Meet The Staff

At Ker & Downey, one of our requirements is that each of our staff members must suffer from the “travel bug”. In addition, our staff must understand the needs of the discerning client and be able to think “outside of the box” when creating customized itineraries, a Ker & Downey specialty. Many of our sales staff specialize in particular regions of the world, whereas others are experts in fabulous honeymoon destinations, family travel, singles travel, etc. When you embark on a journey with Ker & Downey, you can rest assured that our agents have been there and experienced exactly what you are interested in. Call one of our experts today to learn more!

Experience matters. It can mean the difference between an unforgettable and fabulous trip or a poorly-planned negative experience. At Ker & Downey, you’re not just another client; you are in our care for the finest experience possible. We take that responsibility very seriously with every travel consultation.

Executives:

• David Marek, President and CEO

  David Marek is a fourth generation Texan from Bellville, Texas. In fact he still lives there and commutes to the office in Katy daily. He married his high school sweetheart, Gana, and they have two wonderful daughters and a pack of dogs. He graduated from Texas A & M University in 1978 with a degree in finance. His first trip to Africa was in 1978 when he traveled to Botswana to assist in the purchase of Ker Downey and Selby. Recently he’s been spending time in Uganda distributing mosquito nets, assisting with medical missions and working with an orphanage called Save the Street Children Uganda.

• David Jones, Vice President

  David Jones' love for travel led him to start his first travel agency when he was only ten years old. His new company, Guardsman Travel, only managed to organize one very exotic trip from Seattle to Portland for himself and two friends, but that endeavor was the catalyst that launched David's passion for travel. Today, his travel journal is jam-packed with destinations, including Africa, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, South America, Central America, and the Middle East. He is married to Nonnie and together, they have four children and one brand new grandson. David serves as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

Sales Team:

• Andrew Littmann, Marketing Director

  Andrew joined the Ker & Downey team after meeting our president at a benefit gala for IChooseYou Ministries, a non-profit organization that was actually created by Andrew’s wife, Haley. Since then, Andrew has enjoyed working in the office that he and his creative team refinished themselves and counts himself fortunate to have traveled to Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Oman, South Africa, and Morocco. He also insists on trying McDonalds in every country he visits, and he hasn’t been disappointed yet!

• Anne Johnston, Inside Sales

  Anne is one of Ker & Downey's great travel experts and is also a seasoned traveler. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, Anne lived on both U.S. Coasts fitting in as much travel as possible. Anne spent six weeks in Asia, visiting Japan, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Vietnam. She then became interested in Africa. Anne spent several weeks in Kenya and Tanzania and the following year she spent five months travelling throughout Southern Africa, including Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia. She has also visited India, Turkey, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Egypt, Mali, Burkina Faso, United Arab Emirates, Ecuador and Oman. Anne is now settled in Houston and enjoys helping others explore the joys of travel. Feel free to contact Anne with any questions about travel to Africa, Asia, or places in between.

• Brian Doran, Accounting Assistant

  Brian graduated from Sonoma State University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration where his concentration was in Accounting. He joined the Ker & Downey team as an Accounting Assistant in 2010. Brian is an Eagle Scout, and when he is not working at Ker & Downey he spends some of his free time giving back to the program that helped form him into the man he is today. He is currently an Assistant Scoutmaster for his youngest brother’s scout troop located in Katy, Texas. A few other accomplishments that Brian is proud of are his Junior Olympic Gold medal and finishing the Tough Mudder Challenge in October of 2011.

• Brittan Pittman, Marketing Communications Coordinator

  Brittan has a degree in Communication Design from Texas State University and joined the Ker & Downey team soon after graduating. He and his wife love traveling to new places and experiencing the diverse cultures of that region. His passion for photography and filmmaking grows each time he travels, as he seems to always create a highlight reel at the end of the journey. On Saturdays you can find Brittan at the local farmers market helping support healthy sustainable foods for the community.

• Cherie Kuykendall, Inside Sales

  Cherie Kuykendall was raised in Cypress, Texas. She decided to work in the travel industry after spending a few amazing weeks in Ireland. In 2000, she joined Ker & Downey as a Sales and Marketing Assistant. She has since moved into reservations as a custom travel consultant. Cherie's educational travels for Ker & Downey have included: South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.

• Chris Slevin, Consultant

  Born in Cheshire, England, Chris began his travel career with Canadian National Railways. This experience led to positions with other companies in the UK such as Houlder Brothers pioneering African safaris, from the UK. In the 1960s he worked for Kuoni Travel and for Thomas Cook where he held the position of Long Haul Product Manager world-wide for all destinations except Europe. In the late 1970s, he was invited to move to the US to join Lindblad Travel where he was VP of sales, operations and marketing for Africa, Egypt, India, dog sledding in Greenland and trekking in the Himalayas. At Lindblad, Chris was responsible for opening up travel to remote areas of Africa by mapping-out the logistics of each country. Chris also worked for United Touring International before moving to Houston in 1996 to join Ker & Downey.

  Chris’s extensive travel career enhances his in-depth knowledge of Africa, Egypt, the Middle East, India, much of Asia, the South Pacific, the Indian Ocean, Antarctica, South America, Canada and other areas of the globe. On both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, Chris spent his lifetime creating memorable and exotic travel adventures for groups - some as large as 600 - and individuals, which include high-profile clients. Most recently, Chris has published a children’s travel book, The Adventures of Dezmund & Dippity.

• Holly Kilpatrick, Inside Sales

  Holly Kilpatrick joined Ker & Downey as a sales consultant in 2007. Holly has been on familiarization trips to South Africa, Botswana, UAE, Oman, Seychelles and New Zealand and is ready to help you plan your next Journey of Distinction. Having lived in Australia for over a year, Holly can also help you plan that perfect holiday "down under"! In addition, she also specializes in South American journeys and would love to create a customized itinerary for you to explore the continent in style.

• Jamie Bell, Inside Sales

  Jamie Bell has been with Ker & Downey since 1991 and has traveled to Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Uganda, Rwanda, Peru, Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands as well as visiting Morocco and trekking in Nepal. She has had the pleasure of taking her son Chance to Africa, the Galapagos, Peru and Ecuador. She was able to experience the joy of watching her son partake in the rare African safari experience and horseback riding in Peru, both experiences that so many of her previous Ker & Downey clients have been able to share with their families. There is no doubt about Jamie's expertise and love for Africa!

• Lisa Rhody, Inside Sales Manager

  Lisa joins Ker & Downey with nearly ten years of experience in the luxury tourism market. A native Texan, Lisa, her husband and young son returned to Texas after spending many years in the Chicago area. Selling and planning travel has been a passion of Lisa’s from a very young age, when she would spend hours mapping out road trips down to the tiniest detail. Her passion for international travel was sparked on a month long journey through Europe at the age of thirteen – when she was introduced to an intriguing new world of food, cultures, language and customs. Since that life-changing journey, Lisa has continued to explore the world on experiential trips through Africa, The Middle East, Europe and South America. On her most recent trip to Easter Island, she was reminded of how exciting it is to discover a vibrant culture and the rich heritage that keeps these ancient cultures alive. Lisa is very excited to be working with the dedicated team of professionals at Ker & Downey and is eager to apply her extensive experience to ensure our exceptional reputation for delivering bespoke journeys and remarkable customer service is maintained.

• Katy Heerssen, Marketing Coordinator

  A native Houstonian, Katy graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in advertising and media production and spent several years in both the radio and event planning industries. Before joining Ker & Downey's marketing team in 2010, she traveled to France, Monaco, Italy and the Caribbean. Now, she's pleased to be writing for the Ker & Downey website and helping produce Bespoke while navigating the social media landscape.

  Outside of the office, Katy volunteers with a local animal shelter, Special Pals. She also enjoys spending time sewing and creating with paper, attending live theatre and sporting events, and exploring the outdoors with her husband and infant daughter.

• Nicole Porto, Inside Sales

  Nicole's love of travel began with her father's family educational "road trips" across America. The bug for travel only intensified, and Nicole answered the call with her explorations to Africa, Southeast Asia, Central and South America, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. Nicole says her most remarkable memories have been the views from atop Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Uluru in Australia.

• Marni Granston, Regional Sales Western States

  We always tell our clients that traveling to Africa can be a life-changing trip, and for Marni, it was certainly career-changing.

  Marni and her husband are avid travelers, having visited many remote areas of the world- from living abroad in Italy, getting engaged in Fiji, black water rafting in New Zealand, diving the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, honeymooning in Bali and much more. The adventures had been great, but it was Africa that was truly calling them. In 2007 they embarked on their dream trip to Zambia and Botswana, a tailor made journey with Ker & Downey. Africa captivated them, and Marni has since been sharing her stories as a former client of Ker & Downey in her role as Regional Sales Manager for the company.

  She has continued to travel with Ker & Downey, always eager to get back to Africa, among other favorite destinations around the globe. Marni is originally from Seattle, WA and graduated in International Studies from the University of Washington. In 2008 she and her husband moved to a relaxed beach town just north of San Diego, an ideal home for the active duo who love to be outdoors. Having managed our Midwest and Northwest region, commuting from California for the past few years, Marni now looks forward to her new role managing our West Coast division. She is great local resource for our travel agents in the West Coast and she looks forward to sharing her knowledge and personal experience from travels throughout Asia, Africa, Oceania, Europe, the Middle East and South America.

• Michelle Nicholson, Director of Sales

  As an enthusiastic South African with a passion for travel, Michelle Nicholson began working for Ker & Downey in the beginning of 2004 as the Reservations Manager. As she quickly settled into her new position, Michelle led a number of educational trips to East and South Africa. However, her successful role in the company would come to a screeching halt in the spring of 2005.

  Several years earlier, after Michelle graduated from the University of Georgia, she joined the Army Reserves. In July of 2005, she was called to active duty in the 206th Broadcast Operations Detachment for the United States Military. She was deployed to Baghdad, Iraq for a twelve month stint, where she worked in the Green Zone, running a radio station for the troops and operating the White House/ Embassy Studio.

  After returning in 2006, Michelle covered the West Coast as Outside Sales Manager. Her travels with Ker & Downey have taken her to India, Egypt, Jordan, Argentina, Peru and Chile. In 2009 Michelle was promoted to Director of Sales, managing the Outside Sales Team and developing, maintaining and growing Travel Agency relationships. Michelle is now located in Georgia and will cover the Southern and South Eastern states including New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Missouri, Kansas, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee.

  To contact her directly, e-mail mnicholson@kerdowney.com or call 281-814-9001. To learn more about Ker & Downey, visit www.kerdowney.com.

• Sara Marek, Inside Sales

  Sara graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in architecture and began working for an international architecture firm immediately after graduating. After a few years, she realized that her heart was in travelling and experiencing the cultures and landscape of this vast world so she came back to her roots, which began at the tender age of 10 when she went to Botswana and Victoria Falls with her family. Without a doubt, the most vivid memories she recalls were the sounds of the lions' roars the first night sleeping out in the Okavango Delta and the sunrise out on the mokoro the next morning while gazing on a pod of hippos. It’s these memories and more that keep her returning year after year. Since then, she’s travelled to Italy, South Africa, and Kenya and looks forward to her honeymoon in Morocco in December and Nepal with her best friend in 2012. Besides travelling, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, blogging, clean lines, minimalist design and loving on her King Charles Cavalier, Baxter.

• Susan Orton, Inside Sales

  Susan Orton worked with Ker & Downey as a Marketing manager and after moving to Arizona, she has returned to the company and now works as an independent travel consultant. With Susan’s vast background in both Sales & Marketing, a degree in Business from the University of Montana, coupled with her passion for travel, she is enthusiastic about her role. Coming from a military family, the travel “bug” bit Susan as a young girl as her family moved to a new place every 2 years. Her passion for travel continued when Susan joined the Navy. She smiles when people ask her why she joined the Navy and she replies, “They promised me I’d see the world!” Her love of travel continued into her adult life and she met and married John, her Australian husband. After living in Australia for two years, Susan and her husband traveled the world including Europe, the South Pacific, Malaysia, China, New Zealand, Singapore, Fiji, South Africa and American Samoa. Susan is an avid motorcycle rider and along with her husband, she journeyed to South America to ride motorcycles from Bolivia through Peru on a 14 day journey. In her words, it was “awesome”! Her next goal is to ride a motorcycle through both islands in New Zealand and along with three of her girlfriends, is planning “girls only” ride in 2013. Susan’s passion when not traveling or riding her motorcycle is animals. Susan is an active volunteer in her community, helping animal rescues as an event coordinator and fund raiser. She has served on the Board of Directors as Vice Chair for The Humane Link, an Arizona 501(c)3 whose mission it is to raise awareness and educate members of the public, along with judges, lawyers and law enforcement of the connection between animal abuse and human violence. Susan now only has two rescued German Shepherds, but at one point owned 4 horses, 57 chickens, 2 miniature donkeys, 3 pigs, 4 miniature goats and 2 cats. If you ask her which country was her favorite destination, one might guess it was on safari in Africa and they’d be right!

• Tien Trinh, Accounting Manager

  Tien is our hard working Accounting Manager. She graduated from The University of Houston in 1992 with a degree in Accounting and joined Ker & Downey in 1998. She is now married with three boys whom she loves to spoil and travel with. She’s traveled to Asia, Africa, South America Europe and plans to see much more.

• Tiffany Desalvo, Inside Sales

  Tiffany realized her passion for travel at the young age of 11 when after numerous lemonade stands and front yard craft sales she finally raised the money to fly herself to Portland Oregon to visit a friend who had moved away years earlier. She loved exploring the city, its people, and its diverse landscapes. A Texas girl at heart, Tiffany has also enjoyed her time living in Boston and San Francisco. Her personal travels have taken her to Eastern and Western Europe along with Central America. Following her 2007 graduation from Texas A&M with a degree in Architecture, she worked for a large design firm before getting the itch to explore the world and found herself spending the next year living in a small Tuscan hill town in Italy. Upon her return to Texas, she joined the Ker & Downey team. She has since traveled to Dubai, South Africa, and Botswana and takes joy in sharing her passion for travel with others. Tiffany will always call Texas home, but her heart remains in Italy, her soul forever in Africa, and her dreams on the many adventures to come!

• Trista Gage, Inside Sales

  Trista comes to Ker & Downey from a diverse background of both independent travel and over 13 years working in the travel industry. A native Vermonter and UVM graduate, she grew up on the lakes and mountains of the northeast. Her love affair with 'just messing about’ really launched in her 19th summer when she joined her family for a transatlantic sail on their 44 -foot sailboat. Since then she has backpacked through Europe and South America, learned a couple of other languages and relocated from the Green Mountains to the Rocky Mountains (where she works with a view on Long’s Peak). She remains passionate about assisting travelers with life changing journeys and awe inspiring adventures. Having traveled to all 7 continents, Trista is always looking forward to the next adventure. When pressed for favorite moments, she might mention hiking to Machu Picchu or exploring Patagonia, watching baby elephants splashing in the Linyanti, sledding in Antarctica, watching Polar Bears spar on the tundra, tracking tigers on elephant back in India, snorkeling in the Galapagos, coming face to face with the brown bears at Brooks Falls, getting mock charged by a Silverback in Rwanda, taking in the sheer awe of the wildebeest migration, or quad biking in northern Namibia. She isn’t afraid to admit that she enjoys birding-- especially in Africa, India and the rainforest. When she's home she can be found gardening, biking, hiking, camping, snowboarding or salsa dancing, in no particular order. Her biggest adventure yet has come in a very small package—she welcomed a daughter in April and is enjoying the incredible journey of motherhood.

• Wazha Dube, Regional Sales Northeast States

  Hailing from Botswana and the United States, Wazha lives by the Setswana proverb, “To travel is to see”, having lived in Belgium, Botswana, Sweden, England, China and the United States and traveled to more than 25 countries.

  A graduate of Hawaii Pacific University, Wazha earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a major in Travel Industry Management. Wazha found a passion for the travel and hospitality industry by spending his summers working at Chobe Safari Lodge in Botswana, and after spending six weeks in China in 2008 travelling around the country and attending the Beijing Olympics, he resettled in New York and joined the Ker & Downey team.

  With an in-depth appreciation for travel and new experiences, Wazha has hiked the Hawaiian mountains and volcanoes, cliff jumped into the Pacific Ocean, dune boarded in Dubai, skied in Austria, been mock charged by elephants in Botswana, played with cheetahs, ridden elephants and camels, shark cage dived with Great Whites, cruised the Yangtze river, climbed the Great Wall of China, spent time with the San bushmen and much more. ith over 200 safaris under his belt, his favorite destinations include his native Botswana, as well as South Africa, Morocco, England, China, New York City and, of course, Hawaii.

  Now based in New York City, Wazha Dube is Ker & Downey’s Northeastern Regional Sales Manager and covers the Northeast states as well as provinces of Canada. He is a great source of knowledge for all local travel agents and looks forward to sharing his knowledge, stories and professional experiences from his travels around the world.

Air & Operations:

• Cheri "CJ" Sanders, Air Department Manager

  "CJ" is a native Texan. She has over 20 years experience in the travel industry. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Park Administration from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas in 1995. Her focus was on the tourism industry. She has traveled to Europe, Central America, the Bahamas, Canada, and Mexico. In her spare time she can be found outdoors spending time with her husband, Clay, and their dogs.

• Haley Beham, Operations Associate

  In 2007 Haley graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Architecture. She worked with a design firm for two and a half years before beginning full time at Ker & Downey in the Operations Department.

  Haley’s passion for Africa began when she was ten years old, traveling with her family to Botswana and Victoria Falls. She has since traveled back to Africa two other times. She has also had the opportunity to travel to Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and Belize.

  Haley is an avid photographer and currently lives in San Antonio with her husband and two dogs.

• Heather Jones, Operations Associate

  Heather graduated from Sam Houston State University and assists in the quoting process at Ker & Downey. She has traveled throughout South America and hopes to see much more of the world.

• Lauren Pechacek, Operations Associate

  A native Texan, Lauren joined Ker & Downey in 2010 as part of the team that prepares clients’ custom itineraries, final documents and country guides. Her world travels include several mission trips to Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.

• Reid Bader, Operations Director

  Reid Bader is responsible for database and operations management at Ker & Downey. With Ker & Downey he has traveled to Peru, Thailand, Egypt, the UAE, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Tanzania. Reid holds a Bachelor of Science degree in political science from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. Additionally, he completed certificate programs at the Academy for International Education in Bonn, Germany; Soonchunhyang University in Asan, South Korea; and the George Bush School of Government and Public Service in College Station, Texas.

• Terri Sims, Air Department Specialist

  Terri is a native Texan with 17 years in the travel industry. Married with two beautiful young boys, her family enjoys baseball and other sports as well as their cowboy experiences. Most recently, she has traveled to Malaysia, Mexico and St. Lucia. She comes from a multi-cultural family to include Chinese, Italian, German and Mexican influences. Those influences have continued her desire to travel.

• Vanessa Sheets, Operations Associate

  Vanessa graduated from Georgetown University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in Japanese and also holds a certificate in Japanese Area Studies from Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan, which she attended from the fall of 2005 to spring of 2006. During her time in Japan, she was able to travel the country and absorb the amazing sights, sounds, and flavors of the fascinating Japanese culture.

  In the spring of 2008, Vanessa joined the Ker & Downey operations team in pricing and final itinerary preparation. She has always loved to travel, but the travel bug certainly bit her when she began to learn about the amazing destinations and experiential itineraries that Ker & Downey has to offer. She was excited to have the chance to go on an educational trip in the spring of 2011 to Dubai, South Africa, and Namibia. Her favorite parts of the trip were dune bashing in Dubai, shark cage diving in Gansbaai, seeing the Big Five in the Sabi Sand and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go for a swim in the usually dry Sossusvlei Pan.