San Diego, CA | The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) and its Foundation today recognized graduates of NBTA’s three business travel management professional development courses. The graduates were honored during a General Session at the 2009 NBTA International Convention & Exposition -- the business travel event of the year – being held this week in San Diego.

NBTA and the NBTA Foundation offer three levels of professional development designed to move business travel professionals through the entire span of their careers:

• Fundamentals of Business Travel Management/CTE
• Certified Corporate Travel Executive (CCTE)
• Global Leadership Professional (GLP)

The Fundamentals of Business Travel Management course and Corporate Travel Expert (CTE) designation are the only introductory course and designation for corporate travel professionals. More than 550 people have taken the course to date, including the following 28 Convention attendees who earned their CTE designations this week:

• Maritza Biggs, CTE, Inter-American Development Bank
• Katherine Brindley, CTE, Department of Defense
• JR Bucciero, CTE, Public Storage
• Dan Carozza, CTE, Department of the Treasury
• Roland Catalano, CTE, The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
• Eve Chekelelee, CTE, Eastern Band of Cherokee
• Elena Clayton, CTE, Dollar General Corporation
• Debbie Cranmer, CTE, LMI Aerospace
• Frank Dolce, CTE, OSI Systems, Inc.
• Megin Dressel, CTE, Schneider Electric
• Melody Dunn, CTE, Intevac, Inc.
• Gina Felts, CTE, Cricket Communications
• Monica Hall, CTE, Constellation Brands, Inc.
• Charlene Kehoe, CTE, International Capital & Management Co.
• Allison Krivatch, CTE, International Capital & Management Company
• Deborah Mullins, CTE, CUDL
• Yukyong Mun, CTE, LG Electronics MobileComm USA Inc.
• Anabela Riley, CTE, Texas Roadhouse
• Erik Rusin, CTE, LXR Travel LLC
• Laurie Rusin, CTE, LXR Travel LLC
• Shonda Spinks Lackey, CTE, CUDL
• Debbie Toso, CTE, TIBCO
• Sean Tovson, CTE, Travelisense
• Christopher Tsang, CTE, Rambus
• Jan Uecker, CTE, Lions Clubs International
• Geralyn Vance, CTE, Purcell Systems
• Lisa Williams, CTE, Aegis Techrep
• Emily Wright, CTE, Flad Affiliated Corporation

The Certified Corporate Travel Executive (CCTE) is the recognized certification course for corporate travel professionals; designed for professionals with at least two years of experience in the business travel field. The CCTE program is offered through a partnership between NBTA and the University of Houston Conrad Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management. NBTA today graduated 48 new CCTEs:

• Miriam Abujasen, CCTE, Burger King Corporations
• Ellina Arakelova, CCTE, Align Technology, Inc.
• Kelly Beck, CCTE, Itron, Inc.
• Kim Bilsky, CCTE, Halliburton Company
• Mary Ellen Buckland, CCTE, Wyndham Andover Hotel
• Linda Burke, CCTE, Grant Thornton
• Yolanda Cardiff, CCTE, Sol Melia Hotels and Resorts
• Millie Castaneda-Baker, CCTE, U.S. General Services Administration
• Denise Clark, CCTE
• Kelleree Conrad, CCTE, Enterprise Rent-A-Car
• Lourdes Diaz, CCTE, Assurant Group
• Scott Duffy, CCTE, Virgin Charter
• Jacque Elliott, CCTE, Crowne Plaza Dallas Downtown
• Rhonda Farrington, CCTE, GEFCO
• Robin Graham, CCTE, Hard Rock Hotel Chicago
• Ray Greeve, CCTE, New York Life Insurance Company
• Rosa Gutierrez, CCTE, Sol Melia Hotels and Resorts
• Lisa Hoehn, CCTE, Passageways Travel
• Jennifer Houdyshell, CCTE, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide
• Kamani Irizarry, CCTE, McDermott Incorporated
• Alissa Klees, CCTE, Hilton Hotels Corporation
• Thomas Klein, CCTE, CHG Healthcare Services, Inc.
• Melissa Kouvelas, CCTE, Best Western International
• Rick Lackland, CCTE, Hilton Hotels Corporation
• Bonnie Leth, CCTE, Continental Airlines
• Johnathan Louviere, CCTE, National Oilwell Varco
• Cezar Manapat, CCTE, MSC Software Corporation
• Ken Manzo, CCTE, Continental Airlines
• Karoline Mayr, CCTE, Deltek, Inc.
• Sean McCurdy, CCTE, Interstate Hotels and Resorts
• Pamela McTeer, CCTE, MillerCoors
• Julie Montiel, CCTE, Best Western International
• Barbara Morgan, CCTE, Continental Airlines
• Tim Nall, CCTE, Hertz Corporation
• John Northrop, CCTE, BP America Inc.
• Marcella Oliver, CCTE, Babcock and Brown
• Greg Parish, CCTE, Redding Rancheria
• Elizabeth Peterson, CCTE, Anixter
• Rosanne Peterson, CCTE, The Joint Commission
• Sharon Powell, CCTE, HSBC Bank
• Ralph Randle, CCTE, Logitech Inc.
• Bhart Sarin, CCTE, Allegheny Technologies Inc.
• Rick Wakida, CCTE, Blue Coat Systems
• Anne Waymire, CCTE, Aviva USA
• Jim Wilkins, CCTE, Turner Broadcasting
• Pamela Witherspoon, CCTE, Universal Music Group
• John Wohlleber, CCTE, Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.
• Susie Woods, CCTE, Duke Energy Corporation

NBTA President & CEO, Kevin Maguire, CCTE, GLP, said, "These corporate travel professionals have taken a huge step to further their careers. Carrying the CTE and CCTE designation is a great achievement and a sign of industry expertise and experience.”

The Global Leadership Professional (GLP) program is the business travel industry’s premier master’s-level education program, offered by the NBTA Foundation in conjunction with The Wharton School of Business. Upon completion of the GLP coursework, participants earn a Certificate of Professional Development from the Wharton School before beginning one-year team projects to earn the GLP designation.

The NBTA Foundation and Wharton today recognized 16 GLP students who earned the Certificate of Professional Development and 14 who earned the GLP designation.

Certificate of Professional Development

• Hans DeHaan, Lufthansa German Airlines
• Kerry Gaylor, CTE, NBTA Foundation
• Robert Gotthart, Kohler Co.
• LaShawn Hampton, Delta Air Lines
• Kieran Hartwell, RADIUS
• Mark Johnson, Textron Inc.
• Christle Johnson, Johnson Partners LLC
• G. Matthew Lederman, Lufthansa German Airlines
• Richard McIntosh, The Hertz Corporation
• Iris Menendez, CCTE, CTC, Fluor Corporation
• Delia Peng, CCTE, U.S. General Services Administration
• Nancy Rissky, CTC, Travel and Transport
• Melinda Ryals, CCTE, Emdeon Business Services, LLC
• Amanda Somers, CCTE, Infor
• Penny Watermeier, CTC, Travel and Transport
• Joan Wilbanks-Keeler, Embassy Suites Outdoor World

GLP Designation

• Dan Baillie, CCTE, GLP
• Maylena Burchfield, CCTE, GLP, ADTRAV Travel Management
• Janie Crawford, GLP, AREVA NP, Inc.
• Cheryl Geib, CCTE, GLP, Grant Thornton LLP
• Kelly Henry Luedtke, CCTE, GLP, BNSF Railway Company
• Colleen Kempf, GLP, Omni Hotels
• Susan Long, CCTE, GLP, Corporate Travel Manager
• Joni Miyashiro, GLP
• Debi Scholar, CTE, CMM, CMP, CTT, GLP, PricewaterhouseCoopers
• Yasuo Sonoda, CCTE, GLP, Sonoda Travel Management Solutions
• Martin Stoll, GLP, GoSeeTell Network
• Karin Thompson, CCTE, GLP, ViaSat, Inc
• Karen Vanbuskirk, CCTE, GLP, Perot Systems
• Eve White, GLP, HRG North America

NBTA Foundation Chair Fay Beauchine said, “Those who work their way through the ranks of NBTA professional development are truly dedicated to boosting their careers and advancing the global corporate travel industry. These devoted individuals have reached the highest level of industry education, proving their drive and expertise to the business travel community. ”