Lori Smith brings 30 years of travel industry experience to Global Connections, where she has worked since 2011, managing the entire Global Connections travel team. Her past experience includes both leisure and corporate travel, with a specialty in cruises. Not only does Lori enjoy reading and cooking, but she also loves traveling the globe with her family. Out of the 35 countries that Lori has experienced, her favorite family destination is Atlantis in the Bahamas and her favorite city is London.

What I love about working in travel is that it's constantly changing. Things are never the same on any given day.

Kelly joined Global in November, 2014 with 15 years of professional travel experience. Areas of experience include group travel and customer service. A veteran international traveler, some of Kelly’s favorite destinations include Ireland, Europe, Costa Rica and Hawaii (yes, Hawaii really does look like the photos!). In addition to traveling abroad and taking cruises, Kelly enjoys cooking and baking.

Working in travel is nice because usually the people you’re working with are in a good mood – everyone is happy about going on vacation!

A travel expert with over 30 years of experience, Marsha Chestnut has been with Global Connections since 2008. In those 30 years, she has traveled most of the world, but still has a couple of places on her bucket list. Her passion for travel stems from her love of people, both clients and the people she meets while traveling. She takes loves the continuous education that is offered through various specialty courses, webinars, and meetings with representatives from all of the major tour and cruise lines.

I enjoy working with people and the variety the travel industry offers – there's always something new to see or do.

Elfie Couey brought her extensive international experience to Global Connections in 2009, with 25 years of prior travel experience. A native of Germany, Elfie has lived all over the world, including Europe, Hawaii, Japan and Vietnam. Her world experience has made her an expert it international travel destinations. She has an educational background in travel and previously worked in tours and corporate travel. She enjoys outdoor activity like walking, hiking and gardening and likes to travel to exotic destinations. Favorites include the Far East, India, Italy, and Hawaii.

The best part of this job is researching international destinations and meeting the challenge of putting complex trips together for our members.

Lynn Newman has been with Global Connections since 2011. Her areas of expertise are in air, car and hotel as well as vacation packages. Lynn’s past professional experience in travel includes both travel agency experience as well as corporate travel. Lynn lives in the Kansas City area with her family, and enjoys traveling to destinations all over the U.S. and abroad. Her favorite destinations so far include Maui and European river cruising.

I love learning about new places and destinations every day.

Christy Zeier joined the Global Connections team in 2013 and has 23 years of prior travel experience. Her areas of expertise are cruises, tours, and Disney vacations. She enjoys outdoor activities, and her favorite travel destination is Hawaii. Her favorite and highly recommended cruise destination is Alaska.

My favorite part of working in travel is working with people, especially families, and being able to make their vacation dreams a reality.