GBTA is pleased to welcome Amanda K. Cecil, Ph.D., CMP as the new Dean of Education. She is currently an assistant professor in the department of Tourism, Conventions and Event Management at Indiana University-Purdue University located in Indianapolis, Ind. Dr. Cecil teaches several courses in event management and international tourism. She has scholarly interests in the development of competency-based curriculum models for academic degree programs and the impact of experiential learning. She has consulted on instructional design for educational programs in business travel management, strategic meeting management, sports business travel management, and event management. Dr. Cecil was recently awarded the 2011 Indiana Trustees' Teaching Award.

GBTA is also pleased to welcome Heather Trusty as the new Director of Certification. Heather brings over 20 years of association management and professional development experience to GBTA. Prior to joining GBTA, Heather was the Director of Certification at ASIS International and was responsible for leading and managing all education and activities for three international certification programs. Heather has extensive experience in working with subject matter experts to develop and deliver certification exams.

"GBTA is thrilled to welcome Dr. Amanda Cecil and Heather Trusty to our association. Their combined experience and credentials in the education and certification area will bring a unique opportunity to GBTA's members," said GBTA Executive Director and COO, Michael W. McCormick. "GBTA's professional development program is like no other – we will utilize the expertise of Dr. Cecil and Heather Trusty and provide a global view of the industry to our membership base."

The new team will be reviewing and synthesizing GBTA's current education and certification programs, creating multiple distribution channels for content delivery and conducting research to explore the competencies of a business travel professional. GBTA's professional development program equips business travel professionals with the know-how they need to anticipate challenges and successfully navigate through a constantly changing environment.

"Certifications and knowledge-based learning are key factors in enhancing your career," said Craig Banikowski, CCTE, C.P.M., CMM, GBTA President and CEO. "We believe so strongly in this that we have increased our investments as we continue to seek the best and the brightest individuals to help our team towards this goal."