Meet the American Glamping Association Advisory Board
The AGA advisory board is comprised of industry experts seeking to support and support the glamping industry and community. Their guidance and expertise is critical to the growth of both the AGA and the industry as a whole. We are very grateful for their continued support to all of our members as move their glamping businesses forward.
Read on to learn about our advisors!
Sarah Dusek, CEO and Co-Founder
Sarah Dusek is Co-Founder of Under Canvas; the leading US adventure-hospitality company offering luxurious glamping accommodations just minutes from America’s most popular and iconic national parks.
2019 marks the launch of Enygma Ventures, a private investment fund focused on investing in women-led businesses in Southern Africa.
Steve Nunez,
Managing Director
Steve is a Principal at Whitman Peterson. Prior to joining the team, Steven spent over five years at Barings Real Estate Advisers where he worked alongside senior management in the acquisition of new investments in the Western U.S.
Peter Mack,
CEO, Founder
Collective Retreats was born out of Peter’s drive to create a better, and more inspiring travel experience. After scouring the country for the most stunning locations, he built retreats starting in Vail and Yellowstone, and has continued to expand to new markets from there.
Dyana Kelley,
President and CEO
Dyana has traveled by RV to the 48 contiguous states (Alaska is still on the bucket list), visited 26 national parks, and hiked many of California’s most beautiful trails, including portions of the John Muir and Pacific Crest Trail. She holds an associate degree in Recreation Management; Parks and Leisure, is a Certified California Naturalist, and maintains a Wilderness First Aid certification. Professionally, she has worked as an outdoor recreation guide for REI, started and run multiple businesses in the fitness industry, has a seat on the board of CalTravel and serves on the Government Relations Committee.
Toby O'Rourke,
President, CEO
Toby O'Rourke is the President and CEO of Kampgrounds of America, Inc., the world's largest system of private campgrounds and leader in outdoor hospitality. In this capacity she oversees the programs, services and marketing that supports the brand's 515+ franchised and company-owned locations across North America.
David Smith,
Founder
David Smith was most recently a Senior Director at RobertDouglas, a boutique real estate investment banking firm focused on the debt and equity capitalization of real estate assets and operating businesses in the hospitality sector. During his five years at RobertDouglas, including postings in New York City and Los Angeles, David advised on over $1billion of hotel financing assignments, representing leading ownership groups in North America, Europe and Australia.
Robert Frisch,
Co-Founder, CEO
Bobby is the co-founder and CEO of Firelight Camps, an experiential hospitality company that develops and manages luxury camping resorts. Prior to Firelight Camps, Bobby and his wife Emma opened, managed, and sold a boutique hostel and restaurant in Nicaragua called "La Buena Onda." He holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA '13 from the Johnson School at Cornell University, where he was a Roy Park Leadership Fellow and ran Cornell's startup incubator as an ELAB fellow.
Robert was a Peace Corps volunteer in Nicaragua, and has provided hospitality consulting services for the National Parks Service, Itza Lodge in Belize, and the luxury tent rental company, Contentment Camping. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his wife Emma and daughters Ayla and Cora.
Anne & Mike Howard,
Founders
Mike and Anne left on their honeymoon in January 2012...and never came home. They created HoneyTrek.com to chronicle their journey across all seven continents and help people mobilize their travel dreams. Their story of the “World’s Longest Honeymoon,” savvy tips, and blog have been acclaimed by hundreds of media outlets from USA Today to Lonely Planet. Having scouted hotels around the world for Honeymoons.com, blogged for Glamping.com, and authored National Geographic’s best-selling book on couples adventure travel (Ultimate Journeys for Two), the Howards were poised to write the first travel guide on glamping in North America, Comfortably Wild.
Todd Wynne-Parry,
CEO- Founder
A seasoned growth leader in the industry, Todd brings more than 30 years of hotel brand, management and investment experience. Having held senior leadership positions at several major hotel brands and most recently AutoCamp and Commune Hotels + Resorts/Two Roads Hospitality. He was instrumental in the development efforts for IHG, Starwood and Marriott in the Asia Pacific region and for Commune and Two Roads Hospitality in the Americas. Todd is passionate about the outdoors and the hospitality industry.
Richard Moreau,
Managing Director
Certares
Rich is a Managing Director of Certares, a firm focused on investments in travel and tourism, hospitality, business and consumer services. Founded in 2012, Certares brings together a team of experienced private equity and operating professionals with deep industry, investment, transaction and management experience. Rich leads the firm’s investment efforts in several categories, including outdoor-related travel and hospitality. Rich serves on the Board of Directors of Getaway and Guardian Alarm.
Shawn Bertini, Partner
Shawn founded and built West Slope Angels, a network of Colorado angel investors and startups. Shawn heads our compliance, technology and operations. Shawn is a Steamboat local.
Martin Coover,
Founder
Critical Mass Talent Solutions
An avid biker and outdoor enthusiast, Martin Coover serves as Partner for global executive search firms DHR International and Jobplex. Currently in his eighth year with the firm, Martin specializes in the placement of executives across functional areas, usually in high-growth, financially-sponsored organizations, with a particular passion for the burgeoning alternative hospitality industry. Never straying too far from his education roots, Martin also currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees at dual-language urban elementary school Escuela de Guadalupe, the Corporate Work Study Program Board at low-income high school Arrupe Jesuit, and is a founding member of the Junior Board at the Denver Scholarship Foundation.
Margaux Bossanne,
Brand & Business Development Manager
Margaux is a graduate of the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, where she earned a Master's degree in Entrepreneurship and Arts Management. Prior to working as a brand and business developer at Huttopia North America, she created and developed a subsidiary of an English private concert organization in Moscow for 3 years. It is her international project management experience that led her to join the Huttopia team in Canada and the United States on a full-time basis since January 2019. She leads the partnerships, product development, adaptation to North American markets and development of new Huttopia properties across the North American market.
Bryan Auchterlonie
Bryan J. Auchterlonie is a hospitality executive with more than 15 years’ operational, investment and advisory experience in the resort lodging sector. Bryan has dee experience in financing, development, capital assemblage, operations and strategic growth in both the traditional and non-traditional lodging sectors, with a particular emphasis US and Caribbean destinations. From 2015-2018, Bryan directed corporate growth for industry-leading destination club, Inspirato. Bryan is active in both Colorado and national Urban Land Institute (ULI), where he serves as Chairman for the Recreation Development Council (Red Flight). Bryan also serves on the advisory boards of Outsite, La Cure Villas, Homes & Villas by Marriott International, and Four Seasons’ Private Retreats. Bryan lives in Denver with his wife and two boys.
Irene Wood,
Founder, CEO
Irene Wood is the founder of The Fields, a luxury glamping resort located in her hometown of South Haven, Michigan. The Fields, recognized in Conde Nast, Travel and Leisure, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, National Geographic has quickly become one of glamping's premier locations and its effect, or Field Magic as guests affectionately refer to it as, has helped to identify Irene as one of the industry's leading hospitality experts. On a mission for life's simple pleasures, Irene believes that to care, elevate and curate moments of simplistic delight are the formula to an exceptional guest experience.
