By Guida Botelho, CTIE, Senior Director of Education, and Taylor Ruecking, Senior Director of Marketing and Technology for The Travel Institute
Change is never easy, but it is—no doubt—inevitable. Our team will experience a significant change soon because our treasured leader, Diane Petras, CTIE, retires at year’s end after a nearly 40-year career in the travel industry.
Diane will leave us knowing “things are truly the best they’ve ever been for The Travel Institute.” She’s fully confident in The Institute’s mission and its continuing impact through exciting things scheduled for this year, such as newly elevated learning tools, new content, and additional valuable benefits for our alumni and our continued learning subscribers.
As the search for her successor gets underway, David Chait, CTIE, CEO and Founder of Travefy, Inc. and an executive committee Board member for The Travel Institute, believes we are primed to further elevate our industry impact. “The Board has every confidence The Travel Institute’s 60-year foundation of success and ongoing momentum will continue,” David said, citing our amazing 12.5% average growth rate in recent years while also emphasizing, “We’ve got an experienced, accomplished group with our collective sleeves rolled up on multiple initiatives already well underway. Together, we’ll continue to drive educational excellence at every level in support of individual professionalism and broader industry success.”
First volunteering with The Travel Institute in the 1990s, Diane managed annual training conferences and served on its national advisory board. In 2010, she signed on as chief operating officer, focused on integrating technology, and, in 2018, was named president. With a background in both training and technology, she is credited with leading pivotal milestones for us during the last 30+ years, including:
- Reinventing our operating model and moving to a responsive e-commerce website
- Augmenting student content with 3rd-party subject matter experts
- Providing $1M+ USD in scholarships to both new and experienced advisors
- Producing award-winning curriculum for new and experienced advisors
- Launching a best-in-class, interactive learning platform and
- Enhancing our certified advisors’ value with digital credentials.
“Diane’s contributions cannot be overstated. She’s taken both The Travel Institute—and our entire industry—to a higher level,” asserted Gary Pollard, CTC, chair of The Travel Institute Board of Directors; president and CEO, Ambassador Tours. “Her passion for quality education has inspired countless agents and organizations to prioritize education and become true travel professionals who embrace selling travel and offer greater value through a comprehensive business model. She’ll be missed both professionally and personally by her team and the Board of Directors,” said Gary.
As Diane explores this new chapter in her life, our team could not be more thrilled for her. We embrace this change for our organization as yet another opportunity for our growth, as individual team members and as Your Travel Institute. Our hearts are full, thankful for Diane’s many contributions, as are our plates, overflowing with so many amazing initiatives this fall and well into 2026. We believe these exciting efforts will continue to elevate every professional who comes through the doors of The Travel Institute, the industry’s education leader for countless years to come.
