Teaming Up for Success

Shanell is part of our hospitality division and specializes in strategic planning across paid, earned, shared and owned media to ensure brands are set up for success. When she is not brainstorming ideas with clients, you can find her planning her next trip, exploring new local spots to dine at with her husband or hiking with her dog Demi.

Favorite Travel Memory

My husband and I went to Santorini, Greece, for our honeymoon, and the hike from Thira to Oia was incredible. We woke up and had breakfast on our balcony, taking in the views of Skaros Rock, and then met our guide thereafter. We spent the next 3.5 hours drinking in the views, learning about the island and collecting volcanic rocks.

Kim is a creative director with 25-plus years of experience. She is known for both her conceptual storytelling, exceeding client requests and leading creative teams to deliver award-winning results. She is a boy mom of three, wife and huge outdoor enthusiast.

Favorite Travel Memory

Oh so many! Sea-kayaking the Kenai Fjords of Alaska, hiking the Atlas Mountains in Morocco or Mount Assiniboine in British Columbia. But hands down: traveling to Kazakhstan and Guatemala to adopt our sons.

Hanna is an account manager who uses her skills to keep projects and client requests running smoothly. After graduating from Ole Miss, she moved out West and found a new passion for working in the travel and tourism industry. In her free time, you can catch her reading a good book, painting or exploring the outdoors of Colorado.

As an email marketing specialist, Larisa loves coffee-fueled creativity and crafting campaigns that connect. Born in Romania and now based in sunny Florida, she brings over five years of digital marketing experience to the team. When she's not working on a new campaign, you’ll find her planning her next Europe trip, chasing around her playful toy poodle pup, Adonis or enjoying life’s little adventures with her soon-to-be husband.

Favorite Travel Memory

My favorite travel memory will always be Santorini, Greece. Not just for its breathtaking sunsets, whitewashed buildings and endless blue sea, but because it’s where my fiancé proposed. Overlooking the caldera as the sky turned shades of pink and gold, it felt like time stood still. That trip will forever be special to me.

Sarah works as a video editor with Odyssey Studios, focusing on projects in the post-production phase. She enjoys reading, watching reality TV and showing off her two black cats.

Missy is joining the DMO sales team as a business development manager. She has decades of experience in sales and marketing as well as film and TV production. She has even had some success behind the camera in a few hit films but prefers to travel and read these days.

Sebrina specializes in creating customized packages and sharing the many benefits of advertising with the DMO of the Windy City, Choose Chicago. You can usually find her enjoying time with her husband, daughter, son and two Icelandic sheepdogs, or exploring new restaurants and traveling to any place with warmer winters than Chicago.

Favorite Travel Memory

Taking my daughter to Cancun for a girls trip before she headed off to college.

Caitlin capitalizes on her years living in and producing content for travel destinations while working for Miles’ DMO content team. When she’s not content wrangling at her day job, you’ll find her exploring her adopted home state by skis, foot and car, preferably with her dog Odessa.

Favorite Travel Memory

It's listening to coqui frogs sing as waves crashed rhythmically on a beach while stars sparkled overhead in Puerto Rico.

Annika is a member of our SEM/Social Team, working with various clients to enhance their organic social media content. Originally from Upstate New York, she now calls Denver, CO her home. In her free time, Annika enjoys skiing, running, mountain biking, backpacking and attending numerous concerts. She loves adventuring with friends and exploring new restaurants in town, always capturing her experiences through her photography.

Favorite Travel Memory

I spent my entire junior year of college abroad, studying in Bangkok, Thailand during the fall, and in Lyon, France in the spring. I loved every second of it! However, my favorite adventure was visiting the remote province of Ha Giang in Northern Vietnam. The mountainous terrain was breathtaking, and it was so much fun to connect with the locals at the homestays in the villages we passed through.

Mike is a travel, culture and people enthusiast. By day, he navigates the digital realm as a project manager, weaving website experiences into the vibrant spectrums of travel. Beyond his professional duties, you'll find him strumming melodies, experimenting in the kitchen and planning his next solo mission into uncharted territories.

Favorite Travel Memory

Finding gratitude in small moments, gaining new insights and savoring those first few bites of food in unfamiliar places.

Alex is Odyssey Studios’ platform manager, handling linear channel scheduling and maintenance for Brand USA’s GoUSATV — file transfers, app updates and other technical sorcery. When not chained to his desk, you can usually find in him roaming the various Disney theme parks, traveling the world and taking pictures, or chained to his other desk making illustrations.

Favorite Travel Memory

In Hawaiʻi, while trying to navigate rocks at a lagoon entrance so I could swim in the Pacific for the first time, a sea turtle appeared, swam over near me and vanished underwater. His wake showed a path through the rocks to a safe, secluded place to swim as if the entire island was mine.

Elodie is a seasoned Account Director with a global footprint. Her professional journey, spanning from France to Germany, China, Thailand, and Silicon Valley—has forged an unparalleled outlook on Business Operations and Marketing. Outside of work, she relishes traveling with her family. A true foodie at heart, she delights in exploring diverse cuisines. Additionally, she's a devoted meditation enthusiast, finding solace and balance in the practice.

Meghan has spent more than half her life with Miles (she must have started when she was 12!), working on the creative side and then diving into database application and integration. She leads our software-development programs and facilitates our email-marketing programs. Offline, Meghan enjoys anything island-y and relaxing.

Favorite Travel Memory

Too many to choose from, but a particular childhood favorite is my family (mom, dad, sister and me) from Cleveland randomly bumping into my aunt, uncle and cousins from Connecticut in Kitty Hawk, NC. We got to see the sights and spend some quality cousin time!

Lisa's secret sauce is whipping up strategies that give businesses the best bang for their buck without skimping on impact. Plus, juggling ad budgets and performance metrics to ensure every penny works hard — it's totally her thing! When she isn't working, she's most likely planning her next dog-friendly vacation, enjoying concerts or attempting to golf.

Favorite Travel Memory

I got lost in an airport when I was 6. My mom told me earlier that day that if she would have named me, I would been Amanda — Mandy for short (my dad named me Lisa). A security guard found me crying and asked my name. I told him my name was Amanda, Mandy for short. It didn't take my parents long to figure out it was me, but by that time, I was happily eating an ice cream.

Kim manages the destination optimization program team, which helps DMOs provide value to their industry through education and activation. Previously she has been the company’s director of SEO and the director of digital marketing for the hospitality division. She launched some of the industry’s first destination websites in the late 90s.

Favorite Travel Memory

My 100 percent not-athletic family and I conquered the Cathedral Rock trail in Sedona, Arizona. With a 700-foot elevation gain in less than a mile, it was more precarious rock climb than a trail, but the payoff was a stunning panorama of the red-rock landscape. It is a cherished "we survived" family touchpoint now.

Leading all things content for Brand USA programs, Liz loves to explore too. You might find her in the Willamette Valley, Brooklyn or Puerto Rico. The Florida State grad’s passions include reading novels and poetry, listening to music, cooking, sipping craft beer and spending time with her partner, baby daughter and French bulldog.

Favorite Travel Memory

Ziplining in the rain in a rainforest in Costa Rica, then stopping afterward at the local watering hole for extra-refreshing beers.

Meet Erin, a digital product manager who balances work and play and brings a lively and personable touch to everything she does. Erin takes pilates classes, tries new air-fryer recipes, explores her new city of Austin and travels to spend time with family and friends. When not on the move, you can count on her to enjoy a glass of wine and good TV drama at the end of the day.

Jessica is a project manager for the Brand USA team. When she's not busy poring over calendars and spreadsheets, she can be found at home with her beloved greyhound or out cycling or running. Jessica loves exploring new destinations with groups of fellow solo travelers, tackling challenging cycling routes with friends, hiking beautiful trails and visiting cozy coffee shops.

Favorite Travel Memory

My time in Prague with three other solo travelers. We walked 23,000 steps in a single day, exploring Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral. We wandered through Old Town Square, taking breaks to shop and sample chimney cakes. We crossed Charles Bridge multiple times, seeking out local bistros and coffee shops. It was a great day spent with wonderful company.

Taylor is part of our hospitality team, leveraging data-driven insights and automation to craft impactful campaigns. When she’s not optimizing email flows and customer journeys, you can find her exploring the outdoors or chasing after her 1-year-old son, Cash.

Favorite Travel Memory

Watching the sunset over the Tuscan countryside.

With 20-plus years of content marketing experience and 30-plus countries visited (so far), Erin heads up our corporate communications and helps steward the Miles brand across channels. Together with our marketing and communications team, she works to positively influence and increase our key stakeholders’ awareness of the company.

Favorite Travel Memory

I have a new favorite travel memory with every trip! One recent memorable experience was glamping overnight in the Sahara desert and then waking up to a sunrise camel ride into the dunes.

Laura's focus is on developing growth plans for clients and our teams. She is based in Denver and you can often find her cheering on the Denver Nuggets, reading another mystery novel or enjoying mac and cheese.

Favorite Travel Memory

I was chaperoning high-school musicians on a European music tour. Our first night in Switzerland, I stopped by one of the girls’ rooms. My knock on the door was met enthusiastically by a girl declaring their room had a “washing machine” in it and insisted I come see it. I discovered they were “washing” their clothes in the bidet! What could I say? I suggested they keep it a secret or else they would have to do everyone’s laundry on the trip.

Blending a creative eye with a drive for results, Emily loves developing strategies that deliver. Her passion lies in supporting businesses and local communities to help them thrive. When not working, Emily is often traveling across Virginia and beyond! 

Favorite Travel Memory

In 2023, I visited Belize and was absolutely stunned by just how beautiful it is. From the beaches to the rainforest, there were so many things to discover. We stayed at a local AirBnB and spent the evenings chatting with the host, learning about Belizean culture and history—and trying local produce right from his farm!

Stacia leads the partner-program development with the Brand USA team, creating innovative and diverse offerings that drive incremental international visitation to the U.S. She resides in Atlanta, where she enjoys all things floral, a challenging pilates class and spending time with her husband and two adult children, Isabella and James.

Beth is a project manager with a strong attention to detail and an extensive background in client services. Beth is a competitive Ironman triathlete, a soccer enthusiast and dog mom to two Siberian huskies, Odin and Ragnar. Off the clock, she can likely be found training for her next athletic endeavor.

Favorite Travel Memory

My favorite travel memories are from my childhood. My family vacationed at Black Butte Ranch Resort in Oregon every summer for as long as I can remember. It’s where I learned how to ride a bike and get lost in adventure with my siblings. Every time I smell a pine tree, those memories come flooding back.

Sarah, a member of the Business Analyst team, resides and works amidst the Colorado mountains with her husband. An adoring mother to her two adult children in Denver, she finds joy in river rafting, skiing and exploring international destinations.

Favorite Travel Memory

This past fall, my husband and I traveled to Munich, Germany for Oktoberfest. We dressed the part in lederhosen and dirndl and had the time of our lives!

George is part of our Brand USA team and handles all things accounting. When he’s not crunching numbers, the lifetime Parrothead and avid FSU fan can be found tinkering with mechanics, enjoying his growing family, and planning his next trip — which always includes a coastline he has not visited.

As a former CVB marketing director with nearly 30 years in the tourism industry (including work at Yellowstone National Park and a cruise ship), Carly’s passion for travel marketing has inspired successful campaigns for Miles' partners for more than 15 years. In between travels, Carly can be found exploring her home in the New River Gorge of West Virginia.

Favorite Travel Memory

I took a train to Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe — Europe's highest railway station, which is located at 11,333 feet in the Swiss Alps. The panoramic views of the snow-capped mountains and glaciers was breathtaking!

Maria is a media coordinator who works with both hospitality and DMO clients executing media plans. When she is not calculating CTR, you will likely find her exploring Philadelphia with her partner or writing in a coffee shop.

Favorite Travel Memory

Eating over a dozen different kinds of gelato at a festival in Rome!