Travefy’s David Chait appointed Vice Chair; Recent Successes Recognized
The Travel Institute announces the appointment of David Chait, CTIE, CEO and founder of Travefy, Inc. as Vice Chair for its Board of Directors along with the reappointment of Gary Pollard, CTC, president and CEO, Ambassador Tours, as Board Chair.
“Serving on The Travel Institute’s Board during a period in which our industry has seen enormous growth with an inflow of new advisors, I’m more bullish than ever on the transformational power of education and certification in elevating business outcomes,” offered Chait. “My passion for this industry, dominated by small businesses and solopreneurs, runs deep. It’s why Travefy builds software to help businesses grow, why I’m so passionate about The Travel Institute’s mission, and why I’m honored now to serve as vice chair,” continued Chait, a board member since spring 2024.
Reflecting on Chait’s appointment, Pollard enthused, “As a board member, David has already been a tremendous asset to The Travel Institute, and I could not be more pleased he is bringing his incredible intellect, talent, and time to engage at an even greater level now.”
In a clear signal of the Board’s continued confidence, Pollard will now serve his second term as chairman, a role he’s held since 2022. “For me, it’s about the continued pursuit of excellence for our industry. I’m excited about the progress we’ve made as an organization, and I am committed to ensuring we continue to elevate both individuals and our entire industry through education and certification,” shared Pollard, who also previously served as vice chair and first became a board member in 2009.
The appointments came during the Board’s recent multi-day meeting, which also included a walkthrough on several key initiatives with the non-profit educator’s leadership and team. Highlights included the recently announced Education Hub, a 24/7, on-demand continued learning resource for both seasoned advisors and new agents; the Alumni Initiative, which provides additional focus on its CTA©, CTC©, and CTIE© graduates throughout their careers with alumni-exclusive tools and programming, and a sneak peek at the soon-to-be-released 12th edition of Travel Career Development, or TCD, with comprehensive updates to curriculum and delivery capabilities. As the education leader’s flagship online training textbook and desk reference, TCD is widely used by individuals, agency owners and managers, and educational institutions as a critical curriculum for industry newcomers.
“The meeting was truly monumental. We have a high-performing, passionate team and a generous, diverse board—both willing to give their time, talent and more. As a collective team, we left the meeting with great optimism and even more energy than we brought to it. The industry should be excited to see what this group does next,” Pollard asserted, explaining that between strong financial growth, acclaimed educational content, expanding partnerships, and tremendous industry accolades, “The Travel Institute is poised for continued strong performance and momentum ensuring industry newcomers are job ready and that travel professionals at all levels continue to grow so that the industry prospers from their efforts.”
Priorities heading into 2026 include continued collaboration with the board, team and industry leaders to uphold the value of professionalism ongoing, championing the quality education that sustains it through new, creative ways to engage with industry stakeholders—leveraging new technology for content delivery and ensuring maximum reach and access for The Travel Institute’s trusted educational resources.
With mixed emotions, the group also celebrated outgoing president, Diane Petras, CTIE, who announced in August her retirement at 2025 year-end. Petras will continue to support The Travel Institute as an advisor, bridging efforts with historical perspective and providing guidance for future initiatives.
“This meeting further confirmed what I already know very well—The Travel Institute is in the best shape it’s ever been, which makes it easy for me to let go and leave it in the capable hands of my team and this board,” Petras reflected.
For Chait, Petras’ leadership “has left an indelible mark on The Travel Institute and on the industry as a whole. Going forward, our top priorities are to build upon her work while continuing to find new ways to support an ever-evolving industry. We will meet advisors and organizations where they are at with updated courses, newer technologies, and support for evolving agency business models,” he pledged.
“Diane’s contributions to The Travel Institute cannot be overstated,” Pollard echoed. “She’s taken both The Travel Institute—and our entire industry—to a higher level. We will honor her legacy with a relentless focus on the advancement of student education, stakeholder engagement, and funding opportunities necessary for even greater success,” he promised.
The search for Petras’ successor continues, with an announcement anticipated by year’s end. Along with Pollard and Chait, The Travel Institute Board’s Executive Committee also includes Evan McElligott, CTA, President, Longer Vacations. The Travel Institute’s full Board also includes:
- Rick Baron, CTC, former Managing Director, Global Sales, Tauck, Inc.
- Laurie Bohn-Isaure, CTIE, Senior Director, National Accounts, Silversea
- Drew Daly, CTIE, Senior Vice President & General Manager – WTH/Dream Vacations
- Jackie Friedman, CTIE, President, Nexion Travel Group
- Angela Hughes, CTC, CEO, Trips & Ships Luxury Travel
- Rick Meadows, CTC, former President, Seabourn Cruise Line
- Alex Pinelo, CTIE, Chief Sales Officer, AmaWaterways
- Jill Romano, CTA, Owner, Dimensions in Travel
- Horst Schulze, Founder, Ritz-Carlton and Honorary Board Member Emeritus
Board members for The Travel Institute volunteer their time and expertise to support the education leader’s mission to advance industry professionalism.
The Travel Institute relies on individuals and organizations to support its work to create relevant, meaningful, rigorous and affordable coursework for agents at all career stages. Donate funding, share your expertise with students, or learn more about sponsorships in support of agent, traveler, and industry success.
ABOUT THE TRAVEL INSTITUTE
A collaborative industry effort created in 1964, The Travel Institute has continuously evolved to maintain its role as the global leader and industry’s recognized gold standard in travel industry education and certification. Dedicated solely to advancing the professionalism of both agents and industry leaders in support of individual and industry success, The Travel Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, independent organization operating exclusively for educational purposes to meet the ever-changing needs of travel agents. Working with leaders throughout the industry to create and deliver relevant and rigorous coursework and proctored, closed-book testing to ensure graduates demonstrate the highest standards of expertise and service, The Travel Institute has more than 31,000 Certified Travel Associate, CTA©; Certified Travel Counselor, CTC©; and Certified Travel Industry Executive, CTIE© graduates. It also administers the Travel Agent Proficiency, or TAP©, exam to confirm students new to the industry demonstrate a mastery of travel industry basics. Countless individuals, agency owners and managers, and educational institutions utilize The Travel Institute’s award-winning TRIPKITSM introductory program and CTA© as their learning tools of choice. A trusted partner to industry suppliers and educational institutions, The Travel Institute is also the approved provider of travel industry civilian occupation training for U.S. military and has trained hundreds of thousands through various courses, webinars, and other online content through its Education Hub. Throughout North America, many successful agents and high-profile leaders credit their success to The Travel Institute’s affordable and accessible educational resources. Learn more.