2022 NEBRASKA TOURISM CONFERENCE
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
OCT. 25-27 South Sioux City, NE
Shelley Brown
Shelley’s colorful weird wit, her very own pop art, powerful stories from her life and 25+ year hospitality, travel, and events career have popped into hearts, tickled funny bones, and inspired audiences for the past 4 years. In addition to her role as a funny motivational speaker, Shelley teaches people her W.E.I.R.D process by sharing what she has learned about authenticity – to help you bring the colors back into your life, leadership, and teams in a way that can’t help but engage talent, drive bottom line results, and positively impact the customer experience! Sharing her powerful journey through relatable stories and teaching us all to be W.E.I.R.D. (Welcoming, Engaging, Integrating, Risk-taking, and Dynamic) you come to that magical place where your authenticity becomes your superpower and the key to belonging.
Learn more about Shelley and her work here
Cory Lee
After being diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at the age of two, Cory Lee’s thirst for adventure never ceased. He has traveled across all seven continents in his powered wheelchair while managing to run his travel blog CurbFreeWithCoryLee.com, where he shares his accessible — and sometimes not so accessible — travel adventures with others. He is a four-time Webby Award winner, has won two Lowell Thomas Awards for Best Travel Blog, and he has written for publications such as Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic, and Lonely Planet. As always, his goal is to inspire other wheelchair users to roll out of their comfort zones and see all of the beauty our world has to offer.
Learn more about Cory and his work here
Cree Lawson
Cree Lawson was Born in Harlan, Kentucky and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. Naturally curious, Cree’s first words where “What is it?” Along with his parents – both college professors - Lawson spent most of his summers on long road trips and has visited all 50 states.
Lawson has been a nationally – recognized business reporter, an investigative journalist, a donut shop cleaner, a cross country runner, an Academic All American, a pet shop attendant, a music critic for Billboard Magazine (briefly) and editor of his college newspaper. He’s also started 6 companies, including one of INC Magazines’ 500 Fastest Growing companies. He currently serves as CEO of Arrivalist – which he started 10 years ago.
Lawson’s passion is using data as a lens to measure the world around us—especially the life transforming experience of travel. He lives with the love of his life and two very unruly boys in Naples, Florida.
Steve & Ann Teget
Steve and Ann Teget began writing about their travels in 2014 when Ann was diagnosed with two chronic illnesses and needed a hobby to lift her spirits. Since then, their blog, PoscardJar.com, has blossomed into a joy-filled site that inspires readers to take the next step on their own journey. Both native Midwesterners, the Tegets write about travel, food and healthy living.
Since 2019, this married couple has lost a combined 200+ pounds and adopted a healthier and more active lifestyle. While they still enjoy the occasional greasy burger, they now seek out destinations and travel experiences that enhance their healthy lifestyle and sense of well-being. Named the 2019 Midwest Travel Network's Bloggers of the Year, the Tegets also own and operate a successful Airbnb in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Their Airbnb, called Postcard Place, has received more than 150 consecutive 5-star reviews and was featured in The Pioneer Woman Magazine.
Steve and Ann reside in small-town Crete, Nebraska. Steve is a former Spanish teacher, coach and middle school principal. Ann spent her early professional career as a sports reporter and later served as vice president of both public and government relations for a Fortune 500 company.
Julie Roller Weeks
From climbing Mt. Sunflower to taking selfies with miniature Statue of Liberty replicas, Julie Roller Weeks is a proud ruby-sneaker-wearing Kansan who loves exploring and sharing Kansas! Julie returned to her home county six years ago to serve as Director of the Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau with the City of Abilene, Kansas.
Through her leadership, Abilene was named Destination of the Year by the Midwest Travel Network, Best Historic Small Town by USA TODAY, Favorite U.S. by TravelAwaits, Friendliest Small Town in the U.S. by TravelAwaits, Best Small Town to Visit by Smithsonian Magazine and many other accolades. She has hosted more than 60 travel writers during her time in Abilene. She welcomes the opportunity to host new writers and partner with other communities on multi-day trips.
Before joining the CVB, she worked at the Kansas Department of Agriculture on the Ag Marketing team with the From the Land of Kansas and farmers’ market programs, the Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation, where she served as the Director of the Kansas Sampler Festival, and as a Main Street Director for Downtown, Augusta Inc
Brent Kalemkiarian
Brent Kalemkiarian has been in the travel business most of his life, starting as a flight attendant for Braniff Airlines. He worked for his family’s travel agency in the sales incentive division, and finally purchased the tour company Fun Tours from his father in-law in 1986. Brent owned and operated Fun Tours for over 25 years.
As an owner, Brent did it all, from designing and marketing the tours to escorting and managing the business. Brent created a tour director training program where he hired and trained college students and other staff to escort the tours. Two days of classroom training plus an onboard training trip insured customers of a well-trained tour manager. Fun Tours merged with Allied Tours in 2009. Brent created new marketing ideas for Allied, including a monthly online travel show and email newsletter along with creative new itineraries. Brent is planning to retire at the end of the year.
Dr. Erika Hamilton
Dr. Erika Hamilton is Director of Literary Programs for Humanities Nebraska, where she has worked since 2005. She has a Ph.D. in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a dissertation analyzing the advertising of Willa Cather’s fiction, a master’s degree in English and creative writing from UNL, and a bachelor’s degree in English and secondary education from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. She is a graduate of Leadership Nebraska Class XI. Erika serves on the board of directors for the Nebraska Center for the Book and Nebraska Literary Heritage Association. As Director of Literary Programs, Erika oversees all reading and literature-related programs conducted by Humanities Nebraska and works with nonprofit organizations who seek grant funding.
Steve Charleston
Steve Charleston has been the Program Manager for the Nebraska CDBG Program since 1988 as well as the CARES Act for COVID-19, both funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. He has also overseen the Tourism Development Opportunity for the Nebraska CDBG Program since 1996. He is an environmental review officer for HUD-funded programs administered by DED and a regional field representative for the Nebraska State Office of Planning and Programming. Steve is a graduate of the UNL School of Architecture and a board member for the Nebraska Planning and Zoning Association and a past president for the National Council of State Community Development Associations
Stephanie Plieness
Stephanie is an experienced PR professional with a demonstrated history of working in the public relations and communications industry. She is skilled in media relations, social media, account management and marketing communications, particularly in the areas of tourism, travel, hospitality, transportation, and technology, to name a few. Stephanie started her career in TURNER PR's travel division in 2011, where she works on numerous DMO clients. After a move to Alaska, she joined an agency handling tourism for the state of Alaska, Visit Anchorage and other tourism entities. Upon moving back to Colorado, Stephanie represented state and city entities including Grand Junction, Breckenridge and the state of Colorado.
Susie Dunlea
Susie is an Account Executive on TURNER PR's travel and lifestyle teams. After graduating with a degree in strategic communication from The Ohio State University, Susie began her public relations career at a central Ohio-based agency where she focused on media pitching, influencer engagement and reporting for hospitality and tourism brands. Outside of work, you can find Susie being a proud foodie as she tests new recipes in the kitchen, explores the Denver bar and restaurant scene and travels to experience various cuisines.
Calvin Williams
Calvin Williams helps to celebrate and promote African American culture and history in Omaha through Freedomtainment, a non-profit he founded, and through the Omaha Freedom Festival, an all-day Juneteenth holiday celebration. His mission is to spread appreciation for the rich heritage of his city throughout Omaha and beyond. He helped to reach his dreams by building from the ground-up through self-education, fundraising and determination that is helping him to spread his message.
Marcos Eduardo Mora Barrientos
A third-generation Mexican American, Marcos was born in Los Angeles, California and raised in South Omaha, Nebraska. He comes from one of the largest Mexican American families in Omaha—la familia Barrientos which has contributed to the Omaha music scene for 96 years. As a pillar in the Latino community, Marcos has become one of the most recognized leaders for his family’s contribution in the arts, business and South Omaha community.
Marcos has recently been named a spokesperson for Live On Nebraska that advocates for Organ and Tissue donors. Amongst Marcos’s numerous activities, he continues to support the Omaha community as he serves as a member of the Latino Economic Development Council, Barrientos Scholarship Foundation, Cinco de Mayo Omaha, Fiestas Patrias Omaha, University of Nebraska-Omaha Latino Community Initiative, the South Omaha Business Improvement Development and the Omaha Public Schools Foundation Board.
Many Moccasins Dance Troupe
The Many Moccasins Dance Troupe will perform on the first day of the 2022 Nebraska Tourism Conference Tuesday, October 25 at 5:30 p.m. Many Moccasins is an ensemble of professional Native American performers who utilize traditional Native American Dance to entertain, educate and uplift audiences around the world. The dance troupe has performed in countries around the world, including Canada, Germany, Lithuania, Denmark, South Korea, Russia and most recently, Saudi Arabia. They are known for their new and more contemporary approach to Native American theater and have specialized in Native entertainment for many years. Founded in 2001 and based out of Winnebago, Nebraska, The Many Moccasins Dance Troupe was originally created to give audiences exposure to a wide range of Native American dance and education.
From sold-out theatrical shows to motivational presentations, Many Moccasins also provides classroom-setting workshops that include interactive learning and performing. The presentation features traditional Native American historic narration and a "Show and Tell" hands-on activity which invites participants to view and learn various artifacts in the Native American culture.
Hayden Pigott
Hayden Pigott is Miles Partnership’s TikTok Platform Manager. She creates strategies for tourism and hospitality clients’ organic and paid campaigns on the app, as well as Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. With almost 50K followers across two personal accounts, TikTok is where Hayden spends virtually all of her time. When she isn’t thinking about how DMOs can create viral TikToks, she is searching Charlotte for the best tacos, traveling to Austin to watch her Longhorns play or reading the latest mystery novel.
