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The Rupert Report

From the Desk of AIANTA's CEO |October 4, 2022

CEO Rupert pictured with Chris Thompson, CEO and President, Brand USA at Brand USA Travel Week UK and Europe in Frankfurt, Germany

AIANTA Highlights for the Coming Week

Welcome to the Team!

It is my pleasure to welcome two new members to the AIANTA the team. Pamela Gallegos is AIANTA's new Vice President of Operations. Pam has an extensive career history in leadership positions with tribal entities and healthcare systems, sales and non-profit foundations working in various positions from CEO, Finance, Director of Administration to Chief Financial Officer.   


Pam earned her BSBA, MBA and MHA and attended the Project Management Institute, an intensive leadership training program. Her unique abilities analyze and combine Finance with Operations and integrate the Master Plan with a real-world vision and incremental goals to get there. Pam’s management style incorporates: “empowering employees to make good decisions while giving the tools to be successful. I am a teacher, and I encourage, inspire, mentor …and make it known that I have an open door policy for all. Pam enjoys “working for a progressive, forward thinking organization. This enables me to utilize my vast experiences, talents, education and strengths so we may both enjoy the fruits of many layers of success.” 

Wynette Philemonof is AIANTA's new Administrative Assistant.


Wynette R. Philemonof started with AIANTA as a temporary, Research and Data Clerk and is now the Administrative Assistant.  She is from the Pueblo of Acoma.


She has an associate's degree in Criminal Justice and worked with numerous lawyers in Las Vegas, NM as a Legal Secretary.


She loves working and being part of the AIANTA team because she learns about other Tribes and their traditions all over the country. It gives her much gratitude to help other Tribes in sharing their history, historical sites, culture and Native businesses and to help them grow.

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AIANTA Attends Brand USA Travel Week 


AIANTA attended Brand USA’s Travel Week UK and Europe in Frankfurt, Germany last week. Not only did AIANTA have scheduled appointments with nearly 50 members of the UK and Europe Travel Trade, but I was a panel member on the “Keeping it Local: How will local communities shape the future of travel and tourism?” panel, part of the event’s Enrichment Series. The discussions during the week completely validated the importance of our participation, the first peoples of the United States, in the international market.

National Park Service Interns

AIANTA welcomed aboard four National Park Service interns to work with developing content about tribal tourism along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. They will be with us until May 2023. Interns are  Kate E. Malloy (top), University of Scranton; Abigael L. White (center), University of Colorado Denver; Christopher Lee (bottom), University of California Los Angeles; and Noah Simon (no photo), University of Central Arkansas.

Visit our Website

Download the AITC Conference App!

We look forward to seeing you at the 24th Annual AITC. A majority of the conference attendees have already downloaded the conference app. If you have not, please click this Link to download our conference app.

 

The conference app will have the latest updates.  You will be able to plan various activities, such as:


  • Expand your networking 
  • Plan social activities
  • Participate in group chats


Directions to download the app:

 

  1. Enter the email address that you registered for the conference
  2. There is no password. Your email will let you into the app
  3. Create a password and click Sign Up
  4. Fill in your networking profile and click "Continue"
  5. Browse for the 24th Annual American Indian Tourism Conference

 

We still have availability for our Mobile Workshops. Register today before they sell out!

Register Now

AITC Keynote Speaker Aaron Wodin-Schwartz

Joining us at the 24th Annual American Indian Tourism Conference is, Aaron Wodin-Schwartz. Aaron is Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for Brand USA, the nation's public-private partnership dedicated to increasing international visitation to the United States through marketing and promotional efforts. In this role, Aaron develops, executes, and leads outreach efforts to key stakeholders to promote and advance Brand USA's mission and raise visibility worldwide for the organization, build community engagement, and respond to requests from these stakeholders regarding the organization’s progress toward established goals and objectives. Aaron is also responsible for working with federal partners and key industry groups to ensure productive implementation of the Travel Promotion Act, communicate U.S. travel policies, and develop collaborative opportunities to promote inbound travel to the United States.

Learn More
Boneedwa
(See you later, Northern Paiute)
 

Sherry L. Rupert, Chief Executive Officer
American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association

Thank You to our 2022 AITC Sponsors

Amber Sponsors

      Choctaw Country                 Harrah's Resort SoCal                             Rincon Tribe 

Silver Sponsors

Arizona Office of Tourism         Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation          Tribal Solutions Groups

Bronze Sponsors

106 Group               Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians               America 250

Chickasaw Country                     Coeur D'Alene Casino Resort                   Inn of the Mountain Gods Casino & Resort

Paragon Casino Resort                                        Visit Cherokee Nation

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Funding Opportunities
AIANTA collects funding opportunities that may be of interest to Indigenous or Native American tourism & hospitality enterprises looking to grow their tourism, culture, heritage, arts, agritourism or other culture and heritage programming.

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Meet the AIANTA team at www.aianta.org/about-aianta/our-team.

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