Santa Barbara, CA - May, 2003 -- Lynn O�Rourke
Hayes has been named Managing Editor of FamilyTravel.com, the premier website
for families interested in exploring the world together.
Founded
by parents for families, the site launched in 2000 under the direction
of President Pam Plesons. Visitors will find tips for traveling with children
of all ages as well as recommendations for family-friendly destinations,
hotels, resorts, cruises, camps, spas and ranches.
�We created the site because we believed there
was a real dearth of quality information available for parents interested
in traveling with their children. We continue to work on filling that void,�
explained Plesons. � We are very pleased to have Lynn on board as we work
to take our site to the next level.�
Hayes comes to FamilyTravel.com with a long history
of experience in the field of travel and other family-focused work.
Hayes has held several executive positions within
the travel and tourism industry. Most recently, she served as Managing
Director of Worldwide Advertising at Best Western�s International headquarters
in Phoenix. She spent seven years with Choice Hotels International at their
world headquarters in Washington DC, serving as Vice President of Corporate
Relations and Corporate Spokesperson as well as Vice President of International
Marketing. While at Choice, Hayes managed the introduction of the first
mandatory nonsmoking room policy in the country. At that time, Choice
was the world's largest franchise hotel company, marketing more than 3500
hotels under eight brand names in 35 countries.
While in Washington, Hayes also served as Assistant
to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism (USTTA) at the
U.S. Commerce Department during the Reagan Administration. She was awarded
a commendation from the
Commerce Department for spearheading the development
of a crisis management plan for the US travel industry. She was also recognized
for creating a multi-country marketing campaign that introduced the concept
of hotel segmentation to potential travel partners in Europe. US-based
partners included major hotel chains and the Day In the Life of America
publishing company.
Hayes also received a Presidential Citation from
President Reagan in a Rose Garden Ceremony for her creation of a successful
public/private partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children and Choice Hotels International.
In 1998, through their company Concorde Golf Tours,
Hayes and her partner organized, marketed and accompanied a 23-day luxury,
around the world golf tour aboard a chartered Air France Concorde. The
tour was featured in the major golf journals, the Wall Street Journal,
USA Today and the New York Times magazine.
Hayes is co-author of The Best Jobs In America
For Parents (Macmillan 1991 and Ballantine 1992) one of the first
books to document the trend and provide a framework for negotiating and
managing flexibility in the workplace. She is the author of The Choice
Family Travel Guide (Conover Press, 1991) and has been a contributing editor
to Restaurant Hospitality, Lodging Hospitality and Hospitality Upgrade
magazine.
Hayes has discussed family, workplace and travel
issues on national and local television and radio programs across the country
including the NBC TODAY Show, CNN, CNBC, and the ABC Home Show. Her comments
have appeared in The New York Times, USA TODAY, The Washington Post, The
Arizona Republic and other major dailies across the country On Capitol
Hill, Hayes has testified several times before the US Congress on the subject
of workplace issues and has participated in Congressionally-sponsored symposiums
on the same subjects.
Hayes began her professional career as the Phoenix
Editor for Arizona Business magazine. She was a contributor to The Women's
Travel Guide (G.K. Hall, 1987) Farm, Ranch and Country Vacations (Adventure
Guides, 1995) and is the co-author of Crisis Management for American Hotels
(American Hotel & Motel Educational Institute, 1987) and co-producer
of its companion two-hour videotape. Her comments are also included in
Hospitality Sales and Advertising (AH &MA Educational Institute, 1989,
1993).
Hayes has traveled extensively, visiting more
than 25 countries and 48 of our 50 states. Her favorite trips are those
that included one, two or all three of her children.
|