The travel and tourism industry is constantly evolving, and so is the expertise required to navigate it effectively. The professionals featured here lead Miles Partnership's work in critical areas—from emerging technology and responsible tourism to media investment and creative strategy.
These team members regularly contribute to industry conversations through speaking engagements, published thought leadership and advisory work.
Executive Leadership
David Burgess, President & CEO
With over 25 years at Miles, David drives company-wide strategic direction, oversees all client services and deliverables, and manages profitability and key stakeholder relationships.
Since joining as an Editorial Assistant in 1999, David has overseen Miles Partnership's transformation from a small regional publishing firm into a global strategic marketing consultancy with more than 400 team members and 130 clients worldwide. A trusted advisor to major destinations and travel brands worldwide, he became President & CEO in 2016 after holding multiple leadership roles including COO and President, Destination Marketing.
David is a longtime member of the U.S. Travel Association Board of Directors, the Destinations International Association Board of Directors and the Advisors Circle for the World Travel & Tourism Council.
Laura Libby, President, Destination Marketing
With more than 12 years at Miles, Laura leads the company's Destination Marketing division, overseeing client services, strategic planning and team development for our extensive DMO portfolio.
Laura has built deep expertise in translating destination priorities into actionable marketing strategies. At Miles, she leads cross-functional teams delivering integrated services—from digital strategy and website development to media planning and creative execution—for premier state and destination clients. Known for her collaborative approach and strategic acumen, Laura ensures client satisfaction while driving innovation across Miles' destination marketing practice.
Before joining Miles, Laura served as the Director of Consumer Marketing & Industry Relations for the Colorado Tourism Office, bringing valuable client-side perspective to her leadership role. She holds a B.A. in Hospitality, Meetings and Travel Administration from Metropolitan State University of Denver and is a recognized thought leader in the destination marketing community.
Randi Rogers, Chief Operating Officer
Randi oversees company-wide operations, working alongside senior leadership to develop and implement strategic organizational goals that drive growth and operational excellence.
Randi began her career at Miles in sales over 13 years ago, where her keen eye for detail and natural people skills quickly distinguished her as a leader. Now as our COO, she translates strategic vision into operational reality, ensuring the company's infrastructure, processes and team culture support Miles' continued evolution as a global marketing consultancy. Her ability to balance big-picture thinking with meticulous execution has been instrumental in scaling the organization to serve more than 130 clients worldwide while maintaining the quality and responsiveness that define Miles Partnership.
Randi holds a B.S. in Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan and brings more than 25 years of combined sales, marketing and operational leadership experience to her role.
Dianne Gates, Chief Financial Officer
Dianne has been with Miles for over 16 years, and she oversees all financial operations, including accounting, budgeting, forecasting and financial controls, ensuring fiscal health and strategic resource allocation across the company's global operations.
Dianne's financial leadership has been integral to Miles Partnership's growth from a regional publisher to an international marketing consultancy. Her expertise spans the full spectrum of financial management—from daily accounting operations to long-term strategic planning—while her keen eye for operational efficiency identifies opportunities to enhance productivity and profitability. Working closely with executive leadership, Dianne ensures financial infrastructure supports both client service excellence and sustainable company growth across Miles' diverse portfolio of travel and tourism clients.
Dianne holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Colorado and has more than 20 years of financial leadership experience in publishing and marketing services.
Gray Lawry, Chief Technology Officer
As Chief Technology Officer, Gray leads Miles Partnership's technology practice, setting strategy for both our organization and our 130+ destination marketing clients while overseeing our internal IT infrastructure and client-facing platforms that power modern travel marketing.
Gray bridges the gap between technical architecture and business strategy, equally comfortable deep in code as he is leading client strategy sessions. He directs the development and deployment of data systems, analytics platforms and AI-powered tools that help travel brands measure performance, understand traveler behavior and optimize marketing investments. With hands-on expertise across BigQuery, Databricks, GCP and modern cloud architecture, Gray ensures Miles stays at the forefront of marketing technology while translating technical capabilities into solutions clients can understand and act on.
His nearly 15 years at Miles—combined with prior experience on both the agency and DMO side—gives him an uncommon perspective on how data informs business decisions and drives destination success. A frequent speaker at industry events, Gray shares insights on emerging technologies, measurement strategies and the evolving intersection of data science and destination marketing that help travel brands navigate an increasingly complex digital landscape.
Senior Leadership
Jay Salyers, Senior Vice President
With 20 years at Miles, Jay has built a reputation as a strategic leader who translates complex market dynamics into actionable media investments that drive measurable results. His approach combines rigorous analytical thinking with deep industry relationships, enabling him to identify emerging opportunities and guide clients through rapidly evolving marketing landscapes.
Jay also leads the company's media practice, overseeing a team of more than 30 professionals who develop and execute integrated media strategies for premier travel and tourism clients nationwide. Under his direction, Miles' media team has delivered breakthrough campaigns for major state tourism offices and destination marketing organizations across the country.
Known for his collaborative leadership style and ability to align media strategy with broader organizational goals, Jay strengthens both client partnerships and industry networks. A frequent speaker at tourism industry events, he shares strategic insights that shape how destinations approach media planning, investment allocation and performance measurement in an increasingly fragmented marketplace.
Karin Mast, Senior Vice President
Karin leads both the company's digital development practice and its hospitality marketing division, delivering integrated strategies that drive results for hotels, resorts and destination clients. In 2024, she was honored as a Top 25 Extraordinary Mind in Hospitality Sales, Marketing, Revenue Optimization and Distribution by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI).
Karin's leadership spans two critical disciplines: building exceptional digital experiences and developing comprehensive marketing programs for hospitality brands. She combines strategic vision with meticulous execution, guiding cross-functional teams in creating websites, booking platforms and digital tools that engage users while supporting business objectives. Simultaneously, she oversees marketing strategy for resort and hotel clients, leveraging her deep understanding of the hospitality sector to craft campaigns that drive occupancy, ADR and guest satisfaction. Under her direction, Miles has delivered award-winning digital products and marketing programs for premier destinations around the United States.
She has honed her approach over 17 years at Miles, and is known for her ability to see the full picture, from technical architecture to guest journey to revenue impact. Karin ensures every initiative reflects both client goals and market realities, positioning hospitality brands for sustainable growth in competitive markets.
Melissa Cherry, Senior Vice President
A seasoned tourism executive with more than 28 years of industry experience, Melissa leads Miles' Brand Advocacy Practice, connecting destination brands to the meetings and events sector to create lasting brand champions and drive measurable destination success.
Melissa brings a rare depth of perspective to her role, having served on both the destination and association sides of the tourism industry. Her career includes leadership positions at Destinations International, Choose Chicago, LA Tourism and the Chicago History Museum, giving her intimate understanding of the challenges destinations face and the strategies that move the needle.
At Miles, she translates this experience into programs that engage and inspire meeting planners, event professionals and industry influencers—turning them into authentic advocates for destination brands. Her approach blends strategic relationship-building with data-driven measurement, ensuring brand advocacy initiatives deliver tangible results for clients.
Debbie Johnson, Senior Vice President, Client Services
Debbie bridges the gap between client expectations and agency excellence, leading Miles' client services team to deliver innovative solutions that anticipate industry shifts and exceed organizational goals.
Debbie has spent her entire career devoted to elevating the travel and tourism industry. With more than 25 years in travel and tourism—including her tenure as Director of the Arizona Office of Tourism—Debbie brings invaluable client-side perspective to her role at Miles. She understands firsthand the pressures destinations face, the stakeholder dynamics they navigate and the results that matter most. This insight shapes how she leads at Miles: fostering proactive communication, driving continuous evolution in processes and service offerings, and ensuring the team stays ahead of emerging trends rather than reacting to them.
Her collaborative leadership style builds trust with tourism industry leaders while empowering internal teams to push boundaries and deliver work that moves destinations forward.
Trever Cartwright, Senior Vice President, Organizational Development
For more than 20 years, Trever has guided tourism organizations through pivotal moments, helping them cut through complexity to establish greater clarity, focus and momentum on their most important strategic and organizational challenges.
As founder of Coraggio Group, he has built a reputation for asking thought-provoking questions and creating space for candid dialogue to emerge. When Miles acquired Coraggio in 2021, Trever brought this distinctive approach to Miles' clients, expanding the company’s capacity to support destinations beyond marketing campaigns and into the foundational work of leadership development, strategic planning and organizational effectiveness.
A sought-after speaker at industry forums including Destinations International, the U.S. Travel Association's National Council of State Tourism Directors and the Western States Tourism Policy Council, he shares insights on building resilient teams, fostering healthy organizational cultures and navigating the complex dynamics that influence destination management today. Trever is also a Global Sustainable Tourism Council Trained Practitioner and a Forbes.com contributor.
Richard Black, Senior Vice President, Sales
Richard transforms complex sales opportunities into powerful results, leading Miles' sales efforts with a strategic approach honed over three decades in digital media and travel marketing.
A proven sales leader with an impressive track record at industry powerhouses including Sojern and Tripadvisor, Richard brings deep expertise in omnichannel advertising strategy and new product innovation to his role at Miles. He excels at building and empowering high-performing sales teams while translating sophisticated marketing solutions into clear value propositions for destination clients.
Richard's ability to operate at both strategic and tactical levels—understanding the big picture while staying close to the details that drive results—makes him an invaluable partner to DMO leaders navigating an increasingly complex media landscape. A requested speaker at industry conferences and contributor to publications including PhocusWire and The Travel Vertical, he shares insights on digital media trends and sales strategy that help destinations maximize their marketing investments.
Ursula Boll, Senior Vice President, Strategic Partnerships
Ursula redefines how destinations and resorts attract, engage and convert travelers, forging strategic partnerships that deliver measurable results and authentic connections.
With more than 35 years spanning both destination-side leadership and agency innovation, Ursula brings a rare perspective to her role at Miles. Before joining the agency 17 years ago, she led transformational sales and marketing efforts at luxury independent resorts including Hawks Cay Resort—where she tripled revenue from $18M to $45M—and South Seas Resort Company, where her repositioning strategies drove occupancy and rate growth across multiple properties.
At Miles, she founded and developed the firm's hospitality and hotel division, earning recognition from HSMAI in 2013 as one of the Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Sales, Marketing and Revenue Optimization. Today, Ursula leads strategic partnerships that create new revenue streams tied to accountable results, manages cooperative media programs for domestic and international destinations, and oversees complex agency relationships.
Her approach reflects a fundamental belief: Travel forms the most memorable experiences in people's lives, and marketing it requires trusted stewardship, not transactional selling.
Ryan Thompson, Senior Vice President & Head of Odyssey Studios
Ryan leads Miles' award-winning in-house content studio, Odyssey, where he transforms destination stories into immersive branded entertainment that captivates audiences and drives measurable results.
A nationally recognized speaker and author of Disruption: Destination Marketing in the Post-Digital Age, Ryan has spent more than two decades at the forefront of marketing innovation in travel and tourism. He joined Miles six years ago when the agency acquired his video production company, bringing deep expertise in concepting and producing high-impact video, film and content marketing campaigns for leading tourism brands.
Under his leadership, Odyssey Studios has delivered breakthrough work including innovative activations with partners like Sports Illustrated and Bon Appétit that blur the line between content and experience. Ryan's strategic approach extends beyond creative production—he leads account oversight for premier destinations while ensuring seamless integration across disciplines and consistently exceeding client expectations.
His vision for the future of destination marketing challenges industry conventions and pushes clients to think differently about how they connect with travelers.
Sara Meaney, Manager Partner, Coraggio Group
Sara leads Coraggio Group's strategy and organizational change consulting practice, helping destinations and tourism organizations tackle their most important strategic, operational and organizational challenges with clarity and conviction.Coraggio Group operates as an independent agency within the Miles Partnership portfolio of brands.
With more than 25 years of experience spanning public service, entrepreneurship and agency leadership, Sara brings a rare perspective to her role. She served as Secretary of Tourism for the State of Wisconsin under Governor Tony Evers, where she led the state's $22.2 billion tourism industry to record-breaking success while navigating the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic.
At Coraggio, she leads the firm's largest client engagements, new business development and thought leadership initiatives, translating complex organizational dynamics into actionable strategies that drive measurable results. A sought-after speaker at industry conferences including the U.S. Travel ESTO Convention, California Travel Association Summit and state tourism conferences nationwide, Sara champions a fundamental belief: "Strategy is both the hardest and easiest work of leadership. Once the vision is clear to all and priorities are defined, implementation becomes a lot more rewarding and the path to success comes into focus for everyone."
Jim Odoire, Managing Director, Black Diamond
Jim leads Black Diamond, a London-based full-service marketing and communications agency specializing in travel and tourism, overseeing a portfolio of more than 30 global destinations. Black Diamond operates as an independent agency within the Miles Partnership portfolio of brands.
A founding partner with nearly 30 years at the helm, Jim transformed Black Diamond from its origins as an extreme sports content production firm into one of the UK's most prominent travel marketing agencies. His vision and leadership have positioned the agency as a trusted partner to destinations worldwide, delivering integrated marketing strategies across PR, content, digital and media. Black Diamond operates from central London offices and is a member of the International Tourism Group, providing clients access to agency expertise across Europe.
Jim's industry influence extends beyond client work—he frequently serves as a judge for the TravMedia Awards and is recognized as a leader in travel PR and marketing, shaping best practices and elevating standards across the sector.
Jonah Whitaker, Managing Partner - Creative & Strategy, Black Diamond
Jonah leads creative and strategic direction at Black Diamond, ensuring every campaign is grounded in solid data and executed to the highest possible standards for destinations and travel brands across Europe and beyond. Jonah's seven years with Black Diamond have been marked by his commitment to strategy-led creativity that respects both the art and science of destination marketing.
With 17 years of experience spanning communications planning, digital advertising and social media strategy, Jonah brings rigorous analytical thinking to the creative process. His background in philosophy informs his approach: asking fundamental questions about audience behavior, brand positioning and campaign effectiveness before crafting solutions.
At Black Diamond, he oversees integrated campaigns that blend creative excellence with strategic precision, delivering work for destinations and airline brands that drives measurable results. Jonah's leadership extends beyond Black Diamond's client portfolio—he has served as a director at the International Tourism Group since 2021, contributing to the organization's mission of connecting leading travel marketing agencies across Europe and elevating industry standards.
Dorothea Hohn, Managing Partner, Global Communication Experts (GCE)
Dorothea leads Global Communication Experts (GCE), one of the leading destination representation, PR, marketing and communications agencies in the German-speaking part of Europe, delivering integrated strategies for renowned tourism, hospitality and travel brands. GCE operates as an independent agency within the Miles Partnership portfolio of brands.
With more than 30 years of professional experience, Dorothea has built GCE into a powerhouse agency serving clients across Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Her approach centers on accountability and partnership—working as an extension of client teams to increase visibility, enhance brand image and drive measurable revenue results through innovative, creative strategies. Under her leadership, GCE represents prestigious clients across the globe.
Dorothea's vision extends beyond GCE's client roster—in 2021, she co-founded the International Tourism Group alongside select European agency partners, creating a pan-European network that offers comprehensive marketing services across the tourism sector. Her multilingual capabilities (English, French and Spanish) and deep expertise in corporate and destination consulting, media relations and integrated marketing make her an invaluable strategic partner to clients navigating complex European markets.
Zeek Coleman, President, Ad+genuity
Zeek leads Ad+genuity with a mission to help destinations and travel brands run high-quality digital campaigns built on transparency, accountability and outcomes that leaders can trust. Ad+genuity operates as an independent platform within the Miles Partnership portfolio of brands.
A data strategist who spent years translating complex economic insights as Vice President, Americas at Tourism Economics, Zeek built his reputation on turning numbers into narratives that drive decision-making. At Ad+genuity, he applies this same rigor to programmatic advertising—demystifying performance data, attribution models and traveler behavior to help clients make simple, confident decisions that improve results and protect budgets.
His approach challenges the opacity that has long plagued digital advertising, instead offering destinations clarity on where their dollars go, how campaigns perform and what adjustments will move the needle.
A sought-after speaker at industry events including the U.S. Travel Association, Destinations International, Phocuswright Conference and eTourism Summit, Zeek excels at taking complex technical solutions and distilling them into concepts everyone can understand and act on. Zeek's career has been defined by a consistent philosophy: Data should inform strategy, not obscure it.
Rachael Root, Senior Vice President, Ad+genuity
Rachael leads Ad+genuity's programmatic buying team, directing more than $30 million in annual media investments and building strategic partnerships that deliver quality placements and measurable performance for destinations and travel brands.
With 15 years at Miles and Ad+genuity, Rachael has become a driving force behind the company's programmatic capabilities—developing relationships with media, audience and exchange partners that ensure both competitive pricing and campaign effectiveness. She works at the intersection of strategy and execution, collaborating with media strategists to evaluate partner relationships, implement co-op programs and continuously optimize digital campaigns to meet client KPIs and adapt to industry shifts. Her commitment to transparency has enhanced Ad+genuity's reporting capabilities, making complex programmatic performance data accessible and actionable for clients.
Rachael's expertise spans the full lifecycle of digital programs—from strategic planning and partner negotiation to real-time optimization and performance analysis—demonstrated through her work managing multimillion-dollar budgets for clients around the globe.
Rachael brings more than 20 years of tourism marketing experience to her leadership role at Ad+genuity. Before specializing in programmatic media, she led account management for a diverse portfolio of state and city tourism organizations, overseeing website development, marketing strategy and publication projects that laid the foundation for her analytical, results-driven approach.
Joseph St. Germain, President, Downs & St. Germain
Joseph leads Downs & St. Germain Research (DSG), a tourism-focused market research firm that transforms data into decision-ready insights for destinations across the United States through visitor tracking, resident sentiment studies, brand perception analysis, workforce research and economic impact assessments. DSG operates as an independent firm within the Miles Partnership portfolio of brands.
With formal training in psychology and advanced quantitative methods, Joseph specializes in translating complex survey and behavioral data into clear narratives that answer not only what's happening, but why it's happening and what to do next. Since joining the firm in 2007 (then Kerr & Downs Research), he has been involved in every stage of the research process—from study design and data collection to analysis, reporting and executive-level presentations for DMO leaders, community stakeholders and governing boards.
Joseph's approach blends rigorous analytics with practical storytelling, making technical findings accessible to non-technical audiences and enabling confident decision-making. An experienced moderator of focus groups and stakeholder discussions, he excels at creating space for honest dialogue that uncovers insights surveys alone might miss. Joseph is an active leader in the travel and tourism research community, serving as Board President of the Southeast Chapter of the Travel & Tourism Research Association (SETTRA) and contributing thought leadership through platforms including the Learn Tourism podcast.
Joseph's commitment to research excellence and industry advancement has made DSG a trusted partner to destinations seeking evidence-based strategies for sustainable growth.