From the fast-paced world of New York's advertising scene to the steppes of Kazakhstan and along the Great Silk Road, it's been an exciting and adventurous journey to get to where I am today...
|
|
I began my professional career in the advertising and direct marketing fields working on tourism-related accounts. From the Alaskan cruise and airline industry of Seattle, I ventured east to New York City where I became Senior Account Executive at Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising on the Celebrity Cruises account.
After the notorious fast pace of the advertising world took its toll on me, I decided it was time to fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer and moved to Kazakhstan, where I taught English and economic development concepts to over 200 students per week (2001-2003). I lived at the local level and acquired an in-depth understanding of the former-Soviet culture and mentality. As a result, I also speak intermediate-level Russian. |
My overseas experience led me to the conclusion that I wanted to work in
International Sustainable Tourism Development - and it all began in Cambodia.
|
After a life-altering trip to Thailand and Cambodia, I decided to combine my private-sector work in the field of tourism with international development and attained a Masters of Tourism Administration in Sustainable Destination Management from The George Washington University (2006).
My love for Cambodia and its people led me back to the country, where I lived and worked for nearly four years in sustainable tourism, ecotourism and in marketing and branding by providing the Government of Cambodia with it's first national branding campaign. I worked as a consultant for WWF, the World Bank (IFC), GIZ and The Asia Foundation. |
Planting rice as part of a community-based tourism project in rural Cambodia - the most fun I've ever had performing hard labor!
|
From Cambodia to the Middle East
|
In 2010, I assisted with many facets of the national branding campaign for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan as a consultant for Solimar International on the USAID/Chemonics Tourism Development Project. I also wrote copy for a brochure promoting a women's pottery cooperative outside of Petra.
In the photo to the left, I am negotiating a camel ride with a Bedouin guide at Petra (he won!). It was one of the most memorable days of my life and anyone who's been to Petra knows exactly what I'm talking about... A truly magical place! |
And back to Southeast Asia... this time, Vietnam!
|
From 2010-2011, I worked for the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Da Lat, Vietnam as a Community-Based Ecotourism Expert.
I assisted national park staff and indigenous groups living adjacent to the protected area with capacity-building in terms of ecotrail development, offering wilderness tourism guide training, and plans for running the new visitor's center. I also built the capacity of national park staff and local communities in understanding concepts related to ecotourism and community-based ecotourism. |
From Vietnam, I ended up in London, UK...
|
In 2012, I completed my second masters degree - this time an MA in Managing Archaeological Sites from University College London (UCL).
As part of the Institute of Archaeology, I became proficient in the processes of Applied Cultural Heritage Management, Managing Archaeological Sites, Public Archaeology, and all aspects of Managing Museums. I assisted with Open Days at the Billingsgate Roman Bath and House - an ancient bath house currently located in the basement of a modern building. I also co-wrote a management plan for future site development. |
|
And back to Kazakhstan after eight long years.
I discovered an 8th-Century Chinese coin while excavating at the site - the most compelling artifact found to date!
|
In 2012, I returned to Kazakhstan with the Centre for Applied Archaeology in London to assist with the management of a Silk Road-era archaeological excavation site at the central bazaar in Taraz.
I was the Russian translator and handled most on-the-ground logistics for a senior archaeologist and nine students from UCL who needed my assistance with translation, housing, transportation and other duties. I also conducted in-depth research for my master's dissertation, which looked at the conflicting values of a diverse group of stakeholders and how they manifested into major challenges for market sellers, market owners, the government and private-sector interests. |
From there, I returned to the USA where I worked as a
Docent at the History Museum in my hometown.
|
I assisted visitors to the “Leonardo Da Vinci: Machines in Motion” exhibit by providing interpretation and answering myriad questions, which enhanced their experience and prompted repeat visitation.
I also provided a strategic vision for fundraising, customer retention, marketing, membership expansion and further collaboration with local and regional communities and businesses. |
|
My experience in Archaeological/Cultural Heritage Site Management and Tourism brought me to Armenia where I wrote a Site Preservation Plan for a famous cave.
|
Areni-1 Cave in Southeastern Armenia housed the world's oldest leather shoe and the world's oldest wine-making facility (circa 3500 BCE).
The Site Preservation and Tourism Plan aims first-and-foremost to preserve the cave and other artifacts located therein and also provides ways to promote sustainable tourism in the short-, medium- and long-term at both the cave site and in the region. |
And subsequently to the Choctaw Nation of Southeast Oklahoma
|
In 2014, in collaboration with The George Washington University, I researched and wrote a comprehensive Tourism Development Plan for the Choctaw Nation (American Indian Tribe) of Southeast Oklahoma as a Cultural Tourism Consultant. The Nation is not a reservation and is extremely large, covering 10,000 square miles. The region contains many remnants of the Trail of Tears, as the Native American tribes were forced to walk to Oklahoma from Mississippi, the U.S. Civil War, remnants of the Wild West's cowboys and Indians, sightings of infamous outlaws including Jesse James, Clyde Barrow and Belle Starr, Runestone State Park which may prove the Vikings preceded Columbus to the New World, as well as pre-historic sites such as the Spiro Mounds.
|
Spiro Mounds in the Choctaw Nation
|
And back to Central Asia - this time to Turkmenistan!
One of the most alluring and mysterious places on the planet, I was privileged to teach students, faculty and tourism practitioners as a Tourism Specialist at the Institute of Tourism and Sports.
Camel crossings are a common experience! And the country's near infinite amount of natural gas makes it very wealthy. A Soviet mishap in the 1970s has left an open burning mine shaft to this day! |
Known to tourists as the "Gates of Hell" this gas mine shaft has been burning since the 1970s!
|
From Turkmenistan to Bangladesh
I literally flew from Turkmenistan to Bangladesh (via Istanbul) to begin an Ecotourism Consultancy on the World Bank-funded "Strengthening Regional Cooperation for Wildlife Protection" Project. I traveled throughout the country over the course of six weeks (I love my job!) visiting three national parks. I returned to the USA, wrote comprehensive Ecotourism Management Plans, and returned in April and May (2015) to present the plans, receive feedback, and conduct a Training on Ecotourism for Forest Department staff.
|
|
