Destinations International Staff
A seasoned tourism executive with more than 40 years of experience in the industry, Don Welsh has held positions with almost every sector within the travel and tourism industry. He currently serves as the President and CEO of Destinations International, the global trade association for convention and visitors bureaus and tourism boards.
As Chief Advocacy Officer, Jack Johnson manages the overall public policy operations at Destinations International including member advocacy education and training, development of destination tools and best practices, coalition work with peer organizations, industry research and related public affairs activities. He also oversees the board governance, the Destination Management Accreditation Program (DMAP) and the DestinationNEXT (Assessments and Planning) Program.
Sophia Hyder Hock has spent 20+ years developing tailored strategy, training, facilitation, and coaching services on topics pertaining to diversity and social inclusion, gender empowerment, community engagement and outreach, emotional intelligence, and cultural awareness for clients in the international development and travel industries. She integrates human centered design thinking, and mindfulness practices into her work as a holistic way to develop sustainable outcomes that align with business performance and the enabling environment. Operationally, Ms.
With over 20 years of experience in the travel industry, Gretchen has a proven track record of strong leadership, sustainable growth, innovative strategy and delivering results. She is a respected leader holding positions on various travel industry association boards and committees. Prior to joining Destinations International, Gretchen worked at the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau (LRCVB) and in the sports industry; developing and managing youth basketball tournaments across the US.
Introduced to the world of destination organizations by a random internship application to Visit Baltimore (then known as Baltimore Area Convention & Visitors Association), Andreas Weissenborn began an unexpected career into hospitality that left him with a continued passion towards the tourism industry.
Elaine leads strategic development of the Event Impact Calculator and related Destinations International products. She works with subscribers and product developers to ensure a great user experience, robust training resources and strong community support.
With over ten years of tourism industry experience, Alyssa Poulin is Destinations International's Director of Content Development. Alyssa leads content strategy, creation, and distribution within the Destinations International Advocacy & Research Team. She creates and curates compelling content about destination organizations, the tourism industry, and Destinations International's tools and offerings. With a deep background in destination development, she believes in the power of sustainable travel.
Stephanie is a recent graduate of Johnson & Wales University with a Master’s Degree in Global Tourism and Sustainable Economic Development. Previously, she worked as an Intern with Solimar International assisting Destination Marketing Organizations in formulating Tourism Development strategies for the Samtskhe–Javakheti region in Republic Of Georgia and the Sisian region of Armenia. Additionally, she is the author of a Tourism Research Proposal detailing ways in which Destinations can promote the concept of Sustainability to its consumers for a lasting positive impact.
Gabriel is a tourism marketing and destination development professional with more than 10 years of experience consulting for emerging and established destinations and tourism businesses around the world. He has supported city, regional, and national destination organizations to create and implement tourism strategies and master plans, develop and roll out national tourism brands, and implement international multi-channel marketing campaigns. He has worked in more than 15 countries and destinations across the United States.
Jane loves life in the Nordics and the spirit of Scotland. Her expertise is based on over 20 years of experience around the global meetings industry. Over this time she was been fortunate to have gained wonderful experiences and friends from working for some great hotels, a convention centre, a destination marketing organisation, a PCO and an alliance of convention bureau. Jane is now building a platform of valuable knowledge sharing between North America, Europe and beyond.
Tim Smith has 20+ years of strategic communications experience spanning roles in government, industry, agency and association settings. Most recently, he led corporate communications for Delaware North, a global leader in travel, hospitality and entertainment. Previously, he was Managing Director – West Coast at APCO Worldwide and Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs at Edelman, providing clients with senior communications and public affairs counsel. He has lived and worked outside the United States for more than a decade, including as a U.S.
Lauren Shoaf Pace is the organization's Vice President of Marketing and is responsible for the strategic development and implementation of all the association’s marketing initiatives. She oversees the planning, coordination and execution of marketing strategies to ensure the timely and effective delivery of campaigns and projects, as well as advise and facilitate engagement opportunities for partners and members, promote DI products, tools and resources to position DI as an industry thought leader across the globe.
Before joining Destinations International, David spent nine years as the Multimedia & Web Manager for the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau in Illinois and Iowa, leading all facets of digital marketing including website, social media and video production. He has been recognized with numerous industry awards, including: Best Tourism Website from the Illinois Office of Tourism; McDaniel Award for Bureau Innovation from the Upper Midwest CVB Fall Conference; and is a past Destinations International 30 Under 30 honoree.
Joanna is responsible for supporting the marketing and communications team across all digital channels including the website, social media, and email. She has a strong digital marketing background across a variety of industries including travel and tourism. She also assists the Partnership team in their goal of maintaining strategic partner relationships. She recently relocated to New York City from Portland, Oregon and is excited to explore her new home!
Ophélie, also known as Ofé, is a passionate marketing storyteller with 11+ years of international experience in the travel and tourism industry. With a strong background across various departments of DMOs, her expertise shines in delivering innovative solutions and crafting captivating marketing plans that drive visitation and revenue growth. As a DI 30U30 class of 2022 emerging leader, she deeply understands diverse markets and effortlessly adapts to different audiences.
Jordan Musall supports Destinations International’s business intelligence program including coordinating data collection, optimizing processes, and providing data-driven strategy. Before joining the DI team, he spent a decade as a research analyst for SMARInsights and Hamilton County Tourism. He contributed to the tourism industry as a board member for the Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA) CenStates Chapter and a Destinations International 30 under 30 honoree.
For 25 years, Julie Holmen has been actively selling individual hotel properties and entire destinations in the global travel market. Most recently, Julie was with Meeting Professionals International where she worked with their global supplier accounts and strategic alliance partners to enhance MPI's presence around the world. Julie developed a personal passion for destinations sales when she took on the challenging role of Director of Citywide Sales and Event Engagement from 2006 to 2017 with Destination Toronto.
With a strong background in the travel and tourism industry, Kim currently holds the position of Senior Director of Partnerships at Destinations International. In this role, Kim leads a team dedicated to fostering partnerships, and business membership, and implementing projects that drive sustainable business growth in both new and existing markets.
Amelia Lincoln has a background in destination marketing & event management, including six years with the Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau (Love Catalina). She holds a master’s degree in Tourism Marketing from the University of Surrey. A native of CT, she currently resides in Arizona, where she enjoys spending time with her family outdoors & traveling.
After graduating from West Virginia University, Justin Martsolf returned to his hometown of Harrisburg, PA where he spent the last 20 years in the local tourism, marketing, and sales industry. He began his tourism career with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Office of Tourism, Film & Marketing as their Marketing and Website Content Manager and later served twelve years as Partnership Director for Visit Hershey & Harrisburg (VHH).
Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Peyton Glover has cultivated a robust background in destination marketing and sports marketing since earning his bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University. Peyton is the Membership Engagement Coordinator, leading initiatives to enhance workforce development and community engagement. With a keen interest in sustainable travel and community enrichment, Peyton is dedicated to leveraging his skills and experience to foster impactful connections within the tourism and sports marketing sectors.
Greg Morris is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and Digital Event Strategist (DES) who joined Destinations International in 2018. He is responsible for the strategic direction, financial management and successful execution of all Destinations International’s meetings and events. Greg works closely with executive, volunteer board leadership and internal stakeholders to create impactful and profitable events that provide a solid return on investment while promoting Destinations International's mission and brand.
Andrea Lane Crawley is a passionate meetings and events professional, with over eight years of experience. She maintains her Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and Digital Event Strategist (DES) designations and recently obtained a certificate as a Pandemic Compliance Advisor. She is responsible for the execution of all operational aspects of Destinations International education programs, conferences, and events.
John Moritz is dedicated to crafting unforgettable experiences that resonate on a profound level. Diving into the events industry in 2016, he found his calling and hasn't looked back since. His journey began in sports events but has since spanned both the association and corporate realms, showcasing a diverse and comprehensive understanding of the industry.
Rori Ferensic is the Senior Director of Education at Destinations International, the global trade association for convention and visitors bureaus and tourism boards. Rori provides leadership in planning, budgeting, development and execution of Destinations International’s suite of education and certification programming.
Emily Scheiderer is a hospitality enthusiast with a background that includes both DMO and hotel experience. Emily’s passion for inclusivity has driven her to make meaningful connections both in and out of the industry that have included a two-year commitment to the ISAE Government Affairs committee and serving as an ambassador for the American Cancer Society’s ResearcHERS campaign. As a self-described “data nerd”, she enjoys any opportunity to expand her mind and learn.
Read some of Emily's recent publications:
Taylor Ruoff Snider manages the development and administration of Destination International’s professional development and certification programs. Taylor has a passion for advancing sustainable travel and tourism education to support and empower destination organizations and industry professionals across the globe. She has over seven years of experience in educational administration, program and project management, research, and content development for prominent industry associations, destination organizations, non-profits, and consulting firms in the travel and tourism industry.
As professional development coordinator, Kaelyn Mooney assists with the development and administration of Destinations International education and certification programs. Kaelyn’s love for travel started at a young age and she does not plan on stopping anytime soon. With over 8 years of experience in the meetings and events, non-profit organizations/association industries, she exemplifies positive and creative critical thinking, excellent customer service and a joy to collaborate with.
As Social Inclusion Manager at Destinations International, Ava leads strategic initiatives, manages impactful programs and fosters stakeholder engagement to advance equity and inclusion in the destination industry.
Chelsea Dunlop Welter is the organization's Senior Vice President of Governance & Administration and is directly responsible for managing and supporting all administration and operations for the organization including human resource functions and directly supports the executive office. Additionally, she also manages all board governance and supervision for the Destinations International Association Board of Directors, The Destinations International Foundations Board of Trustees, and their respective committees and task forces.
Pamela Hanner Richardson has nearly 20 years of experience in the information technology industry and was recently the Director of Information Technology Services with the Industrial Research Institute for the past 5 years where she successfully managed everything related to IT including the association database (iMIS), website, IRI’s first ever mobile app, learning products for members and on-going projects.
Becky is responsible for maximizing the return on financial assets by establishing financial policies, procedures, controls and reporting systems. She will ensure legal and regulatory compliance for all accounting and financial reporting functions. Heath will also manage cost and general accounting, accounts receivable and payable, budgeting, audit and treasury functions.
Lindsay supports Destinations International in the Human Resources function. Her focus is to lead with care while supporting the development and wellbeing of the Destinations International team members. Her role additionally includes the Human Resources functions of payroll, benefits, compliance, and associate relations. Lindsay joined Destinations International in 2023 after focusing her professional career in the hotel industry including the Front of House Operations and Human Resources.
Nardos supports Destinations International by focusing on Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, month-end and year-end close, annual audits and expense report reviews. Nardos holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. She recently completed her master’s degree in Accounting & Financial Management in May of 2022.
Shaniqua comes with 4 years of expertise in Information Technology and over 7 years dedicated to non-profit work. As the Information Technology Manager, she seamlessly navigates the intersection of tech and social impact. Responsible for maintaining the technology infrastructure, while skillfully channeling her expertise to serve and support members, staff, and vendors.
As the Foundation Manager for Destinations International, Kelsey brings a wealth of experience in fundraising, event coordination, and relationship building to drive progress by supporting meaningful and sustainable initiatives within the travel and tourism industry. With a degree in Social Entrepreneurship from Texas Lutheran University, she has held integral positions at esteemed organizations including the Alzheimer’s Association and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Julie is an Executive Assistant/Project Manager with over 30 years' experience supporting senior level executives in fast-paced sales, marketing and tech start-up environments. Her high-level communication and organizational skills gives her the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects and deadlines.
Contact Information
Office Address:
Destinations International
1725 Eye Street NW, Eighth Floor
Washington, D.C. 20006 USA
Mailing Address:
Destinations International
PO Box 650217
Potomac Falls, VA 20165 USA
Main Phone Number:
+1.202.296.7888