. In October of 2022, The Delta Business Journal named Dr. Thigpen as one of
the Top Minority Business Leaders in the Mississippi Delta region.
Thigpen is a native of Jackson, Mississippi. He holds a baccalaureate degree in Computer Science from Mississippi Valley State University, a master’s degree in Leadership from Belhaven University, and a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, where his dissertation title was: Fraternity Member’ Affiliation with a National Pan-Hellenic Council Alumni Chapter after Leaving College.
Thigpen is engaged civically, including Rotary International – Jackson Chapter, 100 Black Men of Jackson, Inc., Mississippi Valley State University National Alumni Association (Life Member), Greater Leadership Jackson Alumni Association, Alpha Foundation, Inc. (Vice-Chairman), and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (Life Member), where he served as the 10th Mississippi District Director, and the General Organization’s Chairman for the Committee on Life Membership.
Thigpen is a member of Cade Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, where he serves as the Minister of Music and supports the Public Relations Ministry. Dr. Thigpen’s life mission is “to be a lifelong learner dedicated to imparting knowledge to, uplifting, and empowering those he is so fortunate to influence.”
Nicole is responsible for the sales and promotion of Louisville as a destination to the Leisure Individual, International and Group Tour markets, as well as the operation of the Louisville Visitor Center. She has served in various roles during her tenure at Louisville Tourism including Tourism Sales Manager and Director of Tourism and has worked in the tourism/hospitality industry for nearly twenty years.
Nicole has been named a Certified Travel Industry Specialist and currently serves on various boards throughout the community including the Friends of the Belle of Louisville, Derby Dinner Playhouse and the Louisville Arts and Cultural Alliance. She is an active member of the Bourbon, Horses and History Tourism Region and the Kentucky Tourism Industry Association. She sits on Louisville Tourism’s Black Tourism Advisory Council and is co- facilitator of the LGBTQ Hospitality Task Force which began in 2014.
Dr. Edward L. Walden Sr. Ph.D. (Ed) serves as Director, Professional Advancement, leading the implementation and execution of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s professional advancement programs and development. Before joining the Foundation, Ed served in the United States Air Force for nearly 28 years, retiring as Chief Master Sergeant, with his last duty assignment as the Command Chief Master Sergeant for the 136th Airlift Wing, Fort Worth, TX.
Ed’s passion has always centered around vocational training and training development. His work for the Foundation focuses on developing stable career pathways for those interested in working in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry. His expertise has led to the updating of the DOL’s Food and Beverage Competency training models, the Hospitality Sector Apprenticeships, and Youth Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship programs.
Ed oversees the Foundation’s Professional Advancement programmatic work to include the Restaurant & Hospitality Leadership Center, the DOL Hospitality Sector Registered Apprentice Program, the DOL Restaurant Youth Registered Apprenticeship Program, and the NRAEF’s Restaurant Employee Advancement Fund.
Ed is a graduate of Capella University, earning a Doctor of Philosophy in Education with a specialization in Postsecondary and Adult Education.
Najauna is a Certified Diversity Executive® and Certified Meeting Professional whose belief in education, genuine relationships, and community engagement has led her to build expertise in various fields and industries such as hospitality, tourism, tech, and economic development.
She is currently the VP of Diversity & Inclusion at Miles Partnership, serves as Co-Chair for Workforce Development with Destinations International on their Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Task Force, the President-Elect with Meeting Professionals International, Carolinas Chapter, and several advisory roles within the hospitality, travel & tourism space as well as the black ecosystem in Durham, NC.
She finds passion in curiosity, skepticism, and reconstructing relationships and spaces where people can show up as their whole selves. Above all else, Najauna is committed to this work; she is a connector, a storyteller, a mom, a wife, and a friend that finds true value in creating valuable shared experiences.
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.
oni 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.
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