Travel Leaders, America’s leading travel agency franchise brand, has announced the results of its most recent Franchise Advisory Board elections in which six, new Travel Leaders Associates were chosen to represent their peers. They will join six additional members who continue serving two-year terms. In all, these 12 Travel Leaders travel agency owners represent five regional districts throughout the United States plus two members represent the Leaders Group – the largest agencies in the Travel Leaders network. The Travel Leaders Franchise Advisory Board serves as a sounding board for the travel agency network’s strategic planning efforts and offers key leadership at Travel Leaders headquarters guidance on policy changes, program development and product introductions.
The newly elected members were voted onto the Franchise Advisory Board by their colleagues from a slate of candidates for each respective region, during the 2013 Travel Leaders National Meeting which took place in Atlanta, November 14-16, 2013. They include:
• Lisa Gilliatt (Cedar Rapids, IA) – elected to two-year term, representing the Mid Northwest District (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin).
• Katherine Stirmlinger (St. Louis, MO) – elected to two-year term, representing the South Central District (Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas).
• Judy Clappin (East Greenwich, RI) – reelected to two-year term, representing the Northeast/Northern District (Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont).
• Mike King (Fredericksburg, VA) – reelected to two-year term, representing the Southeast/Mid-Atlantic District (Alabama, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia).
• Ted Child (Colchester, VT) – elected to two-year term, representing the Leaders Group.
• Alex Trettin (Tacoma, WA) – elected to two-year term, representing the Western District (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming).
Those six Travel Leaders will serve alongside these additional Travel Leaders members whose terms run through December 2014:
• Terry Denton (Fort Worth, TX) – South Central District
• Jay Ellenby (Bel Air, MD) – Southeast/Mid-Atlantic District
• Julie Harrington, CTC (Richland, WA) – Western District
• Denise Petricka (Eau Claire, WI) – Mid Northwest District
• Christy Prescott (San Antonio, TX) – Leader Group representative
• Ann Waters (Fort Wayne, IN) – Northeast/Northern District
“We are coming off of one of our most successful National Meetings ever, where we welcomed nearly 700 travel agents and travel industry leaders to Atlanta. Our newly elected Franchise Advisory Board members submitted their nominations, credentials and personal bios to their colleagues, prior to the conference, and then spoke with the delegation from their region immediately ahead of the elections. Their peers have entrusted them to be a vital conduit to our headquarters team in shaping the future of our agency network,” stated Roger E. Block, CTC, President of Travel Leaders Franchise Group. “We look forward to our continued collaboration with this group of dedicated business owners. With their help and support, we have developed best-in-class programs that earned Travel Leaders 15 Travel Weekly Magellan Awards this year – more than any other travel agency organization. In 2014, these 12 individuals will undoubtedly provide us with the necessary guidance and feedback that will allow us to continue elevating their businesses and our Travel Leaders brand across the country.”
Travel Leaders is the flagship travel agency brand of Travel Leaders Group, which is the largest traditional travel agency company in North America with approximately $18 billion in annual sales volume.
Travel Leaders is transforming travel with a name that boldly embodies our commitment to our vacation and business travel clients via a progressive approach toward each unique travel experience. As one of America’s top ten-ranked travel companies, Travel Leaders has assisted millions of travelers through our strong roots – the former Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates, TraveLeaders and Tzell Travel Group joined together in 2008 to form one of the industry’s fastest-growing and robust networks of travel agents. Travel Leaders Franchise Group can trace its beginnings to 1984 as the franchise system “Ask Mr. Foster Travel,” which itself was North America’s first travel agency chain established in 1888.
