AI Strategist, Tourism AI Network & CIPR Communications

With 20 years of experience in digital marketing, communications, and government relations across diverse industries, Peter excels as a versatile strategist. His standout quality lies in an unwavering dedication to simplifying technology while embracing innovation. His mission is to demystify the AI landscape, enabling individuals and businesses to navigate it with confidence.

CEO, Destination Think

Rodney has witnessed the power of the travel experience to transform minds and cultures. He believes that the travel industry can only continue to thrive by using its privilege to positively transform society and preserve a well-functioning earth system. Rodney trained as a lawyer, focusing on areas of environmental law. He began his career in investment banking before finding his purpose in the travel industry. For nearly two decades, he has worked alongside destination marketers all over the world to inspire sustainable travel and develop thriving tourism economies that work for local residents.

As CEO, Rodney has led the growth of Destination Think across the world. He has had the privilege to work with places throughout Europe, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and throughout Canada has afforded him a global perspective across destinations of all sizes.

Rodney has grown deeply concerned about the momentum in both earth and human systems that is threatening climate destabilization and biosphere collapse. He joined Creative Destruction Lab as Founding Partner of CDL Climate to accelerate innovations that are needed to tackle one of humanity's most imminent challenges. He is an advisor to AirMiners and fostered a partnership with Musk Foundation's $100 million X Prize Carbon.

Director of Strategy, Skift

Chase is the Director of Strategy, North America at Skift Advisory, one of the world’s leading tourism consultancies. He is a travel industry leader experienced in developing growth strategies for travel companies and destinations. He advises DMO leaders on destination development, management, marketing, and investment.

Chase spent most of his career at Deloitte Consulting before joining Skift Advisory. At Deloitte, he developed growth strategies for clients in the travel and tourism industry, including top destinations, leading hotel brands, global airlines, and private equity investors. He also led business operations at Locale, a venture-backed hospitality startup, and founded a hospitality real estate development firm.

He holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Relations, magna cum laude, from Claremont McKenna College.

Executive Director, Destination Silver Star / Silver Star Resort Association

Cassandra Zerebeski is redefining the role of a destination organization at Silver Star as she spearheads the development of the resort association as a vibrant, innovative, community-focused organization.

Cassandra has built exceptional teams globally, always exceeding the evolving needs of clients and partners with leadership roles at Tourism Whistler, Destination Canada, Pacific Destination Services, Whistler Blackcomb, and Accor Hotels in a tourism career that spans three decades.

A twenty-year resident of British Columbia originally from Minnesota, often deemed the most Canadian part of the US, Cassandra always puts her infectious enthusiasm to good use.

Principal, Larose Research & Strategy 

Peter is a research and planning consultant and university instructor based out of Tk'emlúps (Kamloops) British Columbia. As the Principal of Larose Research & Strategy since 2013, Peter has completed over 100 projects related to tourism planning and management, outdoor recreation, environmental conservation, Indigenous tourism, labour market analysis, and tourism transportation systems.

Peter specializes in quantitative and qualitative research methods to support policy, planning, and sustainable community development, and teaches courses in these areas at Thompson Rivers University.

Peter’s life mission is to use the levers of the tourism and recreation economy to maximize social and economic benefits, enhance environmental conservation practices, and radically promote Indigenous reconciliation. He is passionate about community philanthropy, as a long-time Select soccer coach in Kamloops, outspoken environmental advocate and member of the Kamloops Naturalist Club, and he sits on the board of directors for Mountain Biking BC and the Kamloops Bike Riders Association.

Corporate Services Manager, Indigenous Tourism BC

Chatman Shaw is from Prince Rupert BC, with ancestry rooted in the North as a member of the Nisga’a Nation community of Gitlaxt’aamiks branching all the way down south to the Tsleil Waututh Nation in North Vancouver, BC.

With over 15 years of experience in the tourism and hospitality industry & a degree in Business Management. Chatman joined Indigenous Tourism BC last summer as the Corporate Services Manager, bringing a diverse skillset in customer experience, digital innovation, and service design

Interim General Manager, Quaaout Lodge & Talking Rock Resort

Rhys is a dedicated community builder with nearly 30 years of experience in the tourism industry. Originally from Ontario, he studied Environmental and Political Sciences and began his career in IT. His love for the outdoors led him to Whistler in the mid-90s, and after exploring life in the Comox Valley and East Kootenays, he settled in the Shuswap in 2008 where his family was welcomed into the Skwlāx te Secwepemcúl̓ecw community.

Following the pandemic, Rhys has played a key role in the recovery of Quaaout Lodge & Talking Rock Resort after a fire destroyed part of the facility in 2022. He is also part of the team restoring community infrastructure, homes, and businesses after the Bush Creek Wildfire impacted the Skwlāx community in 2023.

In addition to his work, Rhys enjoys exploring lakes and trails, skiing, and snowboarding. He is a founding director of the Arts Council for the South Shuswap and currently serves on the board of the Shuswap Economic Development Society. He has also participated in several regional destination development working groups in collaboration with DBC, TOTA, and ITBC.

Market Intelligence Analyst, Destination Canada

James is a market intelligence analyst at Destination Canada, focusing on destination development. His projects include TourismScapes, a mapping tool that enables users to search and profile a community’s tourism sector, and the Wealth & Wellbeing Index dashboard, a strategic tool designed to measure and benchmark the tourism sector’s progress across key areas in economic, social, and environmental sustainability and resilience. Both data products are available in the Canadian Tourism Data Collective.

Jenelle Brewer was born in Vernon BC in the Syilx (Okanagan) territory and the daughter of William and Peggy Brewer. She was raised with her father’s family in the Head of the Lake area of Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB) IR No.1. Her mother moved to the reserve from Prince Edward Island as a teacher, where she met William and started a family.

In 2005, Jenelle was elected to Band council and served two terms. For the last decade, Jenelle has worked in various Indigenous communities in the following capacities: community disaster recovery management, economic development, business development, research and planning, grant writing and policy development, and as a volunteer fire fighter. 

During Jenelle’s role with the Okanagan Indian Band, she held a seat on the Vernon Tourism Commission and worked on the Community Economic Development Initiative between the Okanagan Indian Band and the City of Vernon. Today, she is the Chairperson of the Holding Company for the OKIB Group of Companies responsible for corporate governance. Jenelle started her consulting company in 2020 that now focuses on project management in disaster recovery and increasing capacity for Indigenous communities.

CEO, TIABC

Walt has been involved in the tourism industry for over 30 years, having worked at BC Pavco, Port Metro Vancouver, and Tourism Vancouver prior to joining the Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia (TIABC) in May 2015.

As CEO, Walt leads multiple advocacy/policy files, sets the strategic course for TIABC, builds relationships with members and industry stakeholders, and communicates the value of B.C.’s visitor economy to various constituents.

Before TIABC, Walt spent 15+ years at Tourism Vancouver as Vice President of Marketing Communications, Membership and Sport.

Over the years, Walt has held dozens of board and committee positions. At present, he is on tourism program advisory committees for Capilano University, Western Community College, and Vancouver Community College. He also serves on the City of Vancouver’s Sport Hosting Grant Committee. In 2021, he was appointed Chair of the Provincial & Territorial Tourism Industry Association and currently serves on the board of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada.

Walt has a Bachelor of Hospitality Management Degree from Vancouver Community College, as well as a Diploma in Broadcast Communications Technology from the British Columbia Institute of Technology.

Having visited over 40 countries, Walt loves to travel and especially enjoys visiting communities around British Columbia and other provinces to meet with tourism colleagues.  For fun he plays hockey and golf, cycles daily to stay fit, and enjoys spending time with family and friends.

CEO, GreenStep

Angela Nagy is the CEO of GreenStep, a company she founded in 2008 to change the world by helping businesses and organizations measure and improve their sustainability performance and take climate action. GreenStep delivers a broad range of programs, services and software tools, and has worked with over 6000 businesses and organizations across Canada and internationally. Leading by example, GreenStep is Rainbow Registered, Living Wage Certified, Climate Neutral Certified, and has been a Certified B Corporation since 2015.

 With over 25 years of experience in sustainability, Angela has served on several boards, co-founded several non-profit organizations, and served as an elected official on a platform of sustainable development. This unique cross-sector perspective has enabled Angela to cultivate a deep insight into the challenges, opportunities and pathways to success when seeking to advance sustainability goals and objectives.  Angela is deeply interested in accelerating decarbonization, and one of GreenStep’s leading programs, EcoFund, has enabled millions of dollars of investment into carbon reduction, and cost-saving projects at over 100 hotels and other tourism businesses.

 In her spare time, Angela is an angel investor supporting other women entrepreneurs, an avid regenerative gardener, a backcountry enthusiast, and a mom to two energetic kiddos.  

Vice President of Destination Management, Destination BC

Alison is Vice President of Destination Management at Destination BC, responsible for destination management programs and efforts with a focus on supporting the revitalization of a strong and sustainable tourism sector in the province. 

Alison leads the Destination Management team in implementing annual plans, programs and projects; works with the Executive team to support corporate-wide projects, such as Invest in Iconics, Destination Stewardship, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility; and collaborates with Indigenous Tourism BC on projects specific to Indigenous communities.

Alison joined Destination BC in 2006 as a member of the research department. During her 16-year tenure, she has taken on progressively senior roles, most recently as Director of Destination & Industry Development. Her career highlights include partnering with RDMOs and Ministry staff to create a new provincial destination development program; and developing provincial, regional and local area strategies in cooperation with Indigenous communities, residents, businesses, economic development agencies, government and the tourism industry.

Alison holds a Masters of Applied Environmental Studies: Tourism Policy & Planning from the University of Waterloo. She is an active volunteer in her local youth soccer and lacrosse communities and sits on the board of the Invasive Species Council of BC.

During her free time, she enjoys exploring the outdoors with her family in their home of Coquitlam, on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish Peoples and the Kwikwetlem First Nation.

Senior Researcher, Destination BC

Ryan Staley is a Senior Researcher at Destination BC, specializing in statistical tracking of tourism industry performance and corporate survey programs. With expertise in traveller sentiment analysis and organizational performance assessment, Ryan plays a key role in producing official tourism statistics for British Columbia. They also contribute to performance measurement and research projects that guide critical marketing decisions. Since joining Destination BC in 2014, Ryan has been instrumental in fostering collaboration and delivering actionable insights that support the province's tourism strategy.

Administrative Assistant and Membership Clerk, Okanagan Indian Band

Justen Peters is the assistant membership clerk and administrative assistant to the CEO of the Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB), where he plays a vital role in supporting leadership with communication strategies, community initiatives, and political engagements. With a passion for cultural preservation and education, Justen previously worked as a tour guide at Knmalka Senqalten, the Indigenous garden at Kalamalka Lake. In that role, he led tours focused on Syilx history, culture, and traditional plant medicine, helping visitors connect with the land and its stories.

His diverse experience reflects a deep commitment to community development and sharing Indigenous knowledge, making him a valuable voice in discussions around tourism and cultural engagement.

Associate Professor, University of British Columbia, Okanagan

After earning a PhD in Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Waterloo Donna Senese, moved to the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia where she is now Associate Professor of Geography at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, and Associate Dean of Students in the IK Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dr. Senese has research and curricular interests in the geographies of agricultural and wine tourism at the intersect of rural sustainability, vulnerability and resilience thinking.

Dr. Senese is a member of UBC’s Sustainability Theme in Graduate Studies, the Centre for Environmental Impact Assessment, Institute for Community Engaged Research, the UBC Wine Research Centre, Kwantlan Polytechnic University’s Institute for Sustainable Food Systems, and is Founding Director of the Sonnino Working Group, an international trans disciplinary research and writing collective based in Tuscany Italy, with curricular and research interests in food and wine tourism and rural sustainability. Dr. Senese’s most recent publications include an edited volume on research approaches to the Valley, and peer reviewed journal articles on transformative tourism, reciprocity and social capital and resilience in agricultural and tourism settings.