Team & Leadership

Meet the Brand USA Team

Brand USA's dynamic team brings together some of the brightest and most experienced minds in global sales and marketing, consumer products and services, and the travel and tourism industry. Browse this page to learn more about our team.

Travel Week Speakers
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Shape Created with Sketch. Atlanta, Georgia
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George Bansah

Director, Budget & Forecast Liaison

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Favorite Travel Memory

Driving through Sedona to the Grand Canyon

Hometown/Home State

Ghana, West Africa and Dumfries, Virginia

Favorite Travel Destination

Venice Beach, California and Atlanta, Georgia

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Picture at Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska
Shape Created with Sketch. Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska
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Casey D'Ambra

Director of Content

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Favorite Travel Memory

Almost trampled by a black rhinoceros in Kruger National Park, South Africa

Something Interesting

Appeared in an episode of the TV show, Burn Notice

Hometown/Home State

West Palm Beach, Florida

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Vail, Colorado
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Amanda Davis

Director, Global Trade Development (UK & Europe)

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Favorite Travel Memory

My favorite trip was a family road trip throughout Arizona, including stops in Sedona, Scottsdale, and the Grand Canyon.

Hometown/Home State

Richmond, Virginia

Favorite Travel Destination

The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia. It's a hidden gem!

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Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve, Idaho
Shape Created with Sketch. Craters of the Moon Monument, Idaho
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Luke Hennig

Director, Partner Marketing Operations

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Favorite Travel Memory

I got the travel bug early when my family lived in India for five months and I spent half my eighth grade year at an international school!

Community Service

As co-chair of Brand USA’s Corporate Social Responsibility committee, I am honored to help shape Brand USA’s approach to giving back.

Hometown/Home State

I’m proud of my home state of Minnesota for its many “hidden gem” experiences for visitors, especially in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA).

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Picture MJung Asheville, NC
Shape Created with Sketch. Asheville, North Carolina
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Mimi Jung

Director, Branding & Design

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Favorite Travel Memory

Exploring wild waterfalls throughout the Asheville region in western North Carolina

Travel in the USA

Florida Keys—swimming and kayaking through the crystal clear waters alongside the diverse marine life

Hometown/Home State

The nation’s capital—Washington, D.C.

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Packrafting on the Colorado River
Shape Created with Sketch. Colorado River
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Aila Lambznak

Director, Salesforce Operations

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Favorite Travel Memory

Paddleboarding among bioluminescence algae followed by a winter solstice bonfire on the beach in Mexico.

Hometown/Home State

Oak Creek, Colorado

Favorite Travel Destination

Istanbul

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Shape Created with Sketch. Miami - Art Basel
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Tina Nguyen

Director, Project Management

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Hometown/Home State

Arlington, VA

Community Service

Tina is a SheFi scholar and member of Web3 Equity, both women-led communities in pursuit of gender equity in the web3 space.

Something Interesting

In her free time, she enjoys cooking, volunteering with the Second Harvest Food Bank, and spoiling her cat, Posey.

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Jonas Onkelinx

Director, Research & Insights

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Favorite Travel Memory

Seeing a grizzly mama with cubs, moose, elk, and countless bison in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks

Something Interesting

Visited more than 90 National and State Parks in 31 states

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Kat Pommer

Director, Technology

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Picture in Fort Myers, Florida
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Carolyn Qualls

Director, Partner Marketing Operations

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Favorite Travel Memory

Family trips to Galveston Island, Texas.

Hometown/Home State

Arlington, Texas

Favorite Travel Destination

Costa Rica

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Picture at Delicate Arch, UT
Shape Created with Sketch. Delicate Arch, Utah
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Coralis Rivera-Aponte

Director, Social Media

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Favorite Travel Memory

Going on a father-daughter road trip through Yellowstone.

Hometown/Home State

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Favorite Travel Destination

Mexico City

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Blanca Romero in Ocean City, Maryland
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Blanca Romero

Director of Office & Facilities Management

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Favorite Travel Memory

My first solo trip to Disneyland where I learned that I am still a child at heart!

Community Service

Serving others in times of need is a fulfillment in my life.

Hometown/Home State

I consider El Salvador and Maryland my home.

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Mount Hood, Oregon
Shape Created with Sketch. Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon
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Jennifer Ross

Director, Marketing Operations

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Favorite Travel Memory

Family vacations to the Great Smoky Mountains growing up

Community Service

Community Outreach for Capital Rowing Club

Hometown/Home State

Charleston, South Carolina

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Maria Santos in Washington, DC
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Maria Santos

Director, Marketing

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Travel in the USA

My family and I spent every holiday and summer vacation while I was growing up going to Boca Raton, Florida and I would insist on going to Disney World every single time. Never got tired of it!

Hometown/Home State

Tenafly, New Jersey, but grew up in Caracas, Venezuela! – my heart is divided.

Favorite Travel Destination

There are many places in the U.S. that I want to go to still, all mostly around California: Yosemite, Napa Valley, and San Francisco!

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Rianna Airitam
Shape Created with Sketch. San Diego, California
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Rianna Airitam

Senior Manager, Partner Operations

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Favorite Travel Memory

​I got stuck in Boston, Massachusetts once due to heavy snow and that was the first time I'd ever seen more than 6 inches of accumulation!

Travel in the USA

My family likes to road trip and I like seeing the changing scenery across states.

Hometown/Home State

Rowlett, Texas

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Shape Created with Sketch. Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland
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Craig Ashby

Senior Manager, Business Processes & Financial Analytics

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Favorite Travel Memory

Visit to George Washington National Forest in West Virginia. The Dark skies show the Milky Way and it was one the most beautiful sites I have seen.

Community Service

Habitat for Humanity rebuild in New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. I also volunteer for church projects to assist the elderly.

Favorite Travel Destination

There are many. My favorite destination in the U.S. would be the Rocky Mountains; Puerto Rico for magnificent scenery, beaches, and musical nightlife: and New Orleans for the jazz music.

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Acadia National Park
Shape Created with Sketch. Acadia National Park
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Dani Campana

Senior Manager, Partner Engagement

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Favorite Travel Memory

Annual family vacations to the Outer Banks, NC!

Something Interesting

My last name means "bell" in Italian and Spanish.

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Grand Teton National Park, WY
Shape Created with Sketch. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
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Phil Dickieson

Senior Manager, Events

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Favorite Travel Memory

Participated in the "52 Hike Challenge" and did 52 hikes in a year—spent the whole year traveling around the DC/MD/VA area finding new places to hike.

Hometown/Home State

Born in Washington, DC, and raised in Bethesda, MD, he now lives in DC where he soaks in the history and spends time learning more about the unique neighborhoods and culture.

Favorite Travel Destination

Maine! Whether you're braving the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean or hiking a mountain in Acadia National Park, there's always something exciting to do.

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Route 66
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Andrew Felts

Senior Manager, Media Relations & Communications

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Favorite Travel Memory

Driving along Highway 1 for the first time from San Francisco to Monterey, CA

Hometown/Home State

Camden, Alabama

Favorite Travel Destination

Pacific Northwest

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Jerod Fuchs

Senior Manager, Partner Engagement

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Washington, DC
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Paul Howard, CPA

Assistant Controller

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Favorite Travel Memory

Going to the Thousand Islands National Parks in Canada as a child every summer.

Hometown/Home State

Berwyn, Pennsylvania

Favorite Travel Destination

My favorite travel destinations in the U.S. are Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming and San Francisco, California.

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Joshua Tree National Park
Shape Created with Sketch. Joshua Tree National Park
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Maya Hua

Senior Manager, Partner Engagement

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Hometown/Home State

Chicago, Il

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Snowbird, Utah
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Chelsea Sullivan Kaiser

Senior Manager, Partner Marketing

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Favorite Travel Destination

St. Michael’s, Maryland. Picturesque seaside views, boutique shopping, and all-you-can-eat crab!

Favorite Travel Memory

Relaxing with friends in Beech Mountain, NC, a cozy ski town with incredible views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Hometown/Home State

Silver Spring, MD

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Picture at Shenandoah National Park
Shape Created with Sketch. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
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Matt Nicoletta

Senior Manager, Marketing Analytics & Business Insights

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Hometown/Home State

Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

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Semaj Carr

Senior Manager, Human Resources

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Picture at Biltmore Estate in North Carolina
Shape Created with Sketch. Asheville, North Carolina
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Alex Dudich

Manager, Partner Marketing Operations

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Favorite Travel Memory

Navigating Iceland's Ring Road with family.

Hometown/Home State

Wheeling, West Virginia

Favorite Travel Destination

Tie between Iceland and Czech Republic

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Picture at Walk Disney World, Florida
Shape Created with Sketch. Walt Disney World, Florida
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Maggie Eng

Manager, Revenue & Financial

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Favorite Travel Memory

Going on a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon.

Hometown/Home State

Hong Kong

Favorite Travel Destination

Taiwan

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Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, Japan
Shape Created with Sketch. Kyoto, Japan
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Desmon Hickson

Manager, Global Trade Development (APAC)

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Favorite Travel Memory

Living with his host family in Japan.

Hometown/Home State

Baltimore, Maryland

Favorite Travel Destination

Japan

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Laura at ME Base Camp
Shape Created with Sketch. Everest Base Camp
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Laura Jacobson

Manager, Global Trade Development (UK, Europe & India)

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Favorite Travel Memory

Climbing alone to the Everest Base Camp in 2017

Hometown/Home State

Vilnius, Lithuania

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Marsha Jones

Manager, Financial Operations

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Community Service

Volunteers with local NAACP and Veterans Affairs (VA)

Something Interesting

Danced on Soul Train for teens in Los Angeles

Hometown/Home State

Los Angeles, California

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