Speakers

Angie Briggs

Vice President of industry relations for the U.S. Travel Association

Angie Briggs is vice president of industry relations for the U.S. Travel Association. In her role, she is focused on engagement and growth across all member levels of the association. Briggs is a frequent traveler, spending time in-market collaborating with U.S. Travel’s national membership across all verticals of the industry.

She has served three decades in the travel industry and her experience ranges from meeting planning to destination marketing, in more recent years, she’s helped travel marketing and consulting agencies build their portfolios by establishing a strong track record of collaboration and identifying business opportunities to support national, state, regional and local destination marketing organizations, as well as hotels, airports, attractions, and businesses in the international marketplace.

With a deep passion for travel, Angie has visited 5 continents, over 25 countries, and 49 states with a bucket list of many more places to explore.

Andria Godfrey

SVP, Longwoods International

Andria Godfrey is the Senior Vice President of Longwoods International, leading the company in research development, client services, and innovation. Previously, she led global enterprise initiatives at ADARA where she led company expansion into the European, Middle Eastern, and Asian markets. Andria has over a decade of experience leveraging data to enhance marketing efficiency, program operations and to promote industry advocacy. Previously she served in research roles at the Office of the Governor, State of Texas, and the Georgia Department of Economic Development.  

Outside of her work at Longwoods Andria serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California. She earned a BA in communications and an MS in recreation, park, and tourism sciences, both from Texas A&M University.

Dan Spears

Vice President of Industry Relations and LicensingBroadcast Music, Inc.

Dan Spears is the Vice President of Industry Relations and Licensing at Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). In his capacity as Vice President, Mr. Spears works closely with BMI’s Licensing management team to create strategic, value-driven sponsorships and customer events. He serves as a pivotal bridge between the company’s Licensing, Writer/Publisher, and Business Affairs teams. In this role, Mr. Spears continues to develop new customer initiatives and strategic partnerships that feature BMI songwriter performances and help educate key accounts, while providing new sources of revenue for affiliates and licensees.

Jenissa Meredith

Executive Director of Sweetwater County Travel and Tourism

As a Sweetwater County native, Jenissa Meredith has passionately dedicated almost 15 years of her life to promoting visitation to Rock Springs and Green River, Wyoming, as the Executive Director of Sweetwater County Travel and Tourism. She has been involved in three Sweetwater County lodging tax ballot initiatives, doubling the local tourism budget, which now alone generates over $100 million annually in visitor spending in Sweetwater County.

During her tenure Jenissa has developed the local tourism industry by creating various committees and boards including the Sweetwater County Lodging Association, Sweetwater County Event Recruitment Committee, and Rock Springs & Green River Beautification Committees. She has also served on the Wyoming Travel Industry Coalition for the past 13 years, and currently serves on the Sweetwater County Outdoor Recreation Collaborative Steering Committee, Sweetwater Economic Development Advisory Board, and the Flaming Gorge Promotions Committee.

Jenissa has also developed and grown many programs over her tenure. Such programs include the R.E.A.C.H. awards, recognizing front line hospitality employees in Sweetwater County, the Certified Tourism Ambassador program and the Proud Wyoming Woman Retreats. In 2020, Jenissa and the board submitted an application to the National Scenic Byways program that was successful in designating the Flaming Gorge – Green River Basin Scenic Byway as one of only 37 All-American Roads in the United States. This designation qualifies the byway for numerous funding opportunities to develop tourist amenities.

Recognizing the need for local ticketed attractions, Jenissa and the Sweetwater County Travel and Tourism Board recently moved into tourism product development. The Flaming Gorge bus tours were created in 2020. The tours launched in 2021 and 28 tours are scheduled for summer 2022.  Jenissa and the board are also planning to launch sand board rentals in 2022 to help showcase the Killpecker Sand Dunes field in Sweetwater County.

Jim Pelley

Director at Laughter Works Seminars

Jim Pelley has been a professional speaker and seminar leader for 34 years. Prior to staring Laughter Works Seminars, Jim was a contributing writer for the original Saturday Night Live Show, and while at California State University, Sacramento; he developed a Graduate Level course entitled “The Role of Humor in Communication.”

Jim has 3206+ clients globally including hundreds in the travel and tourism industry, such as United Airlines, Disney, Marriott, NTA, IATDG, Qantas, Rocky Mountaineer. He has also been a featured keynote speaker for: BC Tourism, Oregon, South Dakota, Montana, Nevada, California, and New Mexico Tourism Organizations.  

Also, of interest seven years ago Jim added tour planning and the role of Tour Director to his resume…so literally Wyoming has a seasoned Professional Speaker, who is also a Tour Director and Planner on the stage …oh this should be interesting ….

Donna Carpenter

President & CEO of Cabarrus County Convention & Visitors Bureau

Donna Carpenter joined the Cabarrus County Convention & Visitors Bureau as President and CEO in 2009 bringing more than 14 years of experience in destination management, sales and marketing to the Bureau.

Prior to joining the Cabarrus County CVB, Donna served as the director of tourism and partnership development for five-plus years with Visit Charlotte. She was also executive director of the Stanly County Convention & Visitors Bureau, director of sports and public relations for the York County Convention & Visitors Bureau and was the executive director for the Fort Mill Chamber of Commerce.

In 2010, Donna was named one of the area’s Top Women in Business by Business Today. The same year, she became a Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) through Destinations International (formerly Destination Marketing Association International). She is also certified as a Tourism Marketing Professional through the Southeast Tourism Society (STS).

In September 2015, Donna received the Southeast Tourism Society Beacon Award, a prestigious honor recognizing an individual who best exemplifies outstanding leadership in the pursuit of excellence and who has advanced the tourism industry.

Donna has dedicated her career to the advocacy and advancement of North Carolina’s hospitality industry. As the Bureau’s leader and as a Cabarrus County resident, she is committed to enhancing the visitor experience and as a result, the quality of life and economic benefits generated by tourism.

Berkeley Young

President of Young Strategies

Berkeley Young is no stranger to Wyoming having worked with WOT and most lodging tax boards in the state since 2005.  He is President of Young Strategies, a Charlotte, NC company conducting customized research and strategic planning for destination management organizations.  Young’s hands-on experience running a CVB/DMO and managing a golf resort community gives him a unique edge when analyzing research data.  Berkeley has conducted research and strategic planning studies with destinations of all sizes in 35 states and is currently working with destinations in Wyoming, Mississippi, New York, Florida, Alabama, both Carolinas and Louisiana.

Berkeley is obsessed with understanding the behavior of travelers and how they make their destination travel decisions.  Taking that research into a comprehensive plan to unify a destination’s leaders is his favorite part of client work.   He is a highly rated speaker in the travel industry and is known for his clever approach when explaining even the most complicated data and trends.  Look out for Madelyn Matlock who is traveling with Berkeley.  She’s the brains on the team!

Shelly Blackburn

Executive Director of the Columbia County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Shelly Blackburn is the Executive Director of the Columbia County Convention and Visitors Bureau, a non-profit Destination Marketing Organization located near Augusta, GA.

Shelly began her career with the CVB as a college intern and was soon after named the Associate Director of Sales and Marketing. She served in that role for six years before being named Executive Director in February of 2017.

Shelly is a graduate of Southeast Tourism Society’s Marketing College where she earned her Tourism Marketing Professional certification. She is also a recipient of the prestigious Forty for the Future- an award recognizing Travels Leading Talent. Shelly is a recipient of the GACVB Leadership Excellence Certification.

She and her team are the creators of the Serene18 Paddle Trail; which has gained regional and national exposure for Columbia County, including a Destiny Award from the US Travel Association.

Jesse Ryan

Chief Brand Strategist, New Thought

Jesse Ryan is the Chief Brand Strategist at New Thought Digital in Jackson, Wyoming. With over twelve years of experience leading integrated brand and media strategies, Jesse has helped some of the Rocky Mountain region’s premier destinations and organizations identify their competitive values and communicate those messages to market. While away from his desk, Jesse contributes to the leadership of multiple Wyoming non-profits including the Grand Teton Association, and the Jackson Hole Center For The Arts. 

LB Haney

Senior Media Director, New Thought

LB Haney is the Senior Media Director at New Thought Digital in Jackson, Wyoming. Specializing in digital media strategy, inbound marketing, and cross-platform advertising, LB guides the online communication efforts for a multitude of regional brands and destination marketing organizations. With a digital marketing portfolio spanning ten years, LB is an expert in online media channels including Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and programmatic display channels. 

Alyssa Poulin

Senior Manager of Advocacy and Research Content, Destinations International

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. Alyssa also supports the development and growth of the Event Impact Calculator (EIC) to ensure an excellent user experience, robust training resources, and strong community support. With a deep background in destination development, she believes in the power of sustainable travel. 

Cam Sholly

 Superintendent of Yellowstone National Park

Cameron (Cam) Sholly assumed duties as the superintendent of Yellowstone National Park in October of 2018. Yellowstone is one of the largest national park operations in the world spanning 2.2 million acres and receiving over 4 million visits each year. The park has a team of over 1,000 employees and volunteers and an annual budget exceeding $60 million. Cam is a third-generation park service manager and began his National Park Service (NPS) career in 1990.

Cam holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Saint Mary’s College of California and a master’s degree in environmental management from Duke University. He is a graduate of the Harvard University Senior Executive Fellows Program and the FBI National Academy. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army and deployed to Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

Matt Clement

Managing Partner at Madden Media

Matt Clement is a Managing Partner at Madden Media where his focus is helping clients close the gap between strategic plans, marketing efforts, research, stakeholders and consumers. He has worked in the tourism industry for over 12 years, including at Arrivalist, Visit Fort Worth and Experience Fayetteville. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Travel Association, and California Travel Association and has held previous board positions with the Destinations International and the Texas Travel Alliance. Matt earned his Certified Destination Management Executive certification in 2013.