Teaming Up for Success

Claire’s work combines creative and production logistics for video and photography projects to ensure the best possible media is delivered for our clients. When she is not figuring out the next production strategy, you will likely find her enjoying travel, yoga and all Michigan has to offer with her husband and her two rescue dogs, Red and Sultan.

Favorite Travel Memory

My favorite travel memory is filming a series in Qatar and getting to sleep under the stars in the desert with a Bedouin tribe.

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.

J.T. is a senior content manager, writing and editing out of our Memphis office. When he's not writing about various destinations, the die-hard Memphis Tigers fan, Stephen King buff and "Star Wars" expert can likely be found at the movies or a Tigers game with his wife Christine.

Favorite Travel Memory

My wife and I went to Europe for the first time — was the trip of a lifetime! We took a cruise around the Mediterranean to Spain, France and Italy. The food was phenomenal. We even got to explore my great-grandparents' hometown, Lucca, Italy. I cannot wait to go back.

Jessica comes from a writing and editing background that has brought her to realms like journalism, academia, teaching English overseas and marketing. She's also a visual artist within the Tampa Bay arts scene, a deep lover of delectable foods and a pet-mom to three cats. 

Favorite Travel Memory

Being inside the Art Institute of Chicago during one of their free-admission evenings, and randomly members of Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble were playing in small breakaway groups throughout the museum's exhibition spaces. It all culminated in a final group performance on the Grand Staircase!

A serial entrepreneur, Ryan joined Miles in 2018 following the acquisition of his studio, Odyssey. With more than 20 years of digital, experiential and content-marketing experience, he oversees a portfolio of client accounts, as well as our creative and studio functions. He is an author and nationally recognized public speaker on tourism, strategy, consumer behavior, destination marketing and digital advertising.

Favorite Travel Memory

Climbing 4,000 feet into the clouds at Huayna Picchu, Peru.

Jason is happiest when he sees partners get results from a successful program. A father of two and a former sports journalist, Jason is also a stand-up comedy nerd who loves to sing. When he’s not playing softball or wiffleball, he’s dreaming up a return trip to Chicago or trek to the mountains of Montana.

Favorite Travel Memory

The trip I just took to the Pacific Northwest with my girlfriend, hitting Portland, Seattle, Idaho and Montana. Amazing food and even better scenery.

Nadja is part of our Operations team, where she serves as an internal strategist, consultant and implementer on a variety of initiatives. She lives in Miami and loves to spend her free time trying new restaurants, exploring the local arts scene and taking her rescue pup Ziba on adventures. When she's not doing that, she's eagerly planning new trips here and abroad for her and her boyfriend.

Neal has worked his way up from designing websites for convention centers named after fried-chicken chains to leading a team of production companies, creative directors, art directors, graphic designers and copywriters to develop brands for some of the most iconic destinations worldwide.

Favorite Travel Memory

As a U.S. citizen, going over the border to Canada or Mexico isn't really an international trip. So, I chalked AlUla up as my first international trip. It was a fantastic experience even though we worked 19-plus hour days to document some of the first tourism opportunities in Saudi Arabia. Let's say I've learned to travel with a few snacks now due to that trip.

Gray masterfully combines inventive thought and technical adeptness for top-notch global travel-marketing strategies. Exceptional at interpreting technology and data, distilling complex ideas and managing reporting platforms, he elevates clients' competitiveness by enabling keen customer-behavior insights.

Jodi was bitten by the travel bug at 14 when she spent a summer traveling across the U.S. with 40 other teens. With a background in magazine publishing and content marketing, she’s also a self-professed cruise nerd. When she’s not editing, writing or content creating, you can find her in Pilates, walking her dog and enjoying South Florida life.

Favorite Travel Memory

An annual New Kids on the Block cruise!

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.

Chelsea is part of our media team, supporting media planners through execution, trafficking, reporting and vendor coordination, keeping things organized behind the scenes. When not working, she’s with her husband, daughter, and dog, Honey, enjoying Florida beach days and theme parks and getting competitive over Jeopardy! 

Favorite Travel Memory

A favorite travel memory is a family trip to Boston, where my husband grew up, with our almost one-year-old daughter. The trip included meaningful moments: her first flight, first Red Sox game and first steps, while also experiencing the city through my husband’s childhood memories.

As head of research and insights, Chris is also our "head of curiosity" for understanding major trends, opportunities and challenges in travel and tourism. When not involved in research, education or other projects at Miles, Chris is an avid traveler — always off to far-flung destinations with his friends, daughters and other family.

Favorite Travel Memory

Those special moments while traveling when you round a corner or top a hill and see a special, completely different view of the world. Unique sights, sounds, smells and feel. You are in a completely new moment in a completely new place. I’ve been lucky enough to have many of these from AlUla to Zanzibar and the Amazon to Tokyo.

I've been fortunate to work with some great people over the last 20 years in hospitality marketing. The relationships I've built with these people are my greatest success stories. The results I've delivered along the way would not have been possible without the teams of experts I've worked with.

Favorite Travel Memory

Taking my first flight to Sanibel Island, FL with my grandmother.

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.

With a background in reality TV production, Christie brings her storytelling skills and logistical know-how to the Odyssey Studios team, helping craft immersive experiences that whisk audiences away to distant places. She has traveled the globe working on some of your favorite reality shows. Now based in Los Angeles, she is passionate about baking, snowboarding and diving into true crime podcasts.

Favorite Travel Memory

Spending over a month in South Africa while filming a season of Naked & Afraid. We saw giraffes, hippos, elephants, crocodiles and much more.

A data wizard turning dusty numbers into sparkling insights — from spreadsheets to coffee cups, Vicky brews data-driven magic for DMO and hospitality clients. Part detective, part storyteller, all data! Are you more interested in her pie charts or apple pie? Insights say her bakes are still more popular than any graph she could build.

Favorite Travel Memory

We went to the rainforest for a small hike in Puerto Rico. When we got to the stream at the bottom of the hike, it started raining. It rained and rained, but that didn't stop my 3-year-old. We went swimming in the stream while it was raining. A new experience for him and so much fun!

Dylan's work at Odyssey focuses on the intersection of storytelling, production, audience development. As co-founder and creative director of AtlasObscura.com, Dylan grew the company into an international travel brand. Co-author of three New York Times bestselling books and creator of the number one travel podcast in the US, Dylan is also a big nerd and dad of two based in the Hudson Valley.

Favorite Travel Memory

I loved visiting the Queshuachaca, also known as the Last Incan Bridge, a rope bride re-woven from grass every year since the Incan empire. Both a cultural and engineering marvel! 

Donna is a native of sunny Florida who channels her passion for design into vibrant creations influenced by her travels. With a keen eye for detail, she crafts unique visuals while finding joy in moments spent listening to music, reading, or playing with her beloved cat Maisie.

Favorite Travel Memory

Hiking on a glacier in Iceland, or spending a month exploring Colorado with my best friend!

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.

Britt is a content manager for both digital and print projects — including monthly eNews, social campaigns, vacation planners and travel guides for clients such as Alaska, Florida, New Jersey and more. She enjoys being on, in or near the water at all times when she's not writing, proofing or coming up with a catchy headline.

Favorite Travel Memory

Traveling solo around Iceland during New Year's/my birthday and feeling wildly independent and free. But also really, really cold.

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.

Lex is a program manager on our Brand USA team, where she leads projects with a strategic and detail-oriented approach. Outside of work, she enjoys getting lost in a great thriller on her Kindle, discovering new favorite restaurants and always planning future adventures with her fiancé.

Favorite Travel Memory

My favorite travel memory is backpacking across 9 countries in Asia with my boyfriend (now fiancé!) for five unforgettable months. It had always been a lifelong dream of mine, and getting to experience so many different cultures, cuisines and communities alongside the person I love most made it even more meaningful!

Toni is a project manager who works remotely from Venice, Florida. She enjoys boating and fishing with her husband and three kids. Originally from Ohio, Toni is a huge Ohio State Buckeyes fan.

Favorite Travel Memory

I enjoy exploring all of the Caribbean islands, but Aruba has been my favorite — seeing flamingos in the wild was the best!

Sam guides the content strategies and initiatives within the hospitality division while also ensuring the delivery of impactful content to clients. When she’s not crafting travel stories, you’ll find her adventuring in the mountains, creating a more sustainable lifestyle or daydreaming about her next travel destination.

Favorite Travel Memory

From sampling new dishes at the Tiong Bahru Market during golden hour to stumbling upon a neighborhood restaurant and indulging in a late-night dinner consisting of traditional chili crab, exploring the food scene in Singapore is one of my top travel memories.

Rachel leads the growth strategy for Destination Wayfinder, helping tourism organizations strengthen destination stewardship. When she’s not advising DMOs, she’s kayaking near her home in Durango, Colorado, cooking global cuisine or exploring her next destination—45 countries and counting!

Favorite Travel Memory

At 14, I visited the small remote island of Nosy Komba, Madagascar, seeing lemurs up close, wandering its beaches and meeting the welcoming locals. That adventure sparked my love for travel and passion for ecotourism, showing me the magic of exploring new places while honoring nature and culture.

A travel buff and enthusiastic planner both in and out of the office, Cynthia is a senior account director based in Lexington, Kentucky. When she’s not strategizing with our team to bring her clients' big ideas to life, she can be found out for an adventure with her family or scrapbooking her most recent explorations.

Favorite Travel Memory

We’ve set out to visit all 50 states with our daughter before she turns 18, so from the amazing views as we journeyed up the Pacific Coast Highway to cave explorations and waterfall hikes in Kentucky, we’re always making new travel memories. It’s impossible to pick a favorite!

Josh is part of the operations team and oversees the company's use of Wrike. He helps teams optimize their use of the PM tool so they can work as effectively as possible. Outside of work, he's probably outside mountain biking or skiing. Colorado has some of the most beautiful trail networks and outdoor areas, and he's trying to see as much as he can.