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Our Team
Because we want know what your expectations, needs and dreams are, we think it only fair that you get to know ours, too! Check us out below to learn how each of us came to share our passion for Alaska here at Entrée Alaska - and how we can best serve you.
Check out the Entrée Canada team here.
Check out the Entrée Space team here.
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Blair Letal - Product & Documentation Manager
Blair was born in Edmonton and raised in the small towns of Bow Island and Bonnyville in rural Alberta. He moved to Vancouver shortly after high school, and graduated from college with a Travel & Tourism Management Diploma in 1997. He immediately accepted his first job in the industry, and his career has been dedicated to wholesale travel ever since. Jobs have taken him to Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia; Sydney, Australia; and Auckland, New Zealand. He has worked in management for the past nine years, and has been our Product & Documentation Manager since 2007.
Blair's travels include Asia, Australasia/Oceania and Europe. In Canada, he has ventured from coast to coast and visited nine of the 10 provinces. In his spare time, he enjoys spelunking, whitewater rafting, photography, coin collecting and, of course, traveling!
Contact him at blair@entreedestinations.com
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Celine Guidry - Manager, Administration & Technology
Favorite Alaskan Memory: "Spending weekends at our cabin on Horseshoe Lake, near Anchorage. Water sports were a big hit, but one of our favorite things was to hook up the electric motor to our floating dock, load up with furniture and food, and head off very quietly to enjoy the calm and listen to the loons."
Born in Paris, Celine spent much of her early childhood traveling to Canada, Mexico and Europe. Later, her family settled in Alaska and she spent 20 years in Anchorage. It was there that she met and married her husband, with whom she raised two daughters while owning and operating an administrative support and bookkeeping business.
In the fall of 2000, after moving to beautiful Whidbey Island, Celine joined Alaska Unusual (now Entrée Alaska). Accounting continues to be a major part of her job. In addition, she supports the Sales Staff with IT and software implementation-all part of the team's goal to plan unsurpassed trips to Alaska.
In addition to spending time with her kids (and two energetic grandsons), Celine enjoys gardening, the outdoors, and-her newest project-remodeling a vacation house in southern France.
Contact her at celine@entreedestinations.com
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Gwen Horchover - Senior Sales Manager, Alaska
Favorite Alaskan Moment: "Watching humpback whales bubblenet feeding right outside of Favorite Bay Lodge in Southeast Alaska."
A third generation Alaskan, Gwen was born and raised in Juneau and Fairbanks. As a child, she spent summers flying with her father to remote areas of the state to canoe, fish and camp. In Alaska, the land of the midnight sun, Gwen developed a deep appreciation and passion for the wilderness, and spent much of her time whale watching, bear viewing and fishing remote rivers,
With a broad range of personal travel experiences behind her, Gwen began her career as Manager of a travel agency/tour company in Juneau. There, she spent 17 years researching and planning adventures all over the world. At Entrée Alaska, her deep roots and passion for Alaska, and her willingness to share her experiences with travel agents and their clients, make her a valued team member. She is proud of her ability to design a true Alaskan Adventure.
Gwen lives on Whidbey Island with her husband Bob, a boat captain.
Contact her at gwen@entreedestinations.com
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Judith Root - Shorex Sales Manager
Favorite Alaskan Moment: "I will never forget the time I flew by helicopter over the Juneau Ice fields. The massive expanse of ice and rock was breathtaking. The pilot was quiet and confident. It was surreal."
Judith hails from Boston, though it was while she was living in New Mexico that she was actually introduced to Alaska, spending summers in Skagway, working at the University in Fairbanks, floating the Yukon River, and visiting South Central Alaska.
Judith's career in tourism began with a job at La Posada de Santa Fe, where she worked in group sales and catering. Taking time off to raise her two children, Judith indulged her passion for alternative medicine by attending a graduate program in Ayurvedic Medicine in California. She eventually returned to tourism in the role of Assistant Innkeeper and Group Sales Manager for The Inn at Langley, in Langley, Washington. She spent four years there, honing her public relation skills, before joining the Entrée Destinations Team.
At Entrée Alaska, Judith manages the Private Shore Excursions department, booking private experiences for cruise travelers. She also assists in sales for custom land packages to Alaska. She takes great pleasure in designing truly memorable adventures.
Contact her at judith@entreedestinations.com
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Lora Davis - Operations Manager, Alaska
Favorite Alaskan Moment: "Just last year, I drove from Seward up to Denali, and met lots of people in the little towns along the way. Getting to hear their personal stories, how they came to live in Alaska, was a real highlight."
Born and raised in Vancouver, Lora made her first trip abroad in 2003 after completing her Master's degree in Psychology and immediately caught the travel bug. She has since had the pleasure of traveling throughout Europe, including an unforgettable, month-long sojourn in Italy. A recent return to Mexico has her re-inspired to pick up those long-forgotten Spanish lessons.
Lora has worked in the travel industry for the better part of eight years, and joined the Entrée team in 2007. She brings her attention to detail and a strong client focus to her role as Operations Manager for Entrée Alaska.
Happy to still call Vancouver home, Lora never fails to take advantage of the beauty around her. She spends most of her free days near the sea, taking in some sunshine or scuba diving with her boyfriend. She can also be found snapping photographs of her favourite scenery.
Contact her at lora@entreedestinations.com
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Lynn Matson - Controller
Favorite Alaskan Experience: "I love exploring the funky shops on South Franklin Street in Juneau."
Lynn grew up in Vancouver and spent family holidays exploring beautiful B.C. Many years later, a trip to Europe sparked her fascination with tourism, while her most recent adventure took her Ireland to visit the working farm where her grandmother grew up.
Lynn has worked in various industries over the course of her career, and spent the past 12 years as a business consultant, helping implement financial management reporting systems. It was in that capacity that she met Marc Télio, whom she helped "set up the books" at Entrée Destinations. Over the years, Lynn has offered advice and support to Marc and the team, and says it's been fascinating to watch Entrée Canada evolve into the thriving business it is today. Lynn came on board full-time to assist with the acquisition of Entrée Alaska and never left!
Lynn is blessed to share her life with three wonderful children.
Contact her at lynn@entreedestinations.com
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Marc Télio - President
Favorite Alaskan Experience: "Helicopter dogsledding. We took our own private heli up a glacier to meet with a well-known musher raising Alaskan huskies. It was my daughter's 9th birthday, and we had cake on top of a glacier. The dogsledding was absolutely unforgettable."
Marc's love affair with international travel started in his early twenties. After receiving an Economics diploma from his hometown university in Montréal, he set out to explore Asia, Australia and Africa. His travels continued for almost four years.
Using his working fluency in French, Japanese and English, Marc began working for a tour operator on the east coast of Australia, coordinating inbound travel for the French, Japanese and English-speaking markets. In 1994, he returned to Canada and moved to Vancouver with the intention of creating the region's top inbound travel company.
"I consider myself blessed. I work with amazing teams in both our Canada and Alaska offices. They believe in what we stand for and they take pride in delivering exceptional service to our guests. I cherish the strong partnerships we have built with our suppliers. I am blessed to work in partnership with the best clients in the travel industry. I've made amazing friends in this business, and the luxury travel industry has us traveling the world in style. I wouldn't trade this for anything!"
Marc loves living and working in Vancouver. He attempts to keep a good balance between his time at the office and his time with his wife and their two children whom he considers integral to all site inspections (it's never too early to bring the kids into the business).
Contact him at marc@entreedestinations.com
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Marty Behr - Director of Yacht Marketing
Favorite Alaskan Activity: "I'm an inveterate walker, and my favorite walk is on the rolling hills above Alaska's Winterlake Lodge in August, when they are carpeted with a mosaic of tundra colors (yellow, red, purple, green and orange). Snow-capped Mt. McKinley looms on one side, while the Finger Lakes Valley in which the lodge is nestled sits on the other."
Marty was born in Chicago and studied space dynamics at Stanford in anticipation of joining the NASA space program. However, a friendship with a business student led him to change direction, and he eventually took his MBA in finance and marketing. During his subsequent career as a management consultant, he was tasked with assisting the State of Alaska with investment strategy for the North Slope oil royalties. Thus began his travels and enchantment with The Great Land cemented by a one-month expedition re-creating the Klondike Goldrush from Seattle to the Klondike Goldfields in the Yukon.
Marty has spent almost three decades creating and managing travel companies in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, each of which thrives today under new ownership. In 2006, he sold the last of these companies, Alaska Unusual, to Entrée Canada Destinations. He continues to share his passion for the Alaskan wilderness with Entrée travelers as director of marketing for our yacht charter programs.
Marty lives with his wife in Langley, where his many interests include board memberships, volunteer work, real estate development, mountain hiking, book collecting and coin/currency collecting.
Contact him at marty@entreedestinations.com
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Michelle Glass - Senior Account Manager
Most Memorable Alaskan Moment: "It occurred during a kayaking trip into Glacier Bay National Park. My friend and I spied a humpback whale resting on the surface of the water, so we paddled our double kayak over to check it out. When we got closer to the whale (though not too close), we realized it was sleeping. Then it woke up. With a blast of spray, it slowly rolled over, looked directly at us, and then proceeded to dive under our kayak. Needless to say, I was quite startled and nervous. The whale then started a series of dives back and forth under our boat, and would surface ever closer to the kayak to check us out. I was so frightened I was shaking, screaming to my friend 'PADDLE'! From that point on, we decided to marvel at the beauty of wildlife from a little farther away!"
Michelle was raised in Oregon and graduated from Western Washington University with degrees in Geography and Secondary Education. On a lark after graduation, she went up to work in Alaska for "one summer only!" and stayed 13 years. She feels fortunate to have traveled through much of Alaska, and to have lived in several communities, including Valdez, Haines and Kenai. Michelle met her husband while living in Skagway, and their toddler was born on Alaska Day.
Michelle's professional experiences range from working as an onboard naturalist in Prince William Sound to conducting historical tours, in period costume, while double-clutching a 1937 vintage limousine (without power steering). She has worked in sales & marketing for a cruise line and served as the Executive Director for two Alaskan Convention and Visitors Bureaus. She has experienced every aspect of the Entrée Alaska business, from Marketing to Operations, Custom Trip Planning to Program Development.
While she has traveled the world, Michelle is fervent in her love for Alaska and considers it a personal mission to educate everyone she meets about the beauty and ineffable qualities of the "The Great Land".
Contact her at michelle@entreedestinations.com
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Shirley Hendricson - Sales Coordinator, Alaska
Favorite View on Alaska: "From my front garden, I can see the cruise ships headed out from Seattle to Alaska. As these giants sail by, all I can think about is that I wish them good weather and cool drinks on the top deck and hope they venture beyond the crowds and into Alaska."
Born in Walla Walla, Washington, Shirley's life of travel started early. Her father was in the military, and her mother believed that visiting a new country was far more important than sitting in a classroom. This interesting early education instilled in Shirley a lifelong love of exploring new places.
After graduating from college, Shirley settled in Washington, DC, where she met her husband and pursued a career in graphic design, communications, and marketing. She worked as a Communications Manager for a statistical research firm; Advertising Sales Manager for an association magazine; and Director of Marketing for Continuing Education in Engineering at George Washington University. As Communications Manager for the Society of the Plastics Industry, Shirley helped create the design for those little recycling triangles that appear on the bottom of every plastic container. Please recycle!
Shirley moved to Whidbey Island in 1996 and found her way to Entrée Alaska in 2005. She enjoys using her creative and practical life and professional skills to support the stars of the Alaska sales team.
Contact her at shirley@entreedestinations.com
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Timothy (TJ) Lim - Operations Manager, Alaska
Favorite Alaskan Experience: "I haven't done it yet, but when I finally go snowboarding in Alaska - which is Mecca for snowboarders - that will be my fondest memory. But so far, I would say the best thing has been meeting the locals - especially Jon and Jona Van Zyle, and Martin Buser and his family, both of whom we organize special inside access tours with for our guests. Having world renowned artists and a champion dog musher share their stories with you in their own homes is truly a one-of-a-kind experience, and very inspiring."
"TJ" was born in Windsor, Ontario. His interest in travel was fostered at an early age through family trips which were frequent and diverse. At 18, he moved to Toronto and spent several memorable years in Canada's metropolis.
In his mid-twenties, TJ embarked on a cross-country road trip that eventually drew him to Vancouver. It was here that his passion for tourism, travel, and business took over. Dividing his time between mountains and school, he worked in the ski and snowboarding industry while earning his BA in Tourism Management. He joined the Entrée Destinations team in 2007 and takes great pleasure in showcasing Alaska and Canada to the rest of the world.
Outside of work, TJ keeps his life in balance with sports and the arts. He's an avid snowboarder and volleyball player, and truly believes that with one more foot in height, he would be a professional basketball player by now. He's a collector of music who still prefers vinyl, has been known to hit the dance floor, and is teaching himself how to play the piano.
Contact him at timothy@entreedestinations.com
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