Nominees for 2023-25 TMAC National Board of Directors

March 29, 2023

Meet your nominees standing for the 2023-25 TMAC National Board of Directors.
The descriptions below were provided within their nomination form received by TMAC. We invite TMAC members to review these and visit the nominee’s TMAC Profile to learn more about each of these members in good standing who have agreed to have their name stand for office within TMAC, prior to casting your vote(s).

Listed alphabetically by first name, meet your nominees:

CRAIG SILVA (Media), Ontario
Position: Director at Large

Craig lives in Oakville Ontario, just west of Toronto, with his wife Wendy, and his 2 daughters, Rachel and Lauren. He is a marketing and social media professional, travel / food / lifestyle / automotive writer, senior youth group coordinator, graphic designer, photographer, and community volunteer.

Craig led Canada’s most successful automotive sector social media community management team from 2012 to 2018, while maintaining his own personal travel and lifestyle website and influential social presence.

Craig likes to spend time with his family, travel to warm destinations, go RVing and camping, go on road trips, watch movies, cook new recipes, operate the grill, sing and play bass guitar, and have family Rock Band and board game nights!

In June 2017, PR firm Cision identified Craig as one of Canada’s top 10 most popular male bloggers in the parents and family space. bigdaddykreativ.ca is an extension of Craig; what you see on his website and social media accounts is what you get in person. Honesty, integrity, trust, love, dedication, and a laid-back personality with a little bit of humour thrown in.

Big Daddy Kreative’s website started in the Fall of 2011 as more of a personal outlet. It has evolved to include working with many travel destinations and brands. He also features many guest contributor articles to bring additional expertise to bigdaddykreativ.ca. Many of the visitors to bigdaddykreativ.ca use the site as a travel resource and enjoy the food articles, auto reviews, and lifestyle content.

Why Craig for the TMAC national board? Craig has lived and breathed TMAC since joining in July 2021. If you look at the #TMACYAS hashtag on Instagram, it is dominated by posts by Craig, showing how engaged he is on social, and how much he enjoyed his first-ever TMAC Conference.
View TMAC Profile

 

DIANE SELKIRK (Media), British Columbia
Position: Director at Large

Diane Selkirk is a seasoned travel writer with a passion for exploring the world and sharing her experiences with others. With over a decade of experience in the industry, she has honed her craft and become a respected voice in the Canadian travel community.

Selkirk’s passion for travel started early in life, and she has always been fascinated by the diversity of cultures and landscapes around the world. After gaining experience as a freelance writer, she began her career as a travel writer, and her work has been featured in a variety of publications, including the the Globe and Mail, Canadian Geographic and BBC travel.

Selkirk has been an active member of the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC) and has served on the awards committee for three years, working closely with the team to oversee many positive changes. Her experience in this role has given her an in-depth understanding of the association and its mission, and she is committed to using this knowledge to help TMAC continue to grow and thrive.

Selkirk also has board experience with her Condo’s strata board. In this role, she has gained valuable skills in leadership, communication, and decision-making. She believes that her experience in both the travel industry and as a board member makes her well-suited to serve on the TMAC board.

As a travel writer, Selkirk values strong professional relationships between media and industry. She believes that these relationships are essential for creating meaningful content that showcases the best of Canada’s travel destinations. She is committed to promoting collaboration between TMAC members and the tourism industry to ensure that Canada remains a top travel destination for years to come.

If elected, she is committed to working hard to support the association’s mission and ensure its continued success.
View TMAC Profile

 

GRANT FRASER (Media), Ontario
Position: Director at Large

Grant Fraser has been a TMAC for 16 years. Grant started volunteering shortly after joining TMAC by serving on the Finance Committee. Two years later, Grant joined the TMAC board and assumed the role of Treasurer. Since then, Grant has served as TMAC’s Treasurer for seven (7) years and President for (2) two. Grant continues to volunteer for TMAC serving on both the Membership and Finance Committees. Grant is running again for a TMAC board position and would be happy to continue to serve as the association’s Treasurer at the new board’s request.
View TMAC Profile

 

JERRY GRYMEK (Industry), Ontario
Position: Vice President

Jerry Grymek has been a TMAC staple since early 2000 with a true passion towards the growth of the association. While he can be seen smiling and laughing and likes to play, know that he works even harder behind the scenes to keep TMAC running.

As a bit of background, Jerry is the Executive Vice President, Managing Director of LMA Communications Inc. and work on a variety of travel destinations and hotel properties throughout North America and Overseas. After achieving a Marketing Degree and a Public Relations Certification, Jerry earned a Communications and Advertising Accredited Professional (CAAP) certification from the Institute of Communications Agencies (ICA). His hard work earned him an Honours Award and the exclusive Katie MacTavish Memorial Recognition Award for exemplifying the characteristics of a great future leader. It is this recognition that drives Jerry to do more.

Jerry’s support of TMAC can be found everywhere, from the monthly Munch & Mingles for the Ontario Chapter to the Future Conference Host selections to the Annual Conference Sponsorship having generated hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

Jerry’s presence can be seen at every level: he served as Ontario Board Chair and continues to serve as a Director. He is a Director-at-Large for the National Board for over a decade, leading the Future Host, Sponsorship, and HR committees with his leadership and planning skills. As a member, he has been active in referring new members and helping members with his communication skills.

Jerry brings to the table a hard work ethic, forward thinking, positive outlook, creative solutions, and unique perspective, all with a smile.

This is a just a quick sample of what Jerry brings to TMAC. There is so much more that he can do as Vice President, and he vows to continue giving 110%!
View TMAC Profile

 

JUDI COHEN (Media), Ontario
Position: Director at Large

Judi is serving on the TMAC National Board as Secretary and Chair of the Governance Committee and she is seeking another 2 year term at this time.  She brings significant strategic planning leadership and board experience to TMAC having served for many years on the Toronto Police Services Board, Metro Toronto Convention Centre Board, Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority Board, the Canadian Urban Transit Association Board, Toronto Star Community Editorial Board, along with experience chairing many board committees 

She became a full-time traveller and travel advisor in 2015 following her 35-year career in engineering and transportation, and today she is an accomplished travel writer and photographer sharing her off-the-beaten path and small-ship cruise experiences to inspire others to step outside their comfort zones and embrace new kinds of adventures. Throughout her career Judi held senior executive roles with Fortune 500 and leading global engineering and construction companies including SNC Lavalin, AECOM and Hatch Mott MacDonald, as well as senior leadership roles at the Toronto Transit Commission, Metrolinx (UP Express) and Transport Canada.
 
Judi has been to over 90 countries on six continents and continues to document the journey. Her training and experience as a Health Coach and as a Travel Concierge equip her to plan trips and seek out unique destinations to write about. 

Judi’s skills and experience with board governance have been welcomed on the TMAC National Board and she is seeking your support to continue serving on and supporting the board and all of the TMAC industry and media members.
View TMAC Profile

 

KATHRINE CHRISTENSEN (Industry), Ontario
Position: Director at Large

I’ve been at the helm of 1000 Islands Tourism (1000 Island Accommodation Partners) for the past 15 years. I have had the pleasure of sitting on local, regional, provincial and national boards in the past including: the local BIA, Regional Tourism Organization 9 (as chair as well), Attractions Ontario (as chair as well), and the Travel Gay Canada BOD. 1000 Islands Tourism is a DMP and has taken the responsibility of marketing the region at the international, national and provincial level. We also directly and indirectly fund and support events and attractions that draw visitors for overnight stays. We dedicate our financial and human resources to travel media and believe that earned media is one of the most important pillars of successful marketing. I would be delighted to serve as a board member with TMAC. Thank you for your consideration.
View TMAC Profile

 

KATIE CONKLIN (Industry), Nova Scotia
Position: Director at Large

Katie Conklin has been in the tourism industry for most of her career, having started in an entry level position with Discover Halifax in 2014 and working her way up to a Senior Manager position just last year before entering her second maternity leave. She now has two young daughters and is back to working full-time with a close-knit team. 

Throughout the last nine years, her responsibilities and roles at Discover Halifax have varied, but one constant was the management of the company’s Travel Media program, which she continues to evolve and improve upon on. She believes strongly in diversity and inclusion, and ensuring the voices from all ages, genders, body sizes, sexual orientation, abilities and races are heard when writing or promoting the Halifax experience. That is why one of Katie’s Travel Media KPIS for 2023 is to ensure that 50% of all proactive Travel Media and Social Media Influencers who come to Halifax are diverse in same way. 

She has worked with and met hundreds of writers and influencers around the world, helping them tell or write their unique stories about Halifax. Through this experience, she has learned what travel media writers and influencers need to succeed in their craft and takes pride in offering all the tools they need while giving them a wide birth to experience Halifax on their own terms, and that there is value in independence. 

Katie Conklin would be an asset to the TMAC team, as she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in tourism and travel media and has a vested interest in having the two industries thrive.
View TMAC Profile

 

LINDSAY NIEMINEN (Media), British Columbia
Position: Director at Large

With a focus on adventurous family travel and culturally rich destinations, Lindsay Nieminen carefully crafts inspirational stories and informational pieces to help others see the world. She is passionate about showing others that they should not put off traveling the world just because they have young children or are single parents. She aims to encourage them to seek out adventure, whether it is at home or abroad, by providing information on how just about everywhere can be a destination to explore as a family.

Lindsay often works with brands and destinations focused on brand awareness and inspiring readers to add her adventures to their own bucketlists!

Lindsay is currently the Media Vice-Chair of the PD Committee and served as PD co-chair in 2022. She is also currently the treasurer of the BC Board. Since she has joined TMAC she has stepped up to volunteer to get a feel for how the organization works. Lindsay provides a voice for digital publishers in TMAC and aims to strengthen bonds between industry members and this talented group of media professionals.
View TMAC Profile

 

NOELLE AUNE (Industry), Alberta
Position: Director at Large

Noelle Aune is the founder and director of Noelle Aune Communications. With over 2 decades of experience, she has an impressive track record of supporting tourism organizations, destinations, festivals, and special events. Noelle’s boutique agency works with numerous clients, including big names like the Calgary Stampede, Firecirle, Waterton National Parks, Trixstar Productions, the Great Outdoor Comedy Festival, St. Eugene Resort and Telus Spark.

Through compelling content creation, strategic media partnerships, and innovative digital campaigns, Noelle aims to bring Canada’s travel stories to life. Noelle’s agency has taken up the challenge to showcase the beauty and wonders of Canada’s travel destinations to the world. She is a long-time member of TMAC since her days at Travel Alberta and currently co-chairs the Prairies NWT chapter. Noelle has participated in and spoken at various events such as Destination Canada and, Indigenous conferences and the PRSA travel and tourism conference. 
View TMAC Profile

 

SANDRA THOMAS (Media), British Columbia
Position: Director at Large

Sandra Thomas is an award-winning journalist and travel writer, who has been a member of TMAC for eight years, of which she has been volunteering with the B.C. and Yukon Chapter for five, first as a member at large, then as vice-chair, a position she holds today. 

As a volunteer, Sandra has helped organize events, chaired meetings when needed, is helping judge this year’s TMAC awards, and was the inspiration behind the Nathan Fong Award for the best Asian-Canadian storytelling, after reading that Vancouver had the highest rate of Asian hate crimes in all of North America. 

Sandra thought, as the B.C. and Yukon Chapter representing TMAC, this award could help our members spread awareness of all of the positive contributions Asian Canadians have made to Canada. Sandra is happy to help when needed, contributes ideas and suggestions to the B.C. Chapter, and brings much enthusiasm to TMAC, both locally and nationally.   
View TMAC Profile

 

TANIA KEDIKIAN (Industry), Ontario 
Position: Director at Large

Tania Kedikian is an outstanding member of our association. She is an active participant of TMAC and has contributed her expertise and industry knowledge to better our association and our members. Since joining, Tania has participated in every TMAC Conference and joined multiple Mingles for her Ontario chapter.

As a champion of TMAC’s importance to the industry, Tania successfully worked with destination clients to host monthly TMAC Munch & Mingles from 2017 until present, including Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. and Belize Tourism Board.  For our annual conference, Tania financially contributed to TMAC by having destination clients sponsor several pieces, from the Awards Gala to Silver and Gold sponsorship, including Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Belize Tourism Board and Visit Tuolumne County.

Notably, Tania became part of the team who founded TMAC’s Professional Development Committee in 2020, spearheading several virtual sessions to provide media and industry members with educational and informative learning opportunities. During the pandemic crisis, Tania assisted TMAC to remain relevant and keep members excited about their work, including an informational session on DCI’s Capturing the Canadian Consumer study which shared information on market trends and behaviours to help media reposition their stories during the pandemic, as well as informing industry members on how to refocus their marketing strategy. 

Recently, Tania has joined TMAC’s Membership Committee to participate in our ever-evolving membership processes and practices to help bring in fresh talent and strategically update our renewal efforts. As an industry member, Tania looks to provide TMAC with a perspective that supports change and growth in the work that we do, while building relationships with media to support their stories and stimulate DMO interest in our association. As a natural leader, Tania is a great fit to become a Director At Large on TMAC’s National Board of Directors.
View TMAC Profile

 

YASHY MURPHY (Media), Ontario
Position: Director at Large

I’ve known Yashy for a number of years and in all that time she has shown immense professionalism in everything she has done. She is always willing to step up and help whenever someone asks her for help. In my short time as a member of TMAC she has provided me with valuable advice and an ear whenever I’ve needed it. 

She has been in the role of Director at Large for the past two years and served in the role of Chair of the Communications Committee and as Co-Chair of the 2021 TMAC Conference. I believe that her past experience and commitment to TMAC makes her invaluable and should get another opportunity to perform her duties for another term.
View TMAC Profile