Teaming Up for Success

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.

Alex is an account manager in the hospitality division, helping to make clients' visions a reality. When not managing client requests and projects, he's traveling and looking for new experiences with his wife Amanda or playing with their dogs. Whether its exploring local food-and-drink scenes or reading a good book, he is always excited to see the world from a new perspective.

Favorite Travel Memory

My favorite travel memories are when we end up getting lost in a very unfamiliar places. They are always the most stressful times in traveling, but they make for great memories that have stood the test of time.

With over 15 years of content expertise, Jason drives Places.Travel, the consumer-facing travel hub for Odyssey Studios. Known for pushing boundaries, he thrives on launching innovative content programs, from leading the charge with Apple Maps Guides to spearheading a new travel podcast. When not crafting compelling content, Jason hangs out with his trio of chihuahuas—Gizmo, Astro and Nemo—who keep him on his toes!

Lauren is our fearless director of marketing, responsible for the strategy and implementation of various corporate marketing initiatives, such as overseeing the Miles brand and managing industry events and partnerships. Outside of work, you'll find her unwinding at the beach or exploring local festivals and music events.

In 2024, Lauren was selected for Destinations International’s Young Professional Leadership Development Program, recognized alongside the association’s 30 Under 30 class.

Favorite Travel Memory

I’m an avid beach-goer, so traveling to Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, and experiencing the unique beaches on each part of the island was incredible.

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.

Jordan is committed to helping destination brands tell their story, leading Miles’ teams to deliver exceptional service and products. When she's not busy helping clients achieve their business goals and objectives, you can find her adventuring with family, listening to live music, enjoying a good cup of coffee or thrifting for unique textiles.

Favorite Travel Memory

Getting engaged in the Italian Riviera and spending the rest of our trip exploring small villages along the coast, enjoying delicious food and wine at every turn. The relaxed culture, slowed-down pace and natural beauty of Italy was an incredible backdrop for such a celebratory life moment.

Meet Cara, an adept paid media analyst 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.

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.

Taylor is part of our hospitality team, leveraging data-driven insights and automation to craft impactful campaigns. When she’s not optimizing email flows and customer journeys, you can find her exploring the outdoors or chasing after her 1-year-old son, Cash.

Favorite Travel Memory

Watching the sunset over the Tuscan countryside.

After spending years in the CVB and DMO world, Courtney now uses her tourism-marketing experience to create content for a variety of Miles' clients. Based in Atlanta, she spends her free time exploring the Southeast either hiking mountains or visiting beaches with her golden retriever Boone.

Favorite Travel Memory

I will never forget hiking my first 14er with my brother. Mount Yale holds a special place in my heart!

Taryn is a creative 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.

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!

Justin is the director of strategy and insights at Miles, ensuring that website activity is being properly measured, while also working to improve their presence in search engines. When he's not working, he can usually be found working on home improvement projects, snowmobiling, gardening, beekeeping, playing with his dog Miles, playing hockey, and terrorizing the neighbors on his 49cc scooter - usually not all at once.

C.A. is the vice president of AI and is based in New Zealand. He has been with Miles for over 20 years and has experience in just about every facet of digital destination marketing. A former expert motorcycle road racer, C.A. began riding motorcycles with his family at age 8. He’s owned dozens of motorcycles of every kind and attended training in nearly every type of motorcycle discipline.

In 2025, C.A. was named one of HSMAI's Top 25 Extraordinary Minds, a recognition that reflects his leadership in helping destinations and hospitality organizations navigate the practical implications of AI.

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!

Layne brings storytelling to data, translating media performance and insights into strategies that move client goals forward. Outside of work, she’s exploring the Adirondack Mountains, traveling to visit friends and family and relaxing at home with her cat, Minna.

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.

Karin is a Senior Vice President at Miles and has been with the company for almost 17 years. She started as an Account Director, handling marketing within the western United States and has moved all the way up into a global role focused in the areas of Tourism and Hospitality for the last 6 years. Off hours, she’s planning her family’s next adventure traveling the world or at home cooking up some homemade pizza.

In 2024, Karin Mast was named one of HSMAI’s Top 25 Extraordinary Minds, recognizing her leadership in driving innovative, data-informed marketing strategies that deliver measurable impact for destinations and hospitality organizations.

Favorite Travel Memory

Every beach trip with my girls, building sandcastles, finding shell treasures, soaking in the sun and playing in the ocean waves. With both kids on each side holding tight while the waves come towards us, we jump together. Hearing them giggling is absolutely the best.

As a content manager in the hospitality division, Courtney's mind is always whirring with catch phrases, social captions and SEO keywords. If you can't find her, she's likely adding to her vocabulary with her nose in a book, chasing a ball around a soccer field or embarking on a high-altitude adventure in the Montana mountains.

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.

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.

Abby is part of our DMO sales team and handles the monetization efforts for our Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey clients. When she's not reporting out her clients' successful campaigns, she can be found enjoying the summer season down the shore with friends and family.

Favorite Travel Memory

My very first trip to Europe was to Barcelona and Madrid. I fell in love with the Gaudi architecture and have many fond memories of late-night clubs and partying. That trip launched my love for travel. I also have fond memories of a mother-daughter trip to London, dragging my mom everywhere on the Tube.

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!

Jeff has been in our IT department for nearly 30 years. When he's not putting out fires or searching for the next useful tools, he can be found running and biking around town or paddleboarding in the mangroves.

Favorite Travel Memory

After a day of hiking in Custer State Park in South Dakota, we rushed out to Wildlife Loop Road in hopes of seeing some bison before sunset. We were not disappointed! A million bison crossed the road right in front of our van.

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.

Eve uses her previous public relations experience at top-ranking theme parks to craft innovative, engaging and meaningful content as a content coordinator at Miles. In her free time, if she's not at a Tampa Bay Lightning game, you can find Eve on the beach, sitting poolside or relaxing on a boat in the middle of the bay.

Favorite Travel Memory

A spontaneous weekend getaway to Anchorage turned into the Alaskan adventure of a lifetime, complete with reindeer sausage, bear spotting and an intense uphill drive in a Chevy Malibu through the tiniest mountain towns!

Kylie is an account manager with a background in media who loves lighting the path between client goals and creative execution. A Virginia native who landed in the Phoenix desert, she’s a natural wine enthusiast and crafter who spends weekends at the farmers market, treasure-hunting at antique shops or traveling to catch her favorite bands live.

Favorite Travel Memory

Australia is my favorite place — fittingly, the name “Kylie” is an Indigenous word for 'boomerang!”  On my last trip, a random Substack message to my favorite winemaker/writer led to an intimate afternoon at her Adelaide Hills vineyard; we walked the vines, cooked lunch in her kitchen and sipped natural wine right from the source.

Melissa is an art director and visitor-guide master who works with her team to develop and execute print and digital creative assets. She is a Wisconsin native who, when not shoveling snow, can be found trying out new recipes with her husband, crafting the last thing she saw on Pinterest or spending time on the water at her cabin on the lake.

Favorite Travel Memory

One of my favorite travel memories was catching freshly made hot rolls in mid-air during dinner at Lambert's Cafe in Ozark, Missouri, with my husband and his family. We all laughed out loud as the waitstaff yelled "hot rools!" and then a bun would fly through the air over our heads into an open hand!