Treasurer
Ellen Clark
This will be my second term as Western Chapter Treasurer. I’ve had plenty of experience as Freelance Council Treasurer numerous time.
Second Vice Chair
Marybeth Bond
SATW has helped me immeasurably throughout my career with new friends, contacts and professional development. Now it is my turn to give back. My experience includes; writing travel stories for outlets worldwide, writing and editing travel books (National Geographic and Travelers Tales), writing and hosting a travel radio show, appearing as a travel expert on many TV channels and I was a featured guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
I was an “influencer” for the National Osteoporosis Foundation when my daughter and I rode our bicycles across the USA and blogged about it to raise $56,000 for the foundation. I am told that I am a good listener and team player. I have been blogging and influencing since before it even had a name and I find that there is always more to learn and that’s where SATW is so helpful. I would be honored to serve for you.
Sherry Spitsnaugle
I’m honored to run for SATW Western Chapter Second Vice Chair, and if elected I would commit to working with the team to meet the needs of Western Chapter members. When I was accepted into SATW some two decades ago, I dreamed I took a press trip to the moon. That’s an easy one to interpret! I could only imagine what opportunities and connections SATW would offer.
What I didn’t realize was the bonds that would result from being in the organization. From 2011 – 2019, I had the pleasure of working with Peter Fitzsimmons to proof the SATW directory. This year, I worked with Laura Daily, Carol Beck-Edgar, and a crew of eagle-eyed editors to review the directory. Contributing to SATW as a volunteer has been far more fun than effort. I loved photographing events, as a volunteer, at our national conference in El Paso. Participating in PhotoQuest at that meeting was a highlight for me.
I would be honored to serve as Second Vice Chair and would welcome the responsibility as coordinator of the New Members and First-timers events at chapter meetings, as well as serving as liaison with the Chapter Writing Awards Chair.
Associate-at-Large
Joanne Hudson
The majority of my career has been in media relations roles for DMOs in the Western U.S. and I currently work as the Public Relations Manager for the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico. I joined SATW as an Associate Member in 2015, and have participated in society events by attending three annual conferences and one chapter meeting. After the Las Vegas conference in 2015 and El Paso conference in 2019, I coordinated and hosted post conference tours for members to further explore story ideas in our region of the country.
I previously worked for the cities of Flagstaff, AZ and Bakersfield, CA and feel I have a strong sense of the needs of the Western Chapter associates. It would be an honor to serve on the Western Chapter board in this role. I would appreciate your vote and confidence in me to represent you within the Western Chapter over the coming year as our industry recovers from the challenges brought by the pandemic.
Sarah Scoltock
I joined SATW in 2014 and attended my first conference in Iceland. Since then, I’ve enjoyed meeting and networking with members at numerous events. The relationships developed through SATW are vital to my work in travel industry public relations, and of course there’s the personal enjoyment of these friendships. I’d be happy to be a part of moving SATW forward through the crisis we’ve all experienced this year with COVID shutdowns. I have 18 years’ experience in travel PR with various small and large cruise lines.
My favorite session at the SATW conference is when the door closes, and it’s only the associates in the room. Listening and learning from each other’s experiences is important, useful and fun. The stories we’ve shared there are valuable (and often entertaining). I’m looking forward to listening to you all and representing the concerns and viewpoints of the Western associates. I’d appreciate your vote as Associate-At-Large for the Western Chapter.