Teaming Up for Success

Ashlyn is part of our VISIT FLORIDA team. As a Jacksonville native, she loves to travel anywhere there is a beach. In her free time she enjoys hanging out with friends and family, trying new restaurants or exploring the outdoors in south Georgia where she currently lives.

Hannah manages a content team in our DMO division, supporting content creation and strategy for more than 20 clients. When she's not digging into analytics or raiding the thesaurus for other ways to say "experience," she's listening to narrative podcasts or forcing an unwilling party to talk about the 2023 NBA Champion Denver Nuggets.

Favorite Travel Memory

After weeks in Budapest, my husband I thought we'd seen all there was to see. On our last full day, we stumbled upon a park with network of trails switchbacking up and down to city and river overlooks, monuments and statues. Each time we emerged from a forested patch, there was something new to surprise us — characteristic of the serendipitous nature of travel.

David works with the operations and human resources teams to lead talent development initiatives, creating systems to support career pathing and leadership growth for team members across the Miles companies. If you want to find him outside of work, he's probably playing board games, cooking up recipes or riding his bike somewhere around the DC area.

Favorite Travel Memory

I recently took my first-ever solo trip to Switzerland, France and the Netherlands. Exploring and being more spontaneous than usual was a highlight (not to mention the Dutch tulip fields!)

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.

Mississippi-based Joe is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and long-time Miles collaborator who joins our creative teams to create amazing, authentic destination content. When he’s not working, Joe loves the game of golf—even if it doesn't love him back—and spending time with his wife Kathryn and their two kids, Emma and Herschel.

Favorite Travel Memory

I've traveled the world for documentary film, but my favorite memories are watching our kids' horizons expand in real time. Nothing does that like travel.

Yasaman works with stakeholders to blend design and technology sensibilities with strategic insights, an ability that has been honed over her previous career as an architect, where human-centric design principles were second nature. Having already explored 32 states, she's on a mission to explore more of the country's natural and cultural wonders.

Luke is an account coordinator and works mainly with St. Pete/Clearwater. His attention to detail and ability to multitask helps the team deliver exceptional value to each client. Outside of work, he can be found throwing the ball for his dog Fisher, cooking spicy food or biking with his wife.

Favorite Travel Memory

A favorite travel memory is getting to travel to Germany with my dad in 2014. We were able to travel by train and visit Munich, Stuttgart, Berlin, Frankfurt and many other small towns. The highlight of the trip was getting to go to a football (soccer) match and experience the amazing atmosphere.

Kelby is a producer in Odyssey Studios, where she pulls all the pieces together for the next big photo or video shoot and brings creative visions to life. When not at her desk, she's likely in search of a great cup of coffee, delicious street snacks or a salty-spicy margarita. You may also find her paddle boarding, visiting a museum or exploring a neighborhood.

Favorite Travel Memory

Fresh coconuts and no internet on a remote island in Belize.

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.

Ally is a Denver transplant originally from Sarasota. She is a detail-oriented member of the account services team who loves working alongside her teammates to problem-solve and execute projects of all sizes for her clients. When not in the office, you can find her at hot yoga, adventuring in the mountains and discovering new restaurants.

Favorite Travel Memory

My favorite travel memory is rafting the Grand Canyon. As a former guide, I was given the opportunity to take a private trip with some friends. Any vacation without cell service is my kind of trip.

With a strong sense of direction and a great sense of humor, Roger has led the company since its purchase in 1990, growing the business from a local Florida visitor guide network to an innovative, successful international travel marketing organization.

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.

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.

I am part of the Kentucky account team and I assist with project management, ensuring the client’s needs are met and communicated effectively. When I'm not working and immersing myself in all things Kentucky, I'm probably crocheting and preparing for an upcoming market day. Besides that, I love being outside with my pets, tending to my plants and baking delicious treats for friends/family.

Favorite Travel Memory

Traveling to St. John (USVI) and living like a local for a whole month on the island.

Lori is a paid search analyst on the hospitality team. She specializes in building and managing data-driven, results-focused paid search campaigns that deliver measurable success. Outside of work, Lori is deeply committed to animal rescue and usually has at least one foster dog or cat bringing joy (and sometimes chaos) to her home. She also loves to travel and explore all the beautiful sights the Pacific Northwest has to offer with her two dogs, Ripley and Lita.

Enriqueta is a dedicated project manager who works on a variety of projects from visitor guides to websites. In her free time, you can find her crafting, watching movies or playing with her dalmatian Ollie.

Favorite Travel Memory

Having my first white Christmas in Knoxville in 2020: I made snow angels, threw snowballs, ate white snow and sledded down a hill!

A journalist by trade, Steven traded the newsroom for a much more enjoyable assignment as a food writer and travel editor. (Yeah, he gets paid to eat.) As a senior content director, Steven now cooks up effective, innovative and integrated content strategies for a host of destination clients, including Puerto Rico, Louisiana, New Orleans and Fairfax County, Virginia.

Favorite Travel Memory

There are so many! But gathering for a multi-country family reunion at a five-star farm-restaurant high atop the mountains in Slovenia is way up there. The food. The views. The connections. The memories. Priceless!

Amy is an advertising account manager for team Brand USA. She and her husband are Connecticut natives (a split Patriots/Giants household, but both die-hard Red Sox fans). Some of her favorite hobbies are camping on Gulf Coast beaches, biking around Dunedin, Florida, and traveling to the mountains for skiing.

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.

Juan serves as an account director, supporting clients to ensure their marketing strategies resonate with travelers from all backgrounds. Personally, he thrives on learning about different cultures, meeting new people and exploring the world. An avid traveler, foodie and dog lover, in his free time he's likely exploring parks, hiking or embarking on a new adventure.

Favorite Travel Memory

One of my favorite travel memories is the time I spent two weeks in Barcelona, Spain, with my best friend. We stayed in the Catalan region, where they speak a different dialect of Spanish. Our local host showed us around the city, and we also met some other Americans who were visiting. They ended up joining us throughout the entire trip, and we made some amazing memories together.

Debbie works with our client services team supporting DMOs and their teams across the country. She's the mom to three adult children and loves hiking, music, watching football and, of course, traveling.

Favorite Travel Memory

My favorite, outside of those with my family, would be in Brussels one December during their holiday markets. I spent every night in the square for hours just listening to music and watching the lights and people — it was magical!

Amy is the senior account director that leads our Brand USA team. When she is not exploring new ways to reach international travelers, investigating opportunities to better organize our data or meeting with clients, she can be found walking mountain trails, listening to a new podcast or running through life with her young (and energetic) son.

Favorite Travel Memory

My husband and I visited Switzerland for the holidays a few years ago. We were having dinner at a lodge in a small ski village on Christmas night and starting talking to the couple sitting next to us. We discovered they lived only 45 minutes away from us in Florida (small world!) and ended up enjoying delicious glögg with them at a secret bar they introduced us to.

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.

Melissa leads the company's consulting practice focused on developing inclusive marketing strategies that broaden audience reach and create meaningful connections with travelers from all backgrounds. She works with clients to implement tailored approaches that foster authentic connections and expand reach across the travel and tourism industry. Melissa resides just outside of Atlanta, has a deep passion for the arts and loves to cook.

Favorite Travel Memory

Zurich, Switzerland

Mari brings with her more than 20 years of experience working with Tahiti Tourisme. Her natural ability to be organized led her to specialize in event planning. She has traveled to The Islands of Tahiti nearly 30 times and has been fortunate to have visited 16 of the 118 islands. Mari works remotely from Huntington Beach, California, and enjoys taking her dog, Poé, to the beach and going to yoga.

Maggie has worked in destination marketing for more than 10 years, combining her experience with creativity to push the boundaries of innovation for our clients. When she's not overseeing production or planning the next big experiential activation, you can find her traveling as much as possible with her husband Chris and daughter Collins.

Favorite Travel Memory

Twirling on the hills that are alive in Salzburg, Austria

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.

Using his operational, account and technology expertise, David leads the information technology team. Since 2016, he has been traveling the U.S. as a digital nomad with his wife, a travel nurse, and a rescue dog named Dallas in an RV. Their quest is to visit all 63 national parks.

Favorite Travel Memory

One of my favorite memories is hiking to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park and looking over the edge to the Yosemite Valley.