Jennifer Michels Named VP of Communications for ASTA

jennifer michelsThe American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) announced the appointment of Jennifer Michels as vice president of communicatiions, effective immediately.

Michels has more than 20 years of experience as a journalist covering transportation, travel and tourism, including a decade working on travel agent-specific issues for various trade publications. From 1997 to 2005, Michels served as the Washington D.C. Bureau Chief for Travel Agent magazine -- handling in-depth coverage of government, regulatory, retail and aviation-related topics. 

Michels most recently was employed by the Transportation Trades Department as that group's director of communications. 

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"We know that Jennifer's breadth of knowledge of business and leisure travel make her a good fit for our team," said Zane Kerby, president and CEO, ASTA. He said that ASTA looks forward to Michels' contribution to promoting the value of using a travel agent to the traveling public. 

"There is no industry as dynamic as the travel industry, and no group of professionals as passionate about what they do as the travel agent community," said Michels. "I look forward to working with this incredibly dedicated team at ASTA headquarters, and to renewing former and forming new partnerships to help move us forward."

ASTA members represent 80 percent of all travel sold in the United States through the travel agency distribution channel, and its membership is growing internationally. ASTA’s history of travel industry advocacy traces back to its founding more than 80 years ago.

ASTA's sister organization, the National Association of Career Travel Agents (NACTA), represents professional independent and home-based agents.  

For more information, visit www.asta.org.