Sharon Kay Howell of Travel Masters, Tyler, TX, was named by Sabre Travel Network as the 2008 Power of You Award winner. The annual award is based on nominations from North American Sabre travel agents who respect and admire their peers for making significant contributions to the advancement of the travel profession, including the role that travel plays in our communities.
“At Sabre we know that travel can be an instrument of change,” said Chris Kroeger, Sabre’s senior vice president of North America. “Each year we look forward to seeing how our customers use travel to make a difference in their communities and, this year, Sharon’s contributions really stood out.”
Howell’s nomination highlighted her long-standing commitment to more than 10 local non-profit organizations and educational institutions. She leverages her 25 years of industry experience and strong supplier relationships to craft unique travel packages to help raise money at charity auctions. In fact, her packages for the American Cancer Society’s Cattle Baron’s Gala raise an average of $35,000 annually. In addition to negotiating donations worth thousands of dollars with suppliers, she is also credited with purchasing value-added extras herself to insure the packages are unique. Beyond the auctions themselves, Howell personally handles all of the logistics and details of these non-commissionable trips on her own time.
“It’s amazing to watch her energy and passion year after year,” said her nominator Barbara Glass. “She is truly one of the most giving and caring people I know.”
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