Teaming Up for Success

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.

As the performance director for the hospitality division, Nancy utilizes data, research and collaboration to develop and implement owned and paid strategies and plans that drive results. When she is not diving into analytics and spreadsheets, she can be found enjoying the best of Colorado — live music, great outdoors, craft beer and making memories with friends and family.

Favorite Travel Memory

Traveling to Italy with 40 of my closest friends!

I've been on the Miles/Brand USA team since day one, working with partners in a territory that stretches from Washington, D.C. to the Northern Mariana Islands. I dive deep into every destination I represent because I love to learn about food, drinks, and activities wherever I go. My wife and I recently opened a restaurant and cottages in the lovely hamlet of Union, Washington, in 2023.

Favorite Travel Memory

In South America, 1995 (pre-cellphone era), we took a flight to La Paz, Bolivia, with $10K and no plans. We knew Machu Picchu and Patagonia were musts but had no fixed schedule. Since there was no work, our only obligations were occasional calls and postcards to friends and family. It was total freedom; we explored off-the-beaten paths and lived spontaneously.

A native New Mexican with a stereotypical love of green chile, Haley finally crossed the border for good into Colorado to make it her home. She has found a passion for business and billing, despite her background in biology. When she’s not sifting through vendor invoices, she can be found coaching dance for the local high school, hiking and mountain biking.

Favorite Travel Memory

My absolute favorite memory is going to Ireland for my birthday in 2019 right before the last season of "Game of Thrones" came out. We went to filming sites for Winterfell and met a couple of the dire wolves used for the show.

Shiann is a part of our account services team, and she is passionate about travel and executes all sizes of projects for her clients. Outside of work, Shiann enjoys reading until all hours of the night, planning her next trip abroad and finding the best local coffee and food spots.

Favorite Travel Memory

Spending almost two weeks in Peru, hiking Rainbow Mountain, Machu Picchu, white water rafting, zip lining and spending time with new people and surrounding myself in the local culture.

Susan oversees workflow and day-to-day task management for a variety of client projects, from print production to website builds. She adapts quickly to ensure deadlines and client expectations are met, collaborating closely with both clients and internal teams to drive success from start to finish. Outside of work, you can find her exploring new restaurants, getting lost in a good book and planning her next travel adventure.

Favorite Travel Memory

Experiencing the infinite landscapes and waterfalls of Iceland on a five day road trip through the country. I can't wait to go back for another trip!

Najauna plays a central role at Miles, developing targeted, experiential marketing strategies that resonate with the right audiences for significant impact. She leads initiatives focused on learning and development, strategic partnerships and community engagement, cultivating a welcoming and collaborative internal culture. This approach enables her team to deeply understand our clients’ needs, enhancing our ability to craft compelling storytelling and achieve their goals. Outside of work, Najauna enjoys dancing and laughing in her kitchen, pretending to host a cooking show for her husband, kids and dog. #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.

Kiki is a seasoned professional based in the greater New Orleans area who's known for creating exceptionally effective ad campaigns for members of New Orleans and Company. She's a foodie and travel lover who enjoys exploring the city's vibrant restaurant scene, attending local festivals, and supporting the New Orleans Saints and LSU Tigers.

Favorite Travel Memory

My favorite travel memory is climbing up the steps in the rare snow at Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone. Before my grandmother, Anita Kelly Mannear, passed away, she said that her one regret in life was not kissing the stone while in Ireland. I was honored to kiss the stone on her behalf.

Jeff leads brand strategy initiatives for multiple Miles teams working with new and existing destination clients. His purview is the coherence, clarity and effectiveness of client messaging across all media and in-market consumer touch points. He is also often tapped for his persuasive and evocative copywriting style.

Favorite Travel Memory

Dinner at the flat of a friendly carpet vendor and his family from the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.

Julie is part of the Brand USA team and helps partners from Kentucky to Maine strategize and market themselves internationally. Outside of work, she loves to be on, near or in the water with her husband, whether it’s at the beach, lake, or river and of course, she’s always planning another trip.

Favorite Travel Memory

We recently went to South Africa, and one perfect evening, while on a safari game drive, we followed brother and sister lion cubs playing “hide and stalk” as they trotted along after mom for about 30 minutes. It was a magical moment.

Jonathan is part of the strategy and insights team and specializes in website analytics. When he's not setting up data pipelines, you will likely find him enjoying the outdoors by a hiking trail or paddleboarding.

Favorite Travel Memory

My favorite travel memory is visiting Barcelona with my wife. Our highlights were visiting La Sagrada Familia and watching the show at the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc.

Rachel leads an account-services team in the hospitality division. Her experience on the client and agency side allows her to offer thoughtful and creative solutions. She has found herself on Everest supporting summiteers and driving the Pan American highway in an ’82 Westfalia, and is now raising two boys with her husband and their beloved lab June in Colorado.

Favorite Travel Memory

Sailing around the Darien Gap during the three-day open-water crossing, I witnessed a massive great white shark fly his gigantic body out of the water and steal the fish off our trolling line.

Taryn is a senior art director who is both analytical and creative, executing on ideas thoughtfully and strategically from concept through production. When she’s not solving creative problems, she’s planning her next adventure or hanging out with her husband, baby and cats.

Favorite Travel Memory

Going on a three-week adventure in Japan and Thailand with my now-husband. We went to Japan to ski, then shipped our ski stuff back to the United States before heading south to Thailand for warmer weather.

As Miles' in-house attorney, Roxanne oversees all things legal across the Miles family of companies. When she’s not wading through contracts or deciphering regulations, you can find her outdoors, playing sports, traveling and spending time with family and friends on the water.

Favorite Travel Memory

Taking my parents on a trip of a lifetime to New Zealand with a brief stopover in Tahiti. My parents made travel a priority growing up and always encouraged my sister and me to explore the world. Spending that time together, seeing new places as a family, was a gift for all of us.

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.

Lee is part of the SEO team and develops SEO strategies for his clients to generate organic website traffic and appear at the top of search engines results pages for their specific destinations. When he is not working, Lee enjoys spending time with his wife discovering great new restaurants.

Favorite Travel Memory

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean from a cliff on the west side of Kauai.

Nicole is well known for her detail-oriented approach and metric-driven mindset, which she leverages to create strategized, impactful media plans for her clients. Outside of her professional efforts, she enjoys indulging in her creative side through LEGO-building, crafting and cooking—hobbies that reflect her dual passion for creativity and precision.

 

Favorite Travel Memory

Though it started with an unexpected 26-hour airport layover, and almost missing the ship, it would have to be Greece island-hopping.

As a director of development services, August oversees the digital accessibility and quality assurance teams. He's extremely passionate about providing the highest quality digital products that are inclusive to all. August is based out of South Florida and enjoys local craft breweries, subpar cover bands and the great outdoors.

In 2025, August was selected for Destinations International’s Young Professional Leadership Development Program, recognized alongside the association’s 30 Under 30 class.

Favorite Travel Memory

Celebrating Christmas in Switzerland while backpacking Europe with my childhood best friend. We stayed in Verbier, which is a small village in the Swiss Alps. We celebrated Christmas Day by consuming our body weight in fondue and watching "Love Actually" on repeat.

Mitch is part of both the Brand USA and Wyoming teams and thrives on helping his partners inspire visitors to explore these fantastic destinations. He enjoys anything outdoors — he was a raft guide in Arizona, a ski bum in Oregon and worked in Denali National Park before going to the DMO world.

Favorite Travel Memory

Anything with my family, National Parks, ballparks or active outdoor trips definitely rise to the top. The awesome thing about travel is the next trip just adds to the story.

A content manager on the hospitality team, Tessa serves up strategic, thoughtful content for our clients. When she’s not putting together a content strategy or crafting an email or ad, she loves spending time with her family, dreaming up her next slow-travel trip or simply staying in and binging "Star Wars" with a giant bowl of pasta.

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.

Juliana Contreras is a multilingual senior art director, guitar strummer, culinary maestro and garden enthusiast. Her art bridges cultures, while her heart embraces family and pets. She's a sailing aficionada with an aquatic irony: can't swim, yet conquers the sea.

Favorite Travel Memory

Costa Rica: Being awakened by waves and a serenade of birds was such an amazing experience. I can't wait to go back.

Charity thrives on collaborating with clients to craft marketing strategies that showcase a destination’s distinct story. Away from work, she looks forward to being near the water, checking off her concert bucket list and finding new places to explore with her husband and dog, Nyota.

Favorite Travel Memory

My favorite travel memories are a mix of unplanned moments like our sea turtle encounter while snorkeling in Hawaii, stumbling upon a quirky Don Quixote museum in Spain, and bonding with locals at Munich's Marineplatz.

Lillian is a part of the account management team at Miles Partnership. When she isn’t working, you can find her going to the beach, figure skating or spending time with her friends and family in her hometown Orlando, Florida. 

Favorite Travel Memory

Exploring the hidden cave networks and gardens in Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, Portugal. 

When Summer isn’t busy tracking and reporting on the performance of media campaigns for the hospitality performance team, she’s hunting down the latest trends and opportunities for improvement. A passionate traveler, she loves to explore new places, spend time with her German shepherd, Gunner, and spend time outdoors.

Favorite Travel Memory

My favorite travel memory was visiting Asia with my family. We saw the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors, and rode an elephant in Thailand. It was an unforgettable experience to be surrounded by so much history and culture and to share it with my family.

Amanda is part of the email marketing team and manages programs for more than 20 different clients, including program analysis, email builds and deployment, scheduling and process development. When she is not submersed in the email marketing world, she is usually shuttling her two daughters to their many activities.

Favorite Travel Memory

My daughters played in snow for the first time on a trip to Iowa to visit family. Less than an hour after our plane landed, snow flurries began. After a quick run to Target to find boots, gloves and other snow apparel, there was 2 inches on the ground. We built snowmen and sledded in my brothers yard. My youngest is still talking about how much fun she had that day.

Alex is part of Odyssey Studios, primarily working on edits for various projects, but on occasion he's seen helping out on a shoot. Alex is an avid Tampa sports fan (Go Bucs, Bolts and Rays!), but oftentimes he's chasing down his two sons and trying to catch up on "Star Wars" shows with his wife, who is also named Alex — which is fun!

Favorite Travel Memory

We took my first-born son to Key West when he was not quite one, which some might think would make for a rough time, but it was his first real vacation and it was absolutely wonderful. He had a blast, and every time we go again he gets so amped for the trip.

Fabio takes pride in creating functional and efficient designs that make a statement. Beyond work, he's an avid adventurer, embracing the great outdoors and seeking new horizons, where creativity knows no bounds.

Favorite Travel Memory

Snorkeling in the most beautiful coral reefs in Caleta Buena, Cuba.