ASTA Names New Executive Committee and Board of Directors at Global Convention

This week, during its Global Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the American of Travel Advisors (ASTA) named its new Executive Committee and Board of Directors, a group of individuals who will help shape and guide ASTA over the next two years.

Jackie Friedman, the president of Nexion Travel Group, will take over as chair of the board for Marc Casto, who departs as chair after his two-year term. Casto will stay on as director-at-large.

Friedman first joined ASTA as a volunteer in 2012 and told attendees during this week’s Global Convention that her new role is a “long time coming.”

“I’m honored to have this opportunity right now,” she said.

Freidman added that she will continue to pursue the three goals that Casto laid out during this term, including reaching 20,000 ASTA members by 2025. Friedman pointed to three things that the Board, and all of ASTA’s members, should think about when pursuing that goal—acquiring new members, engaging current members, and retaining current members.

“It’s going to take all of us in this room to tell the ASTA story,” she said.

Joining Friedman will be Lee Thomas, the COO of Altour and president of Business Travel & The Travel Authority, who comes on as vice chair and secretary; Kelly Bergin, the CEO of Duglin Travel Group, who comes on as Treasurer; and Kathy Bedell, the SVP of BCD Travel, who joins as the chair of ASTA’s Corporate Advisory Council.

The full list of board members, who will all officially begin their two-year terms as the Global Convention wraps up this week, is:

• Kathy Bedell, SVP, BCD Travel – CAC Chair
• Deb Belchak, President, Lazy Dayz Travel – Regional Director
• Kelly Bergin, CEO, Duglin Travel Group – Treasurer
• Marc Casto, President Leisure Americas, Flight Centre Travel Group – Director-at-Large
• Jackie Friedman, President, Nexion Travel Group – Chair
• Kareem George, Principal; Founder, Culture Traveler, LLC – Director-at-Large
• Robert Hale, COO, Travel N Relax Inc – Regional Director
• Tiffany Hines, President & CEO, Global Escapes – Director-at-Large
• Pamela Irwin, Vice President of Sales, ATB Travel – Director-at-Large
• Amanda Klimak, President/Co-Owner, Largay Travel – CAC Director
• Anita Pagliasso, Vice President of Industry Relations, KHM Travel Group – Director-at-Large
• Shelly Phillips, Owner, Travel By That Girl – Regional Director
• Rhonda Shumway, President, TerraMar Travel – Small Business Network Director
• Lee Thomas, COO, ALTOUR; President, Business Travel & The Travel Authority – Vice Chair/Secretary
• John Werner, President, MAST Travel Network – Consortium Director
• Deb Belchak, President, Lazy Dayz Travel