Speaker Bios & Presentations

  Click here for Dr Cooks presentation

Suzanne D. Cook, Ph.D, Senior Vice President of Research, US Travel Association

Dr. Suzanne Cook is Senior Vice President of Research for the U.S. Travel Association in Washington, DC. She directs a multi-faceted program of marketing, economic and international research and report publication, including the Travel Economic Impact Model, the only national model which provides consistent and comparable estimates of both domestic and international travel's economic impact at the national, state, and local levels. TIA also monitors the size, characteristics and growth of existing and emerging travel markets on an ongoing basis through programs such as TravelHorizons ™, a quarterly travel survey conducted in conjunction with the Ypartnership.

Dr. Cook is the principal author of many reports, a frequent speaker at industry conferences, and an adjunct faculty member at The George Washington University. She has taught graduate level courses in research methods in Washington, D.C., abroad, and online, and has served as President and Chair of the Board of the International Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA). Travel Agent Magazine named Dr. Cook as one of the 200 most powerful women in the travel industry. She is the recipient of the Travel and Tourism Research Association's highest and most prestigious award, The Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as the Access to Freedom Award given by the Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality.

Dr. Cook joined U.S. Travel in 1977. Prior to that, she held the position of Senior Project Director for the Arbitron Company, a major broadcasting research firm. She received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Social Psychology from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She resides in Alexandria, Virginia, but also spends time at the historic tavern she owns with her husband in Bryantown, Maryland. Reflecting her interest in heritage tourism, she also serves on the Board of Governors of the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association, as has served on the Board of Directors of the Southern Maryland Heritage Area Consortium.

Henry H. Harteveldt, Vice President & Principal Analyst, Forrester Research Inc.

Henry leads the firm's global travel industry research efforts. His research focuses on topics relevant to travel marketing, e-business and product management professionals. Since joining Forrester in January 2000, Henry’s research has become recognized as a leading indicator of key trends.

Named one of the 33 most influential people in the travel industry by Travel Weekly magazine, Henry has been honored by numerous industry associations. Top-tier media, including CNN, Fox Business News, CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Bloomberg, regularly seek Henry’s assessment on travel industry activity. Henry serves on the board of Directors of the Association of Travel Marketing Executives (ATME) and on the Advisory Board for TravelCom, an annual travel eBusiness and marketing conference. Henry is a graduate of the Tulane University School of Business in New Orleans and is based in San Francisco.

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Bill Graham, President, Graham Corporate Communications

Bill Graham has spent his career helping people find powerful ways to tell their stories: in theaters, on television, in the classroom and in the boardroom. In the world of communications, Bill has done a wide variety of work, including keynotes, workshops, oral presentations and private coaching. He helps individuals and groups take their complicated stories, streamline them and then powerfully deliver them.

Bill's background includes extensive experience behind the scenes in theater and television. Today, he conducts group seminars, trains corporate executives and sales teams, writes non-profit grants and coaches school faculties. He has also trained bankers, boards of directors, and architects. Bill is an adjunct professor at Seton Hall University. He lives with his wife and three daughters in Montclair, New Jersey.

 

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Jon Schepke, Founding Partner & President, SIM Partners

Jon is an Internet marketing industry veteran who has been in the space for over a decade. Since the mid-1990s, Jon's passions for technology and marketing have driven innovative marketing strategies that have focused on achieving significant ROI for multiple Fortune 1000 companies. Jon's broad understanding of the space includes all facets of Internet marketing, technology, Web analytics, research and tracking.

Jon started SIM Partners in January 2006 to help clients take advantage of the fast-paced changes in the industry. In addition to providing a standard suite of eCommerce services, SIM Partners is helping clients optimize their business with www.LocalHotelDirectory.com, YourConciergeTV, Web video production, distribution and promotion, Destination M (mobile marketing platform), social-media strategies and iPhone applications.

 

 



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Martin Stoll, Founder and President, GoSeeTell Network

Martin is the founder and president of GoSeeTell Network Inc., a Portland, Oregon-based technology and consulting company. GoSeeTell offers social travel solutions that allow tourism organizations and travel suppliers to integrate social media into their marketing and communications mix. GoSeeTell has successfully developed and implemented cutting-edge social media campaigns for customers around the world such as Virgin Blue, V Australia, the Netherlands Board of Tourism, the San Francisco CVB and Travel Portland.

Before founding GoSeeTell, Martin worked as a travel journalist as well as for Lufthansa Airlines in various sales and marketing positions in Europe, Latin America and the United States. A thought leader with over 20 years of experience in travel, technology and social media, Martin speaks on a regular basis at leading industry conferences.

 

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Michele J. Michalewicz, CTP President and Co-Owner, Western Leisure, Inc.

Western Leisure is a regional receptive operator that has been offering destination management services and customized tour programs in the U.S. and Canada since 1979. They are experts at customizing group tours, incentive programs and special events.

Michele began her career working in Yellowstone during summers in college. In 1983, she accepted a full-time position with TW Services at Yellowstone National Park in the Group Tour Department. In 1987, Western Leisure, Inc. hired Michele as Director of Operations, and she rapidly rose through the organization to the position of President. A long-time supporter of the travel industry, Michele has actively served the National Tour Association on various committees and has volunteered in many roles since 1988. She served as chairman of NTA in 2009 and will continue on the NTA Executive Board of Directors as Past Chair for 2010.

 

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Andria Ryan, Employment and Labor Law Attorney, Fisher & Phillips LLP

Andria Ryan is a partner in the Atlanta office of Fisher & Phillips LLP. She represents employers in virtually every area of employment and labor law. She spends much of her time counseling employers in day-to-day employment and labor decisions and educating them about the prevention of and practical solutions to workplace problems.

Andria is a frequent speaker to industry groups and human resources professionals on such topics as avoiding harassment in the workplace, maintaining a union-free workplace, avoiding discrimination claims, proper interviewing, and effective discipline and discharge techniques. She is the Chair of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia.