On March 15, Rita Zawaideh, owner of Caravan-Serai Tours in Seattle, Wash., was honored by Congressman Jim McDermott during his annual Celebrating Our Roots Potato Festival to recognize her work within the Seattle community. In addition to being a TravelAge West Trendsetter Award winner, Zawaideh is involved in several organizations ranging from after-school language programs promoting cultural understanding to post-Sept. 11 awareness between Arabs and Americans. McDermott called Zawaideh a “powerful voice for justice and fairness in a time when fear and discrimination have become so prevalent in our society.”
TIA appoints new National Chair
On April 1, president and CEO Caroline Beteta of the California Travel and Tourism Commission began serving as the national chair of the Travel Industry Association (TIA). Beteta will oversee TIA’s board of directors and recently announced her national chair platform, which includes expanding TIA’s public affairs focus, launching DiscoverAmerica.com and becoming a champion of travel and the travel industry. TIA president and CEO Roger Dow commented, “The U.S. travel industry is fortunate to have Caroline at the helm.”
