Melissa Cherry's guest appearances

Melissa Cherry

Destination On The Left

PHL Diversity Podcast

Be Confident AF Podcast

Greg DeShields

Roni Weiss

Humphrey Ho

Erika Sanger

Mandy Hagadorn

Reagan Burns

Leigh Melander

Beth Duane

Jennifer Ackerson

Colleen Knopeck

Daniel Fenton

Connie Stopher

Kirsten Ellenbogen

Melissa Barry

Jennifer Barbee

OwlTail

PHL Diversity is excited to speak with Melissa Cherry, Chief Operating Officer of Destinations International. As the world's largest resource for official destination organizations, Destinations International represents over 6,000 professionals from nearly 600 destination organizations globally.Melissa has 20 plus years of experience in the industry and is responsible for the development and execution of strategies to promote and elevate the association's mission and brand to drive awareness of its impact to advance the success of the destination marketing and management industry worldwide. Before joining Destinations International, Melissa was the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Cultural Tourism for Choose Chicago.Join us as we discuss the future of tourism, Destination International’s recently released 2020 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion study, and much more.

PHL Diversity is excited to speak with Melissa Cherry, Chief Operating Officer of Destinations International. As the world's largest resource for official destination organizations, Destinations International represents over 6,000 professionals from nearly 600 destination organizations globally. Melissa has 20 plus years of experience in the industry and is responsible for the development and execution of strategies to promote and elevate the association's mission and brand to drive awareness of its impact to advance the success of the destination marketing and management industry worldwide. Before joining Destinations International, Melissa was the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Cultural Tourism for Choose Chicago. Join us as we discuss the future of tourism, Destination International’s recently released 2020 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion study, and much more.

PHL Diversity and Melissa Cherry, Chief Operating Officer of Destinations International.

John Percy

Melissa Cherry serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Destinations International. She is responsible for the development and execution of the overall marketing and communications, product engagement, information technology, meetings, and education strategies to promote and elevate the Association’s mission and brand to drive awareness of its impact to advance the success of the destination marketing industry worldwide. Prior to joining Destinations International, Melissa was senior vice-president for marketing and cultural tourism at Choose Chicago. During her four-year tenure at the city’s official destination marketing organization, she led Choose Chicago’s domestic and international marketing strategies, including all efforts for brand strategy, integrated marketing, research, advertising, official publications and collateral, website, social media, and event marketing. Additionally, she launched the first-ever Cultural Tourism Strategy to increase visitation and awareness to Chicago’s cultural entities, events, and neighborhoods. John Percy is President and CEO of Destination Niagara USA. It is the official Tourism Promotion Agency and a full-service Destination Marketing Organization serving Niagara Falls and Niagara County, New York/USA. Previously, John served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the organization. Other prior experience includes Vice President of Tourism for the Niagara Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau and 15 years in shopping center marketing and management in both Western New York and Detroit, Michigan. In addition to serving as Vice Chairman for the Board of Governors for the American Bus Association Foundation and on the Board of Directors for ABA’s actual association, John also serves as the current Chair-elect on the Destinations International Foundation Board of Trustees. He also serves on boards for the Niagara USA Chamber of Commerce, Niagara Falls Community Mission, and the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area. John is also a co-chair of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion task force for Destinations International, a task force that Melissa Cherry oversees in her role. Destination on the Left is joined by Melissa Cherry, COO at Destinations International, and John Percy, President and CEO of Destination Niagra USA, to discuss America’s racial unrest. The conversation about equity, diversity, and inclusion can be uncomfortable to have, but it is needed in every aspect of our lives right now. On our podcast, Melissa and John share their personal stories about how they have been impacted by bias. The racial conversation is both a challenge and an opportunity, and there is so much we can do right now to make sure this moment in time does not pass us by.  What You Will Learn in This Episode:  Melissa and John’s journeys into travel and tourism How equity, diversity, and inclusion manifest in the travel and tourism industry today Melissa and John’s personal experience with racial bias Why the conversation about race is both a challenge and an opportunity How we can use creativity and collaboration to tackle prejudice in travel and tourism Why Destination International’s DEI Committee was created and how it has evolved What we can do NOW to make an impact on racial inequality in the U.S.  Systemic Prejudice in Travel and Tourism Destination on the Left is joined by Melissa Cherry, COO at Destinations International, and John Percy, President and CEO of Destination Niagra USA, to discuss America’s racial unrest. The conversation about equity, diversity, and inclusion can be uncomfortable to have, but it is needed in every aspect of our lives right now. On our podcast, Melissa and John share their personal stories about how they have been impacted by bias. The racial conversation is both a challenge and an opportunity, and there is so much we can do right now to make sure this moment in time does not pass us by. Coming Together As One As the conversation about race is amplified, there is a new sense of urgency and a light at the tunnel. But while there are many opportunities for addressing the issue of race, there are a lot of challenges. Through Melissa and John—a woman of color and a gay, white man—their personal stories show how real systemic prejudice and bias is here in the U.S. It is something that we can’t ignore any longer, and by coming together as one force of creative problem solvers, we can tackle this adversity in our industry once and for all. The Racial Conversation Right now, there are a lot more conversations about race and they are easier to have. But only a couple of years ago, we still had to convince people to be a part of the conversation at all. The best thing we can do as a collective is to show empathy and facilitate open discussions about the realities we don’t truly understand. What do our organizations look like? What do our communities look like? Those are the questions we need to be asking ourselves in order to properly direct our problem-solving skills and make a difference.  5 Questions About Race Video 5 Questions About Race Article Leading by Example: Lessons in Race and Racism An OPEN LETTER to Our Colleagues and the World from Black Destination Industry Leaders LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-cherry-444806/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-percy-cdme-20558b3/    Episode Transcript We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

Melissa Cherry serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Destinations International. She is responsible for the development and execution of the overall marketing and communications, product engagement, information technology, meetings, and education strategies to promote and elevate the Association’s mission and brand to drive awareness of its impact to advance the success of the destination marketing industry worldwide. Prior to joining Destinations International, Melissa was senior vice-president for marketing and cultural tourism at Choose Chicago. During her four-year tenure at the city’s official destination marketing organization, she led Choose Chicago’s domestic and international marketing strategies, including all efforts for brand strategy, integrated marketing, research, advertising, official publications and collateral, website, social media, and event marketing. Additionally, she launched the first-ever Cultural Tourism Strategy to increase visitation and awareness to Chicago’s cultural entities, events, and neighborhoods. John Percy is President and CEO of Destination Niagara USA. It is the official Tourism Promotion Agency and a full-service Destination Marketing Organization serving Niagara Falls and Niagara County, New York/USA. Previously, John served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the organization. Other prior experience includes Vice President of Tourism for the Niagara Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau and 15 years in shopping center marketing and management in both Western New York and Detroit, Michigan. In addition to serving as Vice Chairman for the Board of Governors for the American Bus Association Foundation and on the Board of Directors for ABA’s actual association, John also serves as the current Chair-elect on the Destinations International Foundation Board of Trustees. He also serves on boards for the Niagara USA Chamber of Commerce, Niagara Falls Community Mission, and the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area. John is also a co-chair of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion task force for Destinations International, a task force that Melissa Cherry oversees in her role. Destination on the Left is joined by Melissa Cherry, COO at Destinations International, and John Percy, President and CEO of Destination Niagra USA, to discuss America’s racial unrest. The conversation about equity, diversity, and inclusion can be uncomfortable to have, but it is needed in every aspect of our lives right now. On our podcast, Melissa and John share their personal stories about how they have been impacted by bias. The racial conversation is both a challenge and an opportunity, and there is so much we can do right now to make sure this moment in time does not pass us by. What You Will Learn in This Episode: <ul> <li>Melissa and John’s journeys into travel and tourism</li> <li>How equity, diversity, and inclusion manifest in the travel and tourism industry today</li> <li>Melissa and John’s personal experience with racial bias</li> <li>Why the conversation about race is both a challenge and an opportunity</li> <li>How we can use creativity and collaboration to tackle prejudice in travel and tourism</li> <li>Why Destination International’s DEI Committee was created and how it has evolved</li> <li>What we can do NOW to make an impact on racial inequality in the U.S.</li> </ul> Systemic Prejudice in Travel and Tourism Destination on the Left is joined by Melissa Cherry, COO at Destinations International, and John Percy, President and CEO of Destination Niagra USA, to discuss America’s racial unrest. The conversation about equity, diversity, and inclusion can be uncomfortable to have, but it is needed in every aspect of our lives right now. On our podcast, Melissa and John share their personal stories about how they have been impacted by bias. The racial conversation is both a challenge and an opportunity, and there is so much we can do right now to make sure this moment in time does not pass us by. Coming Together As One As the conversation about race is amplified, there is a new sense of urgency and a light at the tunnel. But while there are many opportunities for addressing the issue of race, there are a lot of challenges. Through Melissa and John—a woman of color and a gay, white man—their personal stories show how real systemic prejudice and bias is here in the U.S. It is something that we can’t ignore any longer, and by coming together as one force of creative problem solvers, we can tackle this adversity in our industry once and for all. The Racial Conversation Right now, there are a lot more conversations about race and they are easier to have. But only a couple of years ago, we still had to convince people to be a part of the conversation at all. The best thing we can do as a collective is to show empathy and facilitate open discussions about the realities we don’t truly understand. What do our organizations look like? What do our communities look like? Those are the questions we need to be asking ourselves in order to properly direct our problem-solving skills and make a difference. <ul> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqfUrMMIa0U&amp;feature=youtu.be" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">5 Questions About Race Video</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/black-travel-leaders-address-systemic-racism-in-5-questions-about-race-301093257.html" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">5 Questions About Race Article</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ustravel.org/webinar/leading-example-lessons-race-and-racism?utm_source=MagnetMail&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=6%2E11%2E20%20%2D%20COVID%20Research%20Weekly&amp;utm_campaign=ust" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Leading by Example: Lessons in Race and Racism</a></li> <li><a href="https://breaktheicemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/An-OPEN-LETTER-to-our-colleagues-the-world.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">An OPEN LETTER to Our Colleagues and the World from Black Destination Industry Leaders</a></li> <li>LinkedIn: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-cherry-444806/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-cherry-444806/</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-percy-cdme-20558b3/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-percy-cdme-20558b3/</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <a href="https://breaktheicemedia.com/transcript-201/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Episode Transcript</a> We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: <a href="https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/</a>

Episode 201: The Racial Conversation in Travel and Tourism, with Melissa Cherry and John Percy

Welcome to The Mill Podcast!  A podcast for women featuring down to earth successful AF women from all walks of life in all different seasons talking about business, life, love, money, and health. Im your host Angela Miller, corporate sales executive and business owner, finance to Anthony, fashion lover, modern hippy, and dog mom to the spoiled pups Jemma and Harper. If you’re a SAHM, career woman, entrepreneur, or some mix of of all 3 I want you to hang out for 30 min and treat yourself to some soul care. You deserve it.    Today we are chatting about Health &amp; Fitness Journey and Transformation with Melissa Cherry! Follow Melissa on Facebook at https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=541773618&amp;ref=content_filter , on Instagram at https://instagram.com/melissamarie_0x?utm_source=ig_profile_share&amp;igshid=1jvuxx4d1focd ,or check out Next Level Fitness here https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelSportsFitness/  ---   This episode is sponsored by  · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast.  https://anchor.fm/app

Welcome to The Mill Podcast!  A podcast for women featuring down to earth successful AF women from all walks of life in all different seasons talking about business, life, love, money, and health. Im your host Angela Miller, corporate sales executive and business owner, finance to Anthony, fashion lover, modern hippy, and dog mom to the spoiled pups Jemma and Harper. If you’re a SAHM, career woman, entrepreneur, or some mix of of all 3 I want you to hang out for 30 min and treat yourself to some soul care. You deserve it.   Today we are chatting about Health &amp; Fitness Journey and Transformation with Melissa Cherry! Follow Melissa on Facebook at <a href="https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=541773618&amp;ref=content_filter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=541773618&amp;ref=content_filter</a> , on Instagram at <a href="https://instagram.com/melissamarie_0x?utm_source=ig_profile_share&amp;igshid=1jvuxx4d1focd" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://instagram.com/melissamarie_0x?utm_source=ig_profile_share&amp;igshid=1jvuxx4d1focd</a> ,or check out Next Level Fitness here <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelSportsFitness/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelSportsFitness/</a> --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. <a href="https://anchor.fm/app" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://anchor.fm/app</a>

Episode 2: Health & Fitness Journey and Transformation with Melissa Cherry