Steve Tracas
PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Vacation.com
Steven Tracas is the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vacation.com - North America's Largest Vacation Selling Network - with 5,100 agency locations throughout North America. Tracas brings to Vacation.com an extensive and diverse background within the travel industry with experience in distribution, electronic commerce, online sales and aviation. Prior to joining Vacation.com, Tracas served as President of Orbitz for Business, based in Chicago. Before joining Orbitz, Tracas served as Vice President for US Airways from 1997-2004 and held a number of leadership positions during his 19-year career with AMR Corporation including positions at American Airlines and the Sabre Group.
Chris Russo
ASTA
Chris Russo, owner of Travel Partners, in Broomfield, Colo., is serving a 2nd one-year term as the president and Chairman of the Board of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) starting Sept. 7, 2009. Russo has been involved in the retail travel business for 20 years. He was a retail travel agent for 12 years and has been a travel agency owner for the last eight years. Russo was voted one of the top 40 travel professionals under 40 in 2003 by Travel Weekly magazine. Most recently, he was recognized as one of the Top Travel Agent Cheerleaders at the TravelAge West Wave Awards.
Scott Koepf
NACTA
NACTA President Scott Koepf CTC, MCC, has been in the retail travel business for over 25 years. He has owned two travel agencies, run two of the largest travel franchise groups, as well as managed one of the largest host agencies in the US. He is a recognized expert on leisure travel marketing and sales and the retail travel industry in general. His passion for training and helping travel agents succeed is well known as he participates in almost all major industry event and conventions. While in demand as a motivational and inspirational speaker, his primary focus is representing the interest of NACTA members and providing programs for NACTA members to further their success in the travel industry
Jack Mannix
Ensemble Travel
Jack E. Mannix, CTC is President and CEO of Ensemble Travel Group, the New York-based travel agency cooperative with approximately 900 locations in the United States and Canada. Mannix joined Ensemble Travel Group in February, 2002 and is responsible for the strategic direction of the company as well as its day-to-day general management.
Prior to joining Ensemble Travel Group, he spent two years as President of The Travel Institute (formerly Institute of Certified Travel Agents). Mannix previously spent six years as Managing Director in charge of Travel Related Services, Marketing and Industry Relations at AAA’s national headquarters in the Orlando suburb of Heathrow, Florida. He also spent nearly 16 years with American Express Travel Related Services.
Vicki Freed
Senior Vice President, Sales and Trade Support & Services
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Vicki Freed is Royal Caribbean International’s senior vice president of Sales and Trade Support & Services. She oversees the company's 345-person sales force, the largest sales team in the cruise industry. She also manages the company's Trade Support and Services division, which includes Reservations, Group Sales, Customer Service, and Loyalty Programs. She joined the company after 29 years with Carnival Cruise Lines, where she spent the last 15 years as senior vice president of Sales and Marketing. From 1998 to 2000, Freed also served as the first and only female chairman of the Cruise Line International Association.
Mike Going
President
Funjet Vacations
As President of Funjet Vacations, Michael Going leads a team of talented associates that strive to deliver an unforgettable vacation experience to each and every customer. A travel industry executive and business strategist, Going joined Funjet Vacations in November 2006 as chief marketing officer and was promoted to the role of president in April of 2008. Prior to Funjet Vacations, Going held positions as chief marketing officer for Certified Vacations; senior vice president of marketing and sales for Air Jamaica; and senior vice president of Worldwide Sales with Vanguard Car Rental, parent company of Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental.
Scott Nisbet
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Globus Family of Brands
As senior vice president and chief operating officer, Scott Nisbet is responsible for sales, marketing, customer care, product and operations and technology departments. Nisbet has worked in industries that range from transportation and international business to corporate finance and packaged goods. Nisbet acquired a keen business sense and a broad perspective on sales and marketing that has led to his success today. Under his leadership, Group Voyagers, Inc. (GVI), the privately held company that markets and sells the Globus family of brands within the United States, has significantly increased sales and expanded its product lines under the Globus, Cosmos, Monograms and Avalon Waterways brands.
Mark Noennig
Vice President
General Manager of AVW
Mark Noennig joined Apple Vacations in September 2004 as the Vice-President, General Manager of AVW, Inc. dba Apple Vacations West and is responsible for the overall performance of the division. In addition to his vision in developing and executing goals and objectives, Mark's ability to predict market trends and implement new strategies has enabled Apple Vacations to remain a leader in the industry. Mark was previously the principal and owner of a consulting company, focusing on leisure travel. Prior to establishing his own business, he held several executive positions for a major tour operator. Mark holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Ken Pomerantz
President and CMO
General Manager of AVW
President and chief marketing officer since 2006, Ken Pomerantz oversees marketing, product development, sales, distribution, e-commerce, human resources and creative services for MLT Vacations, one the largest package tour wholesaler in the U.S. He shares leadership responsibility at MLT Vacations with Larry Chestler, President and Chief Operations Officer. In one year, Pomerantz has helped develop the marketing, advertising, and sales strategies in support of it’s recently acquired Delta Vacations and Continental Airlines Vacations brands, in addition to MLT Vacations’ own Worry-Free Vacations brand. This successful transition has helped create and expand the business to include vacation packages with air, hotels, transportation, events, shows and sightseeing activities to over 200 destinations around the world.
Jack E. Richards
President & Chief Executive Officer
Pleasant Holidays
Jack E. Richards is President and Chief Executive Officer of Pleasant Holidays, one of the largest travel companies in the U.S. to Hawaii, Mexico, Caribbean, Tahiti/Fiji/Cook Islands, Costa Rica, and California. Pleasant Holidays, LLC is a subsidiary of the Automobile Club of Southern California. Richards joined Pleasant Holidays in August 2007. Prior to joining Pleasant Holidays, Richards was Senior Vice President and Vice President Product Marketing & Strategy at Hotels.com/Expedia, Inc. in Dallas, Texas from 2003 to 2007. He also held executive posts as President and CEO, Senior Vice President & COO of America West Vacations, Adventure Tours USA in Dallas, Texas and ATA Airlines in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Deanna Isbister, Leisure Sales Director, Big Island Visitors Bureau.
Deanna returned home to Hawaii and joined the Big Island Visitors Bureau two years ago. She promoted Hawaii for many years as a U.S. based regional sales manager with Aston Hotels Hawaii / ResortQuest Hawaii and also had the opportunity to head the Hawaii Groups Department of Apple Vacations. Her return home to Hawaii and the Big Island has brought new diverse experiences, cultural knowledge, and insights that Deanna would like to share with partners who love to sell Hawaii.
Dr. Robert W. Joselyn, PH.D, CTC
President and CEO
Joselyn, Tepper & Associates Inc.
Dr. Robert W. Joselyn, PH.D., CTC is President and CEO of Joselyn, Tepper & Associates, Inc., (JTA) . He holds a Doctorate in Marketing and Operations Research in addition to an M.B.A. and an undergraduate degree in engineering.
Dr. Joselyn's past and present clients are a who's who of the travel & tourism industry including thousands of travel agencies and agency organizations. Dr. Joselyn is the author of seven books.