Brian T. Mullis is an internationally recognized expert in sustainable tourism development and destination stewardship. He founded Sustainable Travel International in 2002, and continues to serve the organization in the CEO role.

Mullis is an internationally recognized expert in sustainable tourism development. He boasts an extensive track record of successful project development and implementation with international partners spanning 20-plus years. During his career, he has designed and developed solutions for destinations and businesses in more than 40 countries across five continents, in areas like low carbon tourism, market access, capacity building, enterprise development, and sustainable tourism standards.

Under his leadership, Sustainable Travel International has become the leading global NGO focused on innovative sustainable tourism development and conservation solutions for the travel and tourism industry. In 2013, he was appointed to the United States National Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.

Brian has more than 21 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry, including an extensive track record of project development and implementation with international partners. He began his career working in National Parks in the United States, then moved on to own and operated an international travel company specializing in adventure travel and ecotourism. His experience includes specialist knowledge of sustainable tourism policy and management frameworks as they relate to biodiversity conservation, cultural-heritage preservation and localized economic development.

Brian has extensive experience working with the tourism value chain in the areas of sustainable and business development. He has assisted hundreds of companies and destinations, from Fortune 500 companies and SMEs to emerging destinations and SIDS. His work has taken him to more than 40 countries across five continents.

Dr. Louise Twining-Ward is a sustainable tourism specialist with 20 years of international consulting experience. She has a Ph.D. in Sustainable Tourism from the University of Surrey in the UK and a MSc. in Tourism Planning and Management also from the University of Surrey.

Louise has lived and worked in over thirty countries, helping businesses, destinations, and governments transition to more sustainable management practices. Her special area of interest is the development and use of indicators for monitoring sustainable tourism destination management.  Her work in the South Pacific included the Samoa Tourism Development Plan, the Cook Islands Human Resource Strategy, the South Pacific Accommodation Classification Program, the South Pacific Ecotourism Code of Practice, and the South Pacific Regional Tourism Handicraft project. Her work in Sub Saharan Africa includes the World Bank Africa Tourism Database, the Africa Tour Operator Study, The Namibia Tourism Policy Note and the Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Strategy.

Louise is the author of the 2010 UN Women and UNWTO’s Global Report on Women in Tourism, guest writer for UNEP’s Green Economy Report, author of the World Bank’s Africa Region Tourism Strategy, and co-author of the book Monitoring for a Sustainable Tourism Transition: the Challenge of Developing and Using Indicators.

Prior to joining Sustainable Travel International in 2011, Louise was Technical Advisor for the Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label, Consultant for The World Bank Finance and Private Sector Development Unit for Africa, and Senior Associate at Tourism Resource Consultants, New Zealand. Louise is Visiting Fellow at the University of Surrey, UK, an editorial board member of the Journal of Sustainable Tourism, and an accredited STEP Eco-Certification Assessor.

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An avid traveler and outdoor enthusiast, Brian’s professional interest in sustainable tourism began at the University of Utah, where he earned his degree in Commercial Recreation and Tourism and specialized in eco-tourism. He spent a number of years managing national and international tour operations before moving on tothe high tech industry. After 10 years driving innovation in software development, Brian returned to his roots in the travel industry, joining Sustainable Travel International in 2011.

In his current role, Brian wears a number of hats on a daily basis, leading program development, business development and outreach efforts, while guiding implementation on a variety of major client projects. Brian also helps to guide the Sustainable Travel Leadership Network, which brings together executive-level managers representing all sectors of travel, and is a keynote speaker at many industry events.

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Seleni Matus has more than 12 years of professional experience in designing and directing large-scale and multi-stakeholder initiatives that have mainstreamed sustainable tourism principles into key sectors of the tourism industry.

She has worked in close collaboration with private sector and governments in tourism destinations throughout northern Mesoamerica to develop and implement destination-level sustainable management plans and programs, in particular for the cruise sector, that have enhanced the quality of tourism products offered and helped to ensure the long-term health of natural ecosystems.

In addition, Seleni has significant experience in developing a wide range of sustainable tourism planning and business-to-business tools. Examples of these tools include industry-level criteria and indicators for sustainable marine tours for the cruise industry, and practical tourism planning guides such as Linking Communities, Tourism & Conservation: A Tourism Assessment Process that communities can use to help determine the viability of a proposed ecotourism business concept.

Seleni’s professional experience is deeply grounded in Belize where she developed the country’s national-level tour guide training and certification program, and also managed Programme for Belize’s ecotourism tour operation and lodges. She recently served as Belize’s Director of Tourism overseeing an unprecedented organizational change process in which the Belize Tourism Board’s strategic programs were recalibrated and resources reallocated to more effectively meet the demands of a fiercely competitive global marketplace.

Seleni was instrumental in the establishment of the Mesoamerican Ecotourism Alliance serving as a founding member and its first President. More recently she also served on the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s Board of Directors.

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Keith Dokho is a seasoned international development professional with more than 10 years of experience working with public and private sector partners on sustainable tourism, economic growth, community development, and livelihood initiatives. Prior to joining Sustainable Travel International in 2012, Keith worked at DAI, where he led several international development projects for donors like the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Bank Group, and Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). He applies a market- based approach to destination development that encourages long-term sustainable growth.

Keith holds a Master of Tourism Administration in Sustainable Destination Management from The George Washington University and a Master of Business Administration in International Business and Marketing from Loyola University, Chicago. He has research, consulting, and work experience on 6 continents in a variety of challenging environments, and is currently based in Washington, DC.

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Marcia Stilwell joined Sustainable Travel International in 2012. She is a corporate finance and operations professional who sent 13 years at NIKE, Inc. as Corporate Treasurer. Marcia brings progressive experience building and leading teams through domestic and international expansion, challenging market cycles, constantly changing landscapes, and reorganizations.

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Jeremy Sampson joined Sustainable Travel International in early 2011 as Senior Director, Marketing and Communications. He plays a lead role in strategic planning, while overseeing the organization’s marketing and communications efforts, including the development of a new brand and website for its 10th Anniversary in 2012.

Jeremy also leads projects for destination and business clients which link sustainability initiatives to strategic marketing and communications. His projects range from Namibia to Oregon to Lanzarote, Spain. A practiced trainer and presenter, Jeremy is known for his ability to deliver learning outcomes in an entertaining and compelling manner.

Prior to his work at Sustainable Travel International, Jeremy spent a decade directing sales, operations and marketing efforts for two of the top for-profit supplemental education brands in the San Francisco Bay Area. He spent 4 years as Director of Marketing at Galileo Learning, and 6 years in multiple roles at SCORE! Educational Centers, including a stint as the Northern California Marketing Manager.

Jeremy’s marketing career began at San Francisco-based travel agency Ambassador Tours, where he partnered with cruise lines and tour operators on cooperative marketing and sales efforts.

An avid traveler, Jeremy spent a year in Rio de Janeiro teaching English to multinational corporate executives after graduating from UC Berkeley with a BA in Mass Communications.

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Robert (Bobby) Chappell is a sustainability professional with over 12 years’ experience in environmental assessment and tourism. In his role as Director of Standards Development and Eco-certification, Bobby is at the forefront of the sustainability movement. He is the architect behind the STEP Sustainability Management Framework and Green Communities Program, and is also the lead facilitator for industry training workshops and assessor training courses.

Bobby has helped variety of global businesses, destinations, corporations, alliance organizations, and tourism boards implement the STEP Framework, including Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Hostelling International, Vail Resorts, Leading Hotels of the World, Globus Family of Brands, Guinness Storehouse, Timberline Lodge, Travel Oregon, and Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce. He has also been influential on standards development projects like the European Union Indicators, Seychelles Sustainability Standard, and the Green Municipalities Self-Assessment Tool.

Kathleen Pessolano joined Sustainable Travel International as Senior Director, Destinations in early 2013. She is an attorney whose career has focused on corporate responsibility, environmental advertising and marketing, international development, and sustainable development in the travel and tourism sector.

Prior to joining Sustainable Travel International, Kathleen was a consultant for the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, where she reviewed international travel and tourism standards for compliance with the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria. Kathleen also worked as a consumer protection attorney for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, where she regulated companies’ messaging regarding social responsibility and environmental initiatives, to prevent greenwashing and other deception of consumers. Kathleen drafted the renewable energy section of the “Green Guides,” the FTC’s guidance for businesses on how to legally advertise and market their environmental initiatives in the U.S., including the use of eco-certifications. Kathleen also practiced law at O’Melveny & Myers LLP, where she focused on antitrust, consumer protection, and energy matters.  Before law school, Kathleen was Program Assistant for Latin America & the Caribbean at the Center for International Private Enterprise, where she worked on private sector development projects in the LAC region.

Kathleen has a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School and a B.A. in Political Science and Spanish from Holy Cross.

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Andrew joined the Sustainable Travel International team in November 2011. He currently manages the Carbon Emissions and Offsets program while also providing support to the Standards & Monitoring, Business Development, and Marketing & Communications teams. He first became interested in sustainability while studying Environmental Policy at Ithaca College in New York, where he attended the UNFCCC COP conferences in 2008 and 2009.

Heather Clyne joined Sustainable Travel International as Senior Director of UK and Europe Operations in 2013.  She brings to the role significant experience in sustainable tourism research and project management with the European Commission and others. Heather is a passionate advocate for travel and tourism, and believes the industry can be a positive force for individuals and communities when managed in a thoughtful, strategic and viable manner.

Heather has 10+ years in non-profit administration, volunteer management, special events management, and community marketing and development. She also has an MSc in Tourism Marketing from the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at The University of Surrey in Guildford, UK.

Prior to joining Sustainable Travel International, Heather was a Research Officer at the University of Surrey and Project Manager for the “Study on the Feasibility of a European Tourism Indicator System for Sustainable Management at Destination Level”, a European Commission initiative.  The aim of the study was to provide tourism destination stakeholders and Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) across Europe with a simple, ready to use system of indicators with which they can easily assess and monitor the sustainability of their tourism destinations.  The findings from this study are the basis for the European Tourism Indicator System currently being launched Europe-wide.

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Marilyn is based in London, and has managed European operations and business development for Sustainable Travel International for many years. She brings to the role 30 years of experience in project management, business development, marketing, and sales within the public and private sectors.

Marilyn’s background is complemented by 10 years of experience in ecotourism planning, sustainable tourism development, and environmental standards development and implementation. She has recently managed and delivered high profile sustainability projects for the world’s second largest cruise line, the world largest provider of student travel and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). Marilyn also employs in-depth knowledge and expertise of the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria.

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Kumud is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and manages operations and business development for the Middle East and India regions.  An economics graduate with an MBA degree, Kumud has over 28 years of experience in marketing, advertising, research and consulting.

Kumud’s background is complemented by 15 years of specialist consulting experience in the hospitality and travel & tourism sectors.
She is a certified assessor and consultant for the Sustainable Tourism Education Program (STEP), and is also the Managing Editor of Spotlight on Sustainable Tourism (SOST), an e-journal with a mission to promote sustainable business practices among stakeholders in the tourism industry.

Kumud is the co-founder & Director of Market Vision, a research and consultancy services firm based in Dubai, and a regular speaker at tourism conferences and events.

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Samantha Huang is currently a PhD Candidate in Behavioral Neuroscience at Boston University School of Medicine. She also holds a BSc degree in Chemistry from National Taiwan University, and a Masters in Philosophy from the University of Oxford. Prior to pursuing her academic career, Sam worked in the information and communications industry for more than 15 years, specializing in marketing and international cooperation. She has traveled extensively and witnessed numerous natural disasters caused by climate change, as well as observed human damage caused by overdevelopment and unsustainable growth strategies in Asia. Sam founded Lohas Traveler in 2007 together with her partners in Taiwan, hoping to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable travel, especially in the greater China region.

Monique Chen first realized her passion for traveling when she joined a mountaineering club while attending university. While kayaking and hiking with friends around Taiwan, she had the opportunity to delve deeply into aboriginal heritage, and vastly appreciated her encounters with the people she met on her journey.

After graduating, Monique was engaged in cultural and environmental restoration work for five years in Taiwan. Her most recent position job was Chief of Operations & Promotion in the Taipei County Gold Ecological Park, a gold mining village where she was able to explore local history with mine workers and local residents, while developing a more sustainable approach to economics and environmental conservation. Monique hopes that increased education about sustainable travel can lead to progress in Taiwan and other Chinese communities.