Teaming Up for Success

Based in Tallahassee, Florida, Keely is a content manager on the Brand USA team. Besides writing and editing web content to showcase U.S. destinations, Keely loves collecting vinyl, singing opera and hanging out with her hairless cat, Cowboy.

Favorite Travel Memory

Spending a month studying opera (and eating plenty of pasta) in the tiny Italian town of Mercatello Sul Metauro.

As a content manager for print and digital initiatives, Christi plans, writes and edits pieces to inspire people to visit the U.S., piquing the former journalist’s interest in exploring new places. Away from work, the Rotary Club member enthusiastically supports the South Florida Bulls.

An accomplished art director, Megan works closely with the Brand USA team, skillfully managing the Global Inspiration Program's print materials. Outside of work, Megan has a keen eye for finding beauty in everyday life, pursuing hobbies like photography, drawing and DIY house projects. She also shares her heart with her husband and their dogs, Bella, Tucker, and Miley.

Favorite Travel Memory

I had an unforgettable 10-day journey through Spain with my family. From the ancient city of Toledo to the fine art in Madrid and the breathtaking beauty of Granada's Alhambra, every moment was a captivating adventure. Exploring the vibrant culture, savoring delicious paella and sharing laughter with my loved ones made this escapade truly magical.

Kayla is a media strategist and digital programmatic expert focused on planning and executing advertising campaigns that will deliver real-world results to Miles' clients. She enjoys traveling (duh!) and sunny days spent outside with her husband and two little kiddos.

Favorite Travel Memory

Swimming in the Adriatic off the coast of Croatia was an unforgettable travel moment — second only to watching my toddler's first encounter with a beach!

Jaime leads the ad operations team, which handles clients’ digital-campaign tracking, making it possible to provide insights and strategic direction for future campaigns. When she is not trafficking VISIT FLORIDA campaigns or perfecting ad-ops processes, you might find her outside with her Samoyed Jovie or fishing and kayaking down in the Florida Keys.

Favorite Travel Memory

I went to Italy in 2014 with my mom and grandma (three generations!) We explored Milan, Venice, Florence, Siena, Tuscany, Rome, Pisa and Cinque Terre. The coast is beautiful, and we also loved getting lost in Venice and stumbling upon places we would have never seen otherwise.

Katie is a graphic designer on our creative team who works on creating visitor guides as well as other design projects that come our way. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors exploring a number of hiking trails across the state of Arkansas, as well as tapping into her creative side through painting, drawing and calligraphy. 

Favorite Travel Memory

Most recently, I had the opportunity to visit Taos, New Mexico where I went skiing for the first time. When I wasn't on the slopes (trying not to wipe out) I explored a number of art galleries in the town and got to see some extraordinary pieces created by locals.

Lanier works on our account services team in the hospitality division. Her passion for marketing and tourism comes from a curiosity about people, places and how they connect. She’s usually baking or adding sequins to something. If you need her to follow, just tell her there’s a scenic overlook at the end.

Favorite Travel Memory

For one week every summer, my entire extended family takes a vacation to a South Carolina nature preserve called Brosnan Forest. We call it “The Forest” and have consistently been taking this vacation for 65 years. Old cabins, no TV, unreliable internet — it’s glorious.

As director of content strategy at Odyssey Studios, Tim creates compelling content packages and products to promote original, consumer-facing film and video series across digital and social channels. A former New Yorker and full-on movie buff, Tim has degrees in art history and enjoys attending film festivals, hitting the beach and looking for the perfect cheeseburger.

Favorite Travel Memory

Visiting Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming days after seeing the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

Lizette handles much of the onboarding, system troubleshooting and marketing for Odyssey Studios. When she's not powering away at a spreadsheet, she's finding new places in Dallas to beat the heat and attempting to take her cat on a hike.

Favorite Travel Memory

There are so many travel memories that I indulge in frequently, but by far my favorite to date has been exploring the depths of Japan and finding myself in the challenges faced with true culture shock.

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.

When Yas is not hiking in Boulder, singing at a karaoke bar or meditating at a group circle, she works with clients to ensure their websites and media run smoothly. As one of the account managers on the hospitality team, she incorporates her 6 years of DMO brand marketing and love for hospitality into her role.

Favorite Travel Memory

My favorite travel memory is getting lost in the magical city of Rome, stumbling upon delicious mom-and-pop shops, and taking in the local culture.

Vivian brings the creative vision for videos of all kinds to life as part of the Odyssey Studio team. Outside of tinkering with video plans, you can usually find her fussing with her plant collection and spending time with her husband and two pet rabbits, Dallas and Charlie.

Favorite Travel Memory

I dropped my phone at Natural Bridge in Bryce Canyon. As it slid away on the snow like a mini toboggan, so too did my hopes of recovering the photos from my mother-daughter trip. But then help arrived: A very kind park ranger had just completed rappel training. Phone saved. New favorite memory made.

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, is tech liaison for the Tourism Exchange USA team, 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!

Hallie specializes in print layout design and loves taking on any "odd jobs" that get her dabbling in branding and logo work. When away from the design world she's likely lost in a book, at the dog park with her pit bull Winston, or hiking/camping Colorado mountains.

Favorite Travel Memory

Walking cobblestone streets to the art studio on an early morning, watching the small island-town come to life along the calm Aegean Sea; Spending my morning(s) painting in Greece.

As a graphic designer for the new-business-development team, Laurie solves the puzzle of pairing content with imagery to create effective proposals and also assists with various marketing projects. Laurie's free time is filled with family, friends, good food, reading and travel.

Favorite Travel Memory

My husband and I celebrated our 30th anniversary with a two-week trip to Italy and Switzerland. Historic sites, cultural experiences and navigating planes, trains and unfamiliar places without killing each other was exhilarating. Can't wait for the next trip!

Noelle is on the DMO content team and works primarily with Colorado clients. When she's not trying to convince people that the Oxford comma is cool, she enjoys writing creatively, reading, performing, baking and traveling. She lives in Colorado with her boyfriend and their cat Twix.

Favorite Travel Memory

The only time I've left the continental U.S. was in 2021 when I visited Maui and the Big Island. My boyfriend and I toured Greenwell Farms in Kealakekua and tasted fresh coffee beans and peppercorns on my birthday.

Lauryn values the relationships she's built with her destination clients and works with the creative teams to strategize and execute results-driven marketing programs. She enjoys exploring the great outdoors anywhere she visits. Outside of work, you’ll find her running around with her boys or at the dog beach with her husband and dog, Ranger.

Favorite Travel Memory

Kayaking in Hawai'i and then jumping into an inactive volcano, plus learning how to surf!

As part of the Digital Product team, Amy combines her eye for detail with technical knowhow to produce stunning websites. When she’s not wrangling pixels into place, she enjoys reading, dabbling in fiber arts and spending time with her husband and two children.

Favorite Travel Memory

Hiking in Haleakala National Park on Maui is not something I will soon forget. The scenery — including a bamboo forest — was amazing and the hike ended at a huge waterfall, Waimoku Falls. It felt like a completely different world.

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.

Destiny is fascinated by other people's cultures, experiences and delicacies, which has made working in this industry an excellent fit, having previously worked at a DMO. When she isn't reviewing campaign delivery in GAM, she leads Pilates classes, eats kimchi ramen, reads, and discusses people's passions, mistakes and successes on her podcast.

Najauna is a part of our DEI team, where her focus is to lead the internal development of DEI and facilitate a culture of inclusion and belonging overall. When she is not supporting the strategic direction of Miles' DEI vision, you can find her dancing in the kitchen, laughing, and blasting music while using her husband, kids and dog as her fake cooking TV audience! #ApplausePlease

Favorite Travel Memory

On the walk to try paella for the first time in Barcelona, we experienced a music light show, a food-truck festival, and a street art and dance show. I was so immersed in the happenings that I stopped to dance, drink, take tons of photos and ALMOST forgot how hungry I was. The first bite of paella and the restaurant's hospitality made every bit of the trek worth it.

David is responsible for the systems and process used to create and host our digital products. When not deep in the digital realm, he spends time with his wife and two kids (whenever they are home from college!). He combines baseball and travel as much as possible — if he's in your city and there is baseball game happening, you'll definitely find him at the park!

Favorite Travel Memory

Walking through EPCOT at closing time — an almost empty park with just our family but still all lit up for Christmas. Magical!

Born with the gift of gab, Makayla loves writing content that inspires the vacation state of mind. Leaning on her experiences as a traveler, she works with brands like Margaritaville, Hilton and Hawks Cay Resort to attract potential customers. If she's not working from her home in Denver, you'll likely find her trekking up a mountain or shredding the slopes.

Favorite Travel Memory

Traveling through Europe for five months.

Hanna works on our operations team handling projects centered on making the team-member experience the best it can be. Her experience during her 9-plus years at Miles allows her to be nimble with evolving processes to meet our future needs. She enjoys live music, skiing, hiking, biking and satiating sweet-tooth cravings in ice-cream shops or making home-baked goods.

Favorite Travel Memory

My favorite travel memory is having the chance to raft the Grand Canyon for 21 days. We slept under the stars, had a couple of flipped boats and got to experience one of the world's wonders up close.

Devin is part of the creative team and supports a range of client accounts including San Francisco Travel Association, Colorado Tourism Office and Sonoma County to name a few. A Colorado native, his passion for techno and house music has led him to DJ across the country at many festivals and events. Outside of work, he spends most of his time with his wife and toddler.

Favorite Travel Memory

I spent time in Trinidad and Tobago during Carnival. I was pretty young and exposed to so many new experiences, cultures, foods and music. It was an amazing trip that I will never forget.

A Colorado native, Andrea has over 25 years of experience working with DMOs and tourism-related businesses big and small to create an impactful presence with print and digital solutions. She loves anything outdoors, experiencing other countries and cultures, and finding the next best beach and margarita.

Favorite Travel Memory

Unexpectedly one late October, within 4 hours, I booked a flight, packed my swimsuit, flip flops and sunscreen, and was on a plane to the San Juan Islands, only to find out I was going to the islands off Washington during its rainy season, not the sunny beach in Puerto Rico.

In managing Brand USA and VISIT FLORIDA (Vacation Guide) across the entire state, I apply a marketing/customer service approach with partners to drive revenue for the client and for Miles, while positively affecting destination awareness and visitation. An avid college sports fan, you can hear Irish swear quite a bit when discussing his alma mater, the University of Florida.

Favorite Travel Memory

I have favorite travel memories from everywhere I visited.

Meet Cara, an adept performance manager on our hospitality team, infusing her work with a touch of fun. She expertly guides clients to vital metrics, shapes media campaigns and devises strategic tactics. Off duty, Cara unwinds with reality TV and plotting her next adventure.

Favorite Travel Memory

Embarking on a Croatian adventure with my besties was pure magic. From Dubrovnik's ancient charm to Split's lively streets, and the island gems in between — we laughed, wandered and created memories to last a lifetime.