2026 NTA Board of Directors Election

Christina Werner, CTP, Custom Holidays

With more than seven years of dedicated service on the NTA Board of Directors, including her current role as secretary, Christina brings deep experience and passion for advancing the association and the travel industry. She works for a tour company where she manages tours, logistics, marketing, and events, and she has contributed her leadership skills to multiple NTA and TAP committees, including Meaningful Travel and DEI.

Her leadership style centers on teamwork, trust, and elevating others’ voices—values she has exemplified both in her professional work and in her NTA service. A graduate of the Tourism Cares Tour Operator Cohort, she is committed to advancing meaningful travel and fostering an inclusive, responsible, and sustainable future for the industry.

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.

Candidate answers

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 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.

Candidate answers

Amanda Thibeau, Aimbridge Hospitality

Amanda’s love of travel came from her parents.  She was born and raised in Florida, and her mom is from California.  Each summer, they would drive across the country to visit her family there and along the way, visited all the national parks.  She is down to just four more states she needs to visit.

Amanda has been in the hospitality business for 32 years, always with hotels, and with Aimbridge Hospitality for 17 years. She started her career at the front desk and never looked back. Aimbridge manages 800-plus hotels across the U.S., and she works on a national level representing their hotels to the tour and travel market. Operators trust her to match up their “hot buttons” to the right hotel—rooms with 2 beds, breakfast included, and parking lots that are easy for a motorcoach to maneuver.

Amanda has built a career dedicated to the group tour market, developing deep expertise in its opportunities and challenges while creating memorable travel experiences for clients. Her leadership style emphasizes trust, collaboration, and precision, with a focus on detailed planning, goal setting, and team empowerment. Through her work at Aimbridge, she has refined her ability to navigate diverse personalities and build strong, effective partnerships.

She envisions NTA as a leader and connector in the evolving global group travel market and looks forward to contributing her knowledge, experience, and passion to support NTA’s mission and its members.

Candidate answers

Todd Stallbaumer, Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department

Todd is selective about the boards he chooses to serve on, which makes his interest in NTA especially meaningful. Inspired by the association’s rebirth and the industry-specific successes it has re-established, he believes now is the right moment to contribute to NTA’s flourishing future.

With a career spanning more than 30 years, Todd has held roles across chambers of commerce, DMOs, motorcoach and tour companies, and state-level destination marketing. From developing tours and creating tourism products from the ground up to planning group travel and promoting destinations, he has consistently advanced growth and opportunity for his communities. He has also served on numerous boards and committees, including projects like the Oklahoma Centennial.

Todd believes in surrounding himself with great minds, encouraging open dialogue, and balancing debate with commitment to organizational goals.

Looking ahead, he sees NTA as uniquely positioned to facilitate authentic and global conversations, and he aspires to help make it a top-of-mind organization for every travel professional.

Candidate answers

Emily Meehan, Meet Boston

With over a decade of experience in the tourism industry, Emily Meehan brings a well-rounded and forward-thinking perspective shaped by diverse experiences. She began her career as a camping tour guide across North America. Holding a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), she also operated group transportation, giving her a rare, firsthand understanding of travel logistics from multiple vantage points.

Now serving as tourism sales manager at Meet Boston, Emily promotes the city as a premier destination for group travel. She works closely with partners and various stakeholders to highlight Greater Boston’s educational and cultural assets. Her collaborative spirit and depth of experience make her a trusted resource in the region.

Beyond her professional role, Emily is active in community initiatives. She served on the board for Glow in the Park, a fundraising event supporting Boston’s parks, and contributes to Meet Boston’s Partner Academy, educating members on the value of group travel. She has also collaborated with Tourism Cares to expand the Meaningful Travel Map in Boston, elevating local businesses that prioritize sustainability and community impact.

With a unique blend of hands-on experience, academic training, and community leadership, Emily is well-positioned to contribute meaningfully to the National Tour Association’s Board of Directors and the broader industry it serves.

Candidate answers

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 Oct. 1. If you need a paper ballot, email Jennifer Royse. Online voting will remain open until Oct. 30. NTA will host an online Annual Business Meeting on Oct. 30 when members can hear from the nominees and have an opportunity to ask questions. The 2026 NTA Board officially will be announced during Travel Exchange on Ottawa.