2027 NTA Board of Directors Election

Theresa Nemetz, Travel Deliciously

Theresa is the owner of Travel Deliciously, Milwaukee Food & City Tours, and Chicago Food & City Tours, as well as Great Lakes Shore Excursions, where she has grown her businesses from a single-city operation into a multi-regional and international presence. With a background as a nonprofit executive director and fundraiser, she brings a unique perspective to tourism and has spoken widely on culinary tourism, including at NTA Contact and Arival.

Her leadership is guided by the philosophy of “never say no,” a mindset that has fueled growth, innovation, and opportunity within her companies and her community. She has volunteered on local LGBTQ hospitality committees, supported nonprofits, and mentored students exploring hospitality careers.

As an NTA Board member, she advocates for tour operators of all kinds, especially niche and next-generation tour operators, and envisions NTA as a connector, educator, and advocate in an evolving global marketplace. She looks forward to continuing to serve by strengthening member connections, fostering innovation, and ensuring NTA delivers meaningful value for today’s and tomorrow’s travel professionals.

As NTA continues to grow globally, she envisions the association as a welcoming, connected community that supports members of all sizes through advocacy, partnerships, and shared values. In her role as vice chair, she looks forward to building on NTA’s momentum, strengthening member engagement, and ensuring every member feels represented, supported, and empowered.

Richard Arnold, Atlantic Tours

Richard has been part of Atlantic Tours for 35 years.  NTA has been part of Atlantic Tours’ family since the beginning, providing the knowledge and framework to become the top-notch company they are today.  NTA’s marketplace exposure allowed collaboration with DMO and travel trade partners to create excellent tour programs.  Although much has changed during his years in the tour industry, NTA has remained a constant source of support.

He feels it is now time to give back to help sculpt the organization’s future direction. He looks forward to brainstorming and working with others to create a stronger NTA that embraces new opportunities and tackles the challenges of the future.

Brittany Dykla, Brilliant Edventures

Brittany has her BA and MS in accounting from Michigan State University. She is a second-generation owner of Brilliant Edventures. Before joining the travel industry 10 years ago, she worked in public accounting and finance. Her introduction to the group travel industry came in 2004, when she attended a SYTA conference while still in college. Today, she has spent the past 10 years helping lead Brilliant Edventures alongside her mother.

She was named the 2023 Young Professional of the Year by the National Tour Association and a Top Ten Next Gen by Groups Today magazine. She is currently serving on the National Tour Association’s Board of Directors, Michigan Cares for Tourism’s Board of Directors, and the American Bus Association’s Next Era Leadership Council. Brittany is an avid reader, sports fan, and pickleball player.

Brittany is passionate about NTA and the important role the association plays in the packaged travel landscape. Through her continued Board service, she hopes to bring her experience and perspective to broader industry conversations while continuing to grow as a leader.

Kerrie Niemeier, Wells Gray Tours

Kerrie has been a valued member of the Wells Gray Tours team for 13 years and currently serves as Director of Sales and Marketing. In her role, she oversees marketing, communications, social media, events and the company’s website, with a focus on connecting travelers with meaningful and memorable experiences.

An active NTA member, she served on NTA’s Education Advisory Group from 2015–2017 and currently volunteers with the team updating the Certified Tour Professional (CTP) curriculum. She earned her CTP designation in 2018 and has participated in numerous NTA Travel Exchange and Contact events throughout her career.

She is passionate about responsible and sustainable tourism, and the positive impact travel can have on both travelers and the communities they visit. In 2024, she completed Carbon Literacy Project training and participated in a Tourism Cares cohort focused on responsible travel and sustainability.

Kerrie values building strong relationships, mentoring others and creating opportunities for professional growth, and she looks forward to bringing those values and her industry experience to her service with NTA.

Chris Pourgourides, Abbey-The Destination Experts

With experience on both the supplier and buyer sides of the travel industry, Chris brings a well-rounded perspective on the tourism ecosystem. In his current role with Abbey-The Destination Experts, he has helped renew the company’s involvement with NTA and is now an active participant in NTA events and the Core Group.

As an international NTA member, he is passionate about expanding the association’s global reach and helping connect tour operators with new destinations, suppliers, and travel experiences. He believes NTA has an important opportunity to provide the relationships, knowledge, and resources members need to develop business both domestically and internationally.

He is also completing his second term on the UKinbound Board of Directors, serving from 2023–2027. His leadership philosophy emphasizes collaboration, listening, and creating an environment where everyone can contribute. He believes the strongest results come when leaders look beyond their individual companies and focus on the broader goals of the association and its members.

Jose Pedro Goncalves, Viagens Abreu SA

José Pedro Gonçalves brings 30 years of tourism industry experience and a wealth of strategic leadership to his role as head of international projects at Abreu, the world’s oldest travel agency, established in 1840. His career spans tourism sales, international sourcing, and destination management, with experience across Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. He has consistently focused on driving growth through market strategies, strategic partnerships, and strong industry relationships.

José views travel as a people business and believes strong relationships, collaboration, and reliability are essential to long-term success. He leads by listening, sharing knowledge, and creating opportunities for others to contribute their strengths.

He hopes to bring his international experience to NTA while supporting the association’s continued growth in the global marketplace. He is particularly passionate about strengthening connections across markets, creating new opportunities for members, and promoting responsible tourism and professional standards throughout the industry.

Jered Fournier, Broadway Inbound

Jered Fournier is the Director of Sales at Broadway Inbound, where he develops strategic partnerships that connect travelers from around the world with Broadway’s most celebrated productions. With 15 years of experience at the intersection of tourism and live entertainment, he has built an extensive global network spanning tour operators, online travel agencies, travel advisors, wholesalers, channel managers, corporate buyers, and destination marketing organizations.

Jered has represented Broadway Inbound at leading domestic and international trade shows and industry events across North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Latin America, helping shape market strategy and expand Broadway’s reach to new audiences. His work blends commercial strategy, relationship management, and a deep understanding of both the travel and entertainment sectors.

A graduate of The Hartt School at the University of Hartford, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Theatre, Jered combines a lifelong passion for the performing arts with a strategic, relationship-focused approach to business, marketing and sales. He is known for building meaningful partnerships, identifying new market opportunities, and connecting audiences with unforgettable live experiences. Originally from Massachusetts, no matter where his travels take him, Jered will always find a location where they are playing the New England Patriots game.

Todd Read, SoIN Tourism

Todd Read is the Director of Sales and Services for SoIN Tourism, the destination marketing organization serving Clark and Floyd counties in Southern Indiana. He leads the organization’s group travel, sports tourism, meetings market, and visitor experience initiatives, with a strong focus on growing the motorcoach and packaged-travel markets. Throughout his tourism career, Todd has built a reputation as a relationship-driven sales professional who values trust, collaboration, and exceptional service.

Todd works closely with tour operators, motorcoach companies, hotels, attractions, restaurants, and tourism partners to develop group-friendly experiences that generate visitation and economic impact. He regularly represents SoIN Tourism at industry events including NTA Travel Exchange, ABA Marketplace, and TAP Dance, and he was instrumental in bringing TAP Dance 2024 to Southern Indiana. His industry contributions have earned him recognition as one of Louisville Business First’s People to Know in Hospitality, the Spirit of TAP Award, and a finalist for One Southern Indiana’s Professional of the Year Award.

Todd’s leadership philosophy is rooted in service, humility, and accountability. He is passionate about strengthening relationships between destinations and tour operators, advocating for smaller and emerging destinations, and creating opportunities for others to succeed. He believes effective leaders listen first, put the organization’s mission ahead of personal recognition, and work collaboratively to advance the tourism industry.

Tour operators will vote for candidates and officers, tour suppliers for supplier candidates, and DMOs for DMO candidates. To learn more about the candidates, view their profiles above.  If you’re interested in nominating someone from the floor, please contact Jennifer Royse.

Each member company or organization in good standing may cast only one ballot, and more than one ballot cast will result in the elimination of all votes submitted by one member company or organization. Ballots will be distributed by e-mail to the primary contacts to all tour operators, tour suppliers, and DMOs on Sept. 23. If you need a paper ballot, email Jennifer Royse. Online voting will remain open until Nov. 10. NTA will host an online Annual Business Meeting on Nov. 10 when members can hear from the nominees and have an opportunity to ask questions. The 2027 NTA Board officially will be announced during Travel Exchange ’26.