Rocky Mountain International

Chuck Box, President

In 1993, RMI was the first-ever recipient of the "Marty" award for creative regional tourism promotion from the Travel Industry Association (TIA). Profiles of RMI have appeared in several national publications, including the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times. In 2001, RMI was selected by the University of Colorado Business MBA School to be profiled in their multiple award-winning "Profiles in American Enterprise" program.

Prior to RMI, Box was the Manager of Travel Development for the Wyoming Travel Commission following positions at the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the Saratoga, Wyoming, Chamber of Commerce.

As a novelist Box is the New York Times best selling author of fourteen novels including the Joe Pickett series. In 2009 he won the Edgar Award for Best Novel for Blue Heaven. His novels are in print in 25 languages. He was born in Wyoming and is a 1981 graduate of the University of Denver.

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Laurie Box, Chief Financial Officer

Laurie Box has overseen fiscal responsibilities for all phases of RMI since 1992. Her financial responsibilities include administering contract services, affiliate offices, overseas trade shows, research and consultation services, and serving as the liaison for all legal and accounting functions. She is also the business manager for RMI and serves on the board of PIRE, a real estate ownership group.

 

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Barbara Stafford, Director Special Projects Marketing

Barbara works on a per-project basis on those projects that fall outside the scope of regular RMI activities. Her strong background in cultural and business relations, marketing research, events planning, and international marketing promotion provides RMI with a valuable, multifunctional resource. Barbara directs marketing efforts in the Nordic, Australian and New Zealand markets, as well as research and development of new international market strategies.

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Mathias Jung, Marketing Manager

Mathias is responsible for providing day-to-day support and administration of marketing activities in the German and Italian markets, including product development, sales missions, press events, trade shows and familiarization tour coordination.

Other duties include management of website and social media programs, administration of Partner programs, coordination of numerous international and domestic tourism events and assistance with publication of the Real America Guide, quarterly e-newsletters and annual report.

A Wyoming native, Mathias completed a bachelor's degree in Marketing at the University of Wyoming and has been with RMI since February of 2006. He lives in Cheyenne with his wife Catherine and daughter Sienna.

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Kim Birrell, Marketing Manager

Kim oversees the UK, France and Benelux markets. She is responsible for managing marketing activities in these regions including sales missions, fam tours and trade shows, and for coordinating RMI’s annual Roundup, the quarterly e-newsletter, Annual Report, the receptive tour operator program, and production of the Real America Guide. She also assists with the annual Summit Meeting, Mega Fam, state tourism conferences and the TRIP reports.

Kim has a BA in Anthropology from Rutgers University. She was a paralegal in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles law firms.  She worked in Yellowstone National Park for several years. Prior to joining RMI in early 2008, she worked in Group Sales representing hotels located in our region. She enjoys hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and camping.

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Nancy Hall, Administrator

As RMI’s part-time administrator, Nancy is responsible for database upkeep, assistance with publications and TRIP Reports, trade show/marketplace support, and other clerical duties as needed. Nancy enjoys working with the states to coordinate the RMI Roundup and Mega Fam. Nancy and her husband, Ken, enjoy hiking, walking, kayaking, cross-country skiing and exploring the Rocky Mountain Region.

Hervé Duxin, Director, French Market

Hervé grew with the passion of the Western US and the “American Way of Life”. As a child, his home was full of American friends visiting Hervé’s father who was involved in US Corporation. The first decision he took as an adult was to travel to the US Rockies and work as a cowboy for several years. After returning to France, his strong knowledge of the American Rockies incited him to apply as the French Representative of Rocky Mountain International on the French market. This was the beginning of Duxin Com. Hervé is "whipping and spurring" to share his passion for the Real America Region to the Trade and Media. Since then, the RMI region is positioned among the top US destinations in the tour operators’ catalogues in France. Hervé is the Vice President of the Visit USA Committee France.

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Olivier Barthez, RMI Account Manager

As a teenager, Olivier always knew he would work in the travel industry. And he does! He enjoys a solid experience in the airline industry, after 6 years spent with British Airways as a Sales Supervisor, then as the Manager of the Executive Club for France and Benelux. Olivier then joined Boomerang Voyages, a tour operator based in Nice (Travelocity Group), as Director of Production, in charge of the USA for 7 years. He positioned Boomerang as one of France’s key actors among the tour operators featuring the US. Olivier moved to Paris to work with Cellet Marketing, in charge of the PR for New Mexico and Las Vegas. In September 2007, Olivier joined Hervé and is now proud to be part of Duxin Com.

Arjan Helle, Managing Director, Benelux Market

During an International career in race rowing he graduated in Business Administration and Dutch Law. He started his career in the international hotel business with special interest in wine. In 1990 Arjan started working in tourism as chief editor of a consumer travel magazine. From there on he became involved in destination management with a focus on the USA. In the nineties Arjan presided over the Benelux chapter of PATA and was involved in the Visit USA Netherlands. Currently he is a board member of the Visit USA Foundation Belgium and TourPress Netherlands. Over the years he gained in-depth knowledge of the Benelux market and especially USA bound travel. Under his supervision, Target published several issues on the North American travel market. In the last decade communication, multimedia and Internet are getting more and more important and those developments have his special interest.

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Marjolein Fraanje, RMI Account Manager

Marjolein Fraanje started with Target Benelux in 1993. She has an education in Business Administration and in her early years with Target she graduated as IATA agent. During her carrier with Target she has been responsible for several accounts, such as Alamo Rent-a-Car, America West Airlines and the states of Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana. She has been involved with the RMI region since the beginning. Over the years she made many trips throughout the USA, privately and professionally while accompanying media and trade fams.  Being with the company for so many years, traveling and working several US accounts, she became a specialist and gained extensive knowledge of the Benelux travel market.

Rita Hille, Director, German Market

Rita Hille is the co-owner of WTS, which has served as RMI's German representative since 1990. She has over 30 years of experience in travel industry sales, marketing and promotion. After having lived in Hong Kong for several years, she returned to Germany and started with USTTA in 1978. During her time at USTTA, her duties included the coordination of ITB, travel agent seminars, and trade and media fam tours. Her duties provided her with an excellent opportunity to stay in constant touch with major German tour operators, ad hoc group producers and retail agencies. She gained in-depth knowledge of the USA and the US tourism industry while accompanying journalist and travel trade fam tours and attending trade shows. In 1989, she joined Wiechmann Tourism Services as director of marketing.

 

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Carola Kolmann, RMI Account Manager

Carola was born in Dresden, Eastern Germany and two years before the German reunification the family moved to Munich in the Western part of Germany. Aged 16, Carola spent a year in Pollock, South Dakota, living with a host family and graduating from the local High School. This experience left a lasting impression and only intensified Carola’s interest for the country and the people of the United States and she has been back to visit many times.

After graduating from Munich Grammar School in 1999, Carola successfully studied Tourism Management at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich. The studies included various internships, which gave her the chance to look into the field of public relations as well as the marketing and planning activities of a tour operator. Carola also gained experience in the hotel business, working part time as a receptionist. Extensive travel throughout the United States and many European and overseas countries gave her additional practical experience regarding tourism and destination management worldwide. Since May 1, 2006, Carola is working as Account Manager for RMI Germany in Frankfurt.

Martin Roberts, Account Director, UK Market

Martin Roberts has been the Managing Director of Target Worldwide, Ltd. since August 2004 and was a founding partner.  From 1999 to 2004, Martin was the Group Board Director for Senior King Communications Group.  He was also the Managing director of Media Options subsidiary and responsible for media communications. He spent the ten years prior, from 1989 to 1999 as the Marketing and Media Director of Media Options, where he managed an extensive travel industry client list and was responsible for planning and business development.  He has over 30 years of experience in the field.  Martin’s interests include sailing, soccer, art, history and computers. 

 

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Erica Cain, Account Director

Erica graduated from the Liverpool Polytechnic College of Art and Design and joined the advertising industry working at Grey Advertising and the Senior King Communications Group. It was at the latter organization, a specialist travel industry marketing group, that Erica made the transition from creative to account handling. It was also where she first met Martin Roberts. In 2007, Erica joined Martin at Target Worldwide Limited as an Account Director.

 

 

Olga Mazzoni, President, Director of Marketing & PR, Italian Market

Olga has worldwide and distinctive knowledge of International Tourism and Travel. She focuses on creative marketing and communication, and she is the direct link with Italian Travel Trade decision-makers. She handles all main key clients for USA based on the Italian territory, from tour operators to travel agencies, from incentive travel organizers to editors and travel journalists of the Italian Media arena.

Mario Boveri, Managing Director, Director Operations and Web Development

Mario entertains relationships with main business providers of the commercial and industrial fields in the Italian Tourism and Travel Market. Active in advanced software and web communication, he organizes and monitors the RMI website.

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Annalisa Mereghetti, Assistant Marketing and PR

Annalisa is executing some major actions to satisfy the Italian Travel Trade Industry requests for product and destination information, as well as image and prompt information submissions to the media arena in general. She also takes care of all priority requests arising from the RMI Italian website on a daily basis, while responding accurately to the direct public too, and managing the fulfillment service. She is also in charge for the RMI annual Mega Fam, recruiting selected trade partners and escorting them to the region. She is representing RMI at BIT Tourism and Travel Show in Milan, the most important exhibition of the tourism field in Italy. Overall she assists in promoting the entire region, and keeping contacts with the key accounts on the marketplace.

Idaho Department of Commerce - Division of Tourism

Karen Ballard, Administrator, Idaho Department of Commerce – Division of Tourism

Karen Ballard assumed the post of Administrator in late 2007. Karen joined the Idaho Division of Tourism for a newly created tourism development position in 1992 to implement the Rocky Mountain International addition of Idaho to the existing consortium. By successfully tapping into trends, such as international, cultural, historic, and rural tourism, the Idaho Tourism Division facilitates attracting not only tourists but also bolstering small community tourism service providers. A native of Washington State, Karen received her degree in Legal Studies from UC Berkeley before relocating to Idaho in 1982. Karen began her tourism career with the Elkhorn Resort in Sun Valley and has worked as a consultant for various professional associations and hotels in Idaho.

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Nancy Richardson, International Tourism Specialist

Nancy Richardson has been the International Tourism Specialist at the Idaho Department of Commerce in the Tourism Division since 2008.  She is responsible for International Tourism Marketing and Familiarization Tours, Trade Shows and Leads, Media Relations and Publications, and International Specific Training Programs.

Nancy has been involved in tourism promotion in Idaho for over 20 years. She gained much knowledge as a partner in a tour and transportation company, director of sales at a hotel, sales manager with the Boise CVB, and as a tour guide.  She loves working in the tourism industry and is honored to be able to represent Idaho.

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Mitch Knothe, Tourism Specialist

Mitch began his tourism career after receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Arizona State University in 1989.  Early tourism experience includes working as a river raft guide in Arizona, working for a ski resort on Mt. Hood, Oregon, and organizing tours into Alaska’s Denali National Park.

This nomadic lifestyle ended when Mitch began promoting Boise as a destination for the Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau in 1994.  In September 1998, Mitch began promoting tourism statewide for the Idaho Department of Commerce’s Tourism Development Division.  While at the Idaho Division of Tourism, Mitch completed his MBA at Boise State University in December 2000.

Mitch’s responsibilities at the Idaho Division of Tourism are vast and many.  These include sports marketing, emerging International markets for Idaho including Australia and Scandinavia, domestic motorcoach marketing, winter marketing, niche marketing including whitewater and golf, partnerships and sponsorships.  The sports marketing component includes projects taking advantage of the many adventurous activities that showcase our state. 

Montana Office of Tourism

Jeri Duran, Administrator, Montana Office of Tourism

Jeri Duran serves as the Administrator for the Montana Promotion Division, which oversees the Montana Office of Tourism and the Montana Film Office.  The Office of Tourism serves the people of Montana with programs designed to develop and promote Montana as an attractive destination for visitors from around the world.  The Film Office promotes the state as a location for feature films, commercials, television and documentaries.

Previous to that Duran was the Director of Sales and Marketing for the Montana Lottery.  Duran was instrumental in a rebranding and restructure of the organization, which resulted in an increase of sales from $33 Million in 2005 to $47 Million in 2010.

Prior to her work with the Montana Lottery, Jeri served as Director of Marketing and Public Affairs for a Montana non-profit organization and as Marketing Director for a regional furniture company in Vancouver, Washington. Duran was also instrumental in launching a weekly newspaper in Livingston, Montana, and while there, served as Vice President of the Livingston area Chamber of Commerce.

Duran was born and raised in Townsend, Montana. She earned a Business Marketing degree from the University of Montana and is currently completing her Master's in Public Administration.

Duran lives in East Helena with her husband, Luke and their two children, 8 and 4 years old.

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Marlee Iverson, Travel Trade Manager

Marlee Iverson is the Travel Trade Manager at the Montana Office of Tourism. The program involves working with key tour operators, wholesalers, and travel agencies to establish new Montana itineraries for groups and Foreign Independent Travelers (FITs), as well as working with international media on Montana stories.  This is accomplished by participating in trade missions, trade shows, and hosting familiarization tours.  Marlee works hand in hand with Montana businesses in developing marketing efforts aimed at the international visitor. Marlee is also responsible for the Domestic Group travel market, attending key conventions stateside and assisting tour operators to plan their motorcoach itineraries through the state.

Marlee has been with the Montana Office of Tourism since 1992, working as the Publicity/Publications assistant for several years before becoming the Group Travel Manager.  Marlee is a native of Montana having grown up near a small town in central Montana and is a Montana State University graduate.

South Dakota Department of Tourism

James Hagen, Secretary of Tourism, South Dakota Department of Tourism

Jim Hagen serves as the Secretary of Tourism for Governor Dennis Daugaard.   Before joining the Daugaard Administration, Jim worked as National Campaign Director and Public Relations Director for the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation. Jim also served from 2004-2006 in the Rounds Administration as Secretary of Tourism and State Development, overseeing the Division of Tourism as well as divisions dealing with economic development, arts, history and tribal relations.

During Gov. Bill Janklow’s Administration from 1995-2002, he served at various times as Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Special Advisor to the Governor. In those roles, Hagen served as the Governor’s day-to-day liaison with the Department of Tourism.

Jim grew up in the northeast corner of South Dakota at the base of the Coteau Des Prairies near Sisseton.  He is a graduate of Aberdeen Central High School and a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California, where he earned a BA in Political Science.  Jim’s interests include reading, outdoor activities, physical fitness, film, music, pop culture and all things to do with his beloved USC Trojans.

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Maureen Droz, International & Domestic Trade Sales Manager

As South Dakota's International & Domestic Trade Sales Manager, Maureen Droz's responsibilities include promoting South Dakota's travel and vacation opportunities to tour and travel companies and to journalists via missions, trade shows, and familiarization tours.  Maureen also serves as the primary source of South Dakota information and materials including itinerary planning, special trade materials, slides, photos, and press kits.  A South Dakota native, Maureen has managed the South Dakota Office of Tourism's efforts in the international market since 1992.

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Vicky Engelhaupt, Trade Sales Representative

 

 

 

 

 

Wyoming Office of Tourism

Diane Shober, Director, Wyoming Office of Tourism

“Do what you love and love what you do.”  With a passion and zest for all things Wyoming, Diane has found the perfect opportunity to live out her mantra in her role as Tourism Director for the State of Wyoming, a position she has held since June 2003. 

During her tenure, Diane has expanded the state’s tourism promotion efforts on all levels.  Utilizing her innate leadership talents and expertise in tourism and marketing, Diane has elevated the visibility and value of tourism on Wyoming’s economy and in turn, has watched the tourism marketing budget increase by more than 100%.  Home to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, wide open spaces and the American cowboy, Wyoming is the Rocky Mountain destination of choice.  With over 7 million visitors annually, tourism is the state’s second largest industry, generating nearly $3 billion in economic impacts and over 30,000 jobs for Wyoming residents.

Prior to her current post, Diane has worked in nearly all aspects of the travel and tourism industry, including hotel sales, event marketing and management, facility management, arts and non-profit, government relations and association management. 

Diane represents Wyoming on the boards of the Western States Tourism Policy Council, the National Council of State Tourism Directors, the U.S. Travel Association and most recently was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Gary Locke, to the newly formed Corporation for Travel Promotion.  Diane is a founding member of Deeply Rooted Productions; a Chicago based non-profit professional touring dance organization and also serves on the Board of Directors of Cheyenne Frontier Days.

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Rita Greene Bellardo, Manager, Travel Trade Marketing

Rita Greene Bellardo is Manager, Travel Trade Marketing for Wyoming Office of Tourism.  Rita manages Wyoming’s travel trade marketing worldwide and works directly with travel trade in Europe and the UK, marketing Wyoming’s tourism product.  In this capacity, she meets with tourism buyers at trade shows, trainings and sales missions, hosts familiarization tours and assists Wyoming businesses interested in international tourism marketing.

Rita has been involved in tourism promotion and sales for almost 25 years.  Her tourism career started as Marketing Manager for a Wyoming tour operator and included nine years at the Fort Collins (Colorado) CVB where she started as Director of Convention Sales, and became Executive Director in 1994.  She served as president of the Tourism Industry Association of Colorado and board member of the Colorado Association of Destination Marketing Organizations before joining Wyoming Travel & Tourism as International Program Manager in 2000.  Six years later, she was promoted to her current position.

Rita attended University of Illinois in Chicago, and completed her education in Madison, Wisconsin with a degree in Veterinary Medicine.  She moved west in 1986, with her daughter, who is now married and living in Denver.  When she’s not traveling, Rita lives quietly with her husband Doug in the countryside outside Cheyenne, Wyoming.

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James Scoon, Travel Trade Program Manager

James began his career in the tourism industry in 2003 as the Marketing Coordinator for Rocky Mountain International (RMI). RMI coordinates the international tourism activities for the state tourism departments of Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Idaho. With offices in the UK, Germany, Italy, France, and the Netherlands, RMI is the marketing arm for the five state regions, dubbed The Real America.

In 2005, James accepted a position with the Wyoming Office of Tourism as the Travel Trade Program Manager. James oversees the domestic trade department for the state of Wyoming, as well as the marketing and promotional efforts in Scandinavia, Australia, Japan, Canada and Mexico.  

James enjoys traveling to various countries and learning the different cultures and traditions. 

North Dakota Department of Commerce, Tourism Division

Sara Otte Coleman, Tourism Director, North Dakota Department of Commerce, Tourism Division

Sara Otte Coleman came to the Department of Commerce as Director of Tourism in January of 2003.  Prior to her appointment, she was the Director of Administration and Marketing at the Bismarck-Mandan Convention and Visitor Bureau (CVB).  During her 15 years at the CVB Sara worked in all areas of destination marketing and management.  As Tourism Director, Sara focuses on strategic planning, implementing the annual tourism marketing and pubic relations plan and budget, stakeholder communications and customer service. Under her leadership, tourism has become the third largest industry in North Dakota and the state leads the nation in traveler expenditure growth and tourism employment “wage growth.”

Sara is past president of the Destination Marketing Association of North Dakota and she received the Tourism Leadership award presented by the North Dakota tourism industry in 2002. She also received the 2008 Governor’s award for excellence in public service for administration.  She sits on several boards and commissions and has worked to improve the awareness of tourism as one of North Dakota’s leading industries.

Sara is married to Clark who operates the family farm and ranch near Baldwin.  They have three children: Chloe, Clint and Cooper.

In 2011 Sara Otte Coleman was one of three finalists for the State Tourism Director of the Year Award from the U.S. Travel Association’s National Council of State Tourism Directors. The annual award honors a tourism director that has clearly influenced the obvious and measurable improvement of a state or territory’s travel and tourism profile with their leadership.

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Fred Walker, International Marketing Manager

Fred started with North Dakota Tourism in February 2003. Prior to this position, he was the Marketing and Sales Manager for Jamestown Promotion and Tourism.  He worked with Group Travel, Convention Sales and Services and General Tourism while in the Buffalo City.

Fred served on the board of the ND Association of Convention Visitors Bureas, serving as its President in 2002.

Fred is a lifelong North Dakotan growing up on his family farm near Mayville. Fred is married to Michelle and has three children, Mikaela, Daniel and Norah.