The National Travel Center was founded in 2014 to do something meaningful. Today, we are unique in America. Over 30 years of experience on the part of each of several principals, a depth of knowledge, and client requests have led us to dedicate our practice to assisting small towns, rural communities, and scenic and historic routes, to achieve economic development through tourism, and not only survive, but thrive. Operating as a B Corp, we can tailor our efforts and fees to suit each situation to deliver maximum value through both planning and implementation, helping communities and clients use their strengths and resources wisely.
Our Staff
Dr. Maree Forbes Gaughan
Chief Strategist & CEO
Community Planning and Development
Dr. Maree Forbes Gaughan, who leads each project that Community Economic Partners/National Travel Center is engaged in, is CEO of the nationally recognized organization dedicated to helping small cities and towns, and rural communities thrive. Through her leadership, communities across the country have strengthened their economies,...
Debra Brown, IOM
Community Action Specialist
Deb Brown, IOM
Chief Success Officer
Debra Brown has spent her entire varied career helping communities and organizations be more successful. She is able to define where the community or organization is when she first interacts with them and works together, creating an action path to help communities and organizations even in the...
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Diann Richardson Bayes, CTE, Destination Development
TOURISM
Tourism is foundational to economic development and Diann has been involved in delivering strong results in tourism for more than 30 years. She has focused on destination marketing and management, public relations, elevating community profiles, securing designations, and delivering tourism education at all levels. Even though most of her experience...
Jessica O’Riley, Tourism Development
Tourism & Communications Professional | Content Strategy | Media Relations
With over 25 years in marketing and communications, Jessica specialized in promoting Iowa’s tourism and cultural assets through strategic media outreach, content creation and partnership development. As Tourism Communications Manager at the Iowa Economic Development Authority, she managed media relations, produced...
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Ethan Brown
Experience Development
A recent graduate of Pratt Institute with a Master of Science in Historic Preservation, Ethan has been involved in researching and writing histories of people and places in New York City, as well as overseas in Italy. He was also involved in a multidisciplinary studio that provided design, interpretation, and...
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Erik Reader, Comprehensive Community Revitalization
Like so many of the rest of us on the Community Economic Partners team, Erik has had a multi-dimensional career working in many of the critical areas of economic development. His experience has included an economic growth corporation, Chamber of Commerce, business financial services, Main Street, and local initiatives support....
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Greg Phillips
Content Principal
Greg is an award-winning journalist who has directed and written videos, branded entertainment and case studies for a multitude of clients including American Airlines, CNN and Discovery. As a traveler’s traveler, he has explored the 50 states and more than 60 countries, producing stories from all the continents. To date,...
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Jamie Beasley
Economic Development and Main Street Specialist
Jamie Beasley is a seasoned economic development professional with a strong record of leadership in rural revitalization, small business support, and regional capacity building. She currently serves as Executive Director of the Pike County Chamber & Economic Development Corporation in Illinois, where she leads strategic initiatives to support...
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Debra Elliott
Website Developer
Debra Elliott is a seasoned website developer with a journey spanning over 15 years in the ever-evolving digital landscape. Beyond her coding abilities, Debra is a passionate small business owner, driving success through innovative online solutions.
Debra holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University....
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CFO
Business Management
National Travel Center has a behind the scenes business manager who works to help keep things organized, so our very creative and experienced team can continue to produce the highest quality work for clients.
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- Hospitality Management, Atlantic Cape College
- Former AAA Five Diamond Chef
