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The Rick Steves' Europe Team

How do we help people have better trips? By practicing what we preach! Rick will be in Europe for 145 days this year, and the rest of our staff is crazy about travel as well. No matter where we go, we're always trying to get current, hands-on travel experience. Here's what we do at Rick Steves' Europe, our favorite gelato flavors (of course!), and where we like to travel.

ETBD Staff Group Photo

Aaron Harting: Travel Advisor/Assistant Video Editor/Tour Assistant. Favorite gelato: caffe. Favorite travel destinations: the Berner Oberland, Chamonix, Kyoto, Montana, and Venice.
Abe Bringolf: Rail Advisor/Tour Assistant. Favorite gelato: chocolate and orange. Favorite travel destination: Virginia.
Amy Robertson: Tour Operations/Tour Assistant/Researcher. Favorite gelato: nocciola. Favorite travel destinations: France, Portugal, and Vietnam.
Andrew Wakeling: Webmaster/Tour Assistant. Favorite gelato: canella. Favorite travel destinations: Amsterdam, Berlin, and France.
Angie Cino: Special Account Coordinator for PBS/Public Relations Assistant/ Inventory /Tour Assistant. Favorite gelato: jasmine (Sicily). Favorite travel destinations: Canada and Italy.
Ann Neel: Travel Advisor/Tour Assistant. Favorite gelato: lemon. Favorite travel destinations: narrowed down to Cuba, Hawaii, Ireland, Italy, Nepal, and Tanzania.
Anne Kirchner: General Manager. Favorite gelato: stracciatella. Favorite travel destinations: Cape May (NJ), Florence (IT not OR), Hawaii, and Paris.
Ashley Sytsma: Public Relations Specialist/Tour Assistant. Favorite gelato: stracciatella. Favorite travel destinations: Ecuador, Japan, and Portugal.
Barb Brannman: Staff Accountant/Accounts Receivable. Favorite gelato: chocolate hazelnut. Favorite travel destinations: Austria and Switzerland.
Barb Geisler: Media Production Manager. Favorite gelato: pistachio. Favorite travel destination: Los Angeles.
Beth Sneeringer: Controller. Favorite gelato: limone. Favorite travel destinations: Ireland and Whidbey Island.
Brooke Burdick: Director of Business Development. Favorite gelato: haggis. Favorite travel destinations: Northern Scotland and the Olympic Peninsula (WA).
Brooke Nolan: Tour Diva/Tour Assistant. Favorite gelato: nocciola. Favorite travel destinations: Italy, Maui, and Paris.
Cameron Hewitt: Writer/Lead Editor/Guidebook Co-Author. Favorite gelato: liquirizia. Favorite travel destinations: Budapest, Great Britain, and Slovenia.
Carrie Shepherd (not pictured): Editor. Favorite gelato: fig. Favorite travel destinations: Amsterdam, Caribbean, Death Valley, and Lyon.
Casey Gould (not pictured): Travel Advisor. Favorite gelato: nutella and chocolate. Favorite travel destinations: Ireland, Italy, and Scotland.
Cathy Lu: Editor. Favorite gelato: pistachio. Favorite travel destinations: Prague and New Zealand.
Cheryl Antieau: Core Operations. Favorite gelato: pistachio/nocciola. Favorite travel destinations: France, Italy, and Port Townsend, WA.
Chloe Wicks
: Tour Diva/Tour Assistant. Favorite gelato: pistachio. Favorite travel destinations: Aberystwyth, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and London.
Chris Luczyk (not pictured): Systems Administrator/Tour Assistant. Favorite gelato: maple. Favorite travel destinations: Himalayas and UK.
Cliff Cameron: Shipping/Tour Assistant. Favorite gelato: yanik dondurma. Favorite travel destinations: Italy, Lopez Island, Turkey, or wherever the plane lands.
Cory Mead: IT Manager. Favorite gelato: lemon. Favorite travel destinations: Cancun and Maui.
Cynthia Ballard: Tour Diva/Travel Consultant/Tour Assistant and Escort. Favorite gelato: limone. Favorite travel destinations: Greece, Provence, and Sun Peaks, Canada.
Dave Hoerlein: Map Designer. Favorite gelato: baci. Favorite travel destinations: Denmark, Italy, and Pullman.
Dawn Tessman Visser: Graphic Production Specialist/Map Guru. Favorite gelato: pistachio. Favorite travel destinations: England, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, southern Texas/South Padre Island, and Minne-snow-ta.
Deanna Woodruff: Tour Department Manager. Favorite gelato: limone. Favorite travel destinations: Bermuda, Britain, France, Greece, Hawaii, Ireland, Italy, New England, and New Zealand.
Debi Jo Michael: Tour Operations Assistant Manager/Tour Assistant. Favorite gelato: melone. Favorite travel destinations: England, Greece, and Hawaii.
Erin Hanson: Core Operations/Customer Service. Favorite gelato: PISTACHIO. Favorite travel destinations: Austria, Haarlem, and Switzerland.
Gene Openshaw: Guidebook Co-Author. Favorite gelato: vanilla. Favorite travel destination: Barcelona.
Glenn Eriksen: Editor. Favorite gelato: pistachio. Favorite travel destinations: The Alps, Italy, Norway, and Mount Rainier.
Gretchen Strauch: Editor/Researcher/Provocateur. Favorite gelato: walnuss. Favorite travel destinations: Amsterdam, Paris, Scotland, and Swiss Alps.
Heather Locke: Travel Advisor/Rail Advisor/Tour Assistant. Favorite gelato: bacio. Favorite travel destinations: England, Italy, and Indianapolis.
Heidi Van Sewell: Tour Diva/Lead Guide. Favorite gelato: gianduia. Favorite travel destinations: France and Italy.
Janine Fouts Goodrich: Tour Staff Accountant/Tour Assistant and Escort. Favorite gelato: zitrone. Favorite travel destinations: Munich, New York, and Vienna.
Jennifer Davis: Assistant Managing Editor. Favorite gelato: chocolate. Favorite travel destinations: Greece and Italy.
Jennifer Schutte: Travel Center & Consulting Manager/Tour Assistant. Favorite gelato: schnitzel. Favorite travel destination: The Adriatic.
Joan Robinson: Human Resources/Tour Escort. Favorite gelato: limone. Favorite travel destination: Italy.
Jon Hart: Senior Software Developer. Favorite gelato: vanilla. Favorite travel destination: Yellowstone.
Jon Johnson: Shipping. Favorite gelato: vanilla. Favorite travel destinations: Ireland and Paris.
Jonathan Lee: Systems Administrator. Favorite gelato: cioccolato all’arancia. Favorite travel destination: Anywhere my bike will take me.
Julia Reams-Giersch: Tour Diva. Favorite gelato: nutella. Favorite travel destinations: Belize, Cambodia, Scotland, and Turkey.
Karen Baehm: Receptionist. Favorite gelato: mango. Favorite travel destinations: Croatia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, and Switzerland.

Karen Scholl: Chief Financial Officer. Favorite gelato: green tea. Favorite travel destinations: Austria and Italy.
Kate Mulhern Graham: Web Producer. Favorite gelato: cioccolato. Favorite travel destination: Anywhere in Italy.
Katie Stansell: Shipping. Favorite gelato: crema. Favorite travel destinations: Guatemala, Japan, and Zimbabwe.
Kayla Clark (not pictured): Tour Diva. Favorite gelato: tiramisu. Favorite travel destinations: Bavaria, Ireland, Italy, and Salzburg.
Keith Stickelmaier: Tour Divo/Lead Guide/Researcher. Favorite gelato: The one my kids are eating. Favorite travel destination: Earth.
Kevin Williams: Travel Advisor/Researcher/Tour Assistant. Favorite gelato: stracciatella. Favorite travel destinations: China, England, Germany, Greece, and Ireland.
Laura Terrenzio: Rail Manager/Tour Assistant. Favorite gelato: limone. Favorite travel destinations: France and Turkey.
Laura "JuJu" VanDeventer: Graphic Content Director. Favorite gelato: pistachio. Favorite travel destinations: Bavaria, Greece, Switzerland, and Turkey.
Lauren Mills: Editor/Researcher. Favorite gelato: cioccolato fondente. Favorite travel destinations: Great Britain and Greece.
Lisa Friend: Travel Consultant/Lead Guide/Tour Escort. Favorite gelato: cannella. Favorite travel destinations: France and Turkey.
Lisa Werner: Marketing Manager. Favorite gelato: semi-freddo zabaglione. Favorite travel destination: anywhere in Italy.
Mary Ann Cameron: Marketing Coordinator/Tour Assistant and Escort. Favorite gelato: dondurma. Favorite travel destinations: France, Italy, Lopez Island, and Turkey.
Mary Carlson: Rail Advisor/Travel Consultant/Lead Guide/Tour Escort. Favorite gelato: nocciola. Favorite travel destinations: American Southwest, France, and Italy.
Mary Romano: Human Resources Manager. Favorite gelato: café nero. Favorite travel destinations: France, Italy, and Stockholm.
Matt Yglesias: Facilities Manager. Favorite gelato: café. Favorite travel destination: anywhere in Europe.
Michaelanne Jerome: Tour Operations/Lead Guide. Favorite gelato: rose. Favorite travel destination: France.
Michelle Kono: Tour Operations Manager. Favorite gelato: Earl Grey hot. Favorite travel destinations: Paris and Whistler BC.
Mike Begley (not pictured): Software Developer. Favorite gelato: salted caramel. Favorite travel destinations: Black Rock City, Maui, and Sicily.
Pat Luczyk: Staff Accountant/Accounts Payable/Customer Service. Favorite gelato: apple strudel. Favorite travel destinations: Asia, Maui, Poland, Turkey, and Venice.
Pat O'Connor (not pictured): Travel Consultant/Map and Image Assistant/Guidebook Co-Author/Lead Guide. Favorite gelato: poteen. Favorite travel destinations: Ireland and Thailand.
Patricia Weiss: Core Operations. Favorite gelato: chocolate, pistachio. Favorite travel destinations: France, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain.
Ragen Van Sewell: Tour Operations/Lead Guide/Tour Assistant. Favorite gelato: stracciatella. Favorite travel destination: Haarlem.
Rhonda Pelikan: Art Director. Favorite gelato: IPA. Favorite travel destinations: Barbecue, Barcelona, and Paris.
Richard Earl: Travel Consultant/Researcher/Tour Assistant. Favorite gelato: café. Favorite travel destinations: Italy and Norway.
Rich Sorensen: Marketing Strategy. Favorite gelato: espresso. Favorite travel destination: Gimmelwald.
Rick Steves: President/CEO/Author/Guide/Researcher/TV & Radio host/Teacher. Favorite gelato: ganja. Favorite travel destination: anywhere in Europe.
Risa Laib: Managing Editor. Favorite gelato: melone. Favorite travel destinations: Narnia and Neverland.
Robyn Stencil: Tour Operations/Lead Guide/Researcher. Favorite gelato: seconda porzione. Favorite travel destinations: Cape Town, Scotland, and Spain.
Rosie Leutzinger: Travel Advisor. Favorite gelato: black cherry. Favorite travel destinations: Britain, Croatia, Greece, Turkey, and Vietnam.
Russ Whealy: Operations Manager. Favorite gelato: amaretto. Favorite travel destinations: France, Key West, Norway, and Shanghai.
Ruth Ann Rouse: Tour Diva/Tour Assistant. Favorite gelato: limone & frutti di bosco. Favorite travel destinations: Germany, Slovenia, and Turkey.
Sarah McCormic: Radio Producer. Favorite gelato: nocciola. Favorite travel destinations: France, Ireland, and India.
Savannah Parker: Tour Operations. Favorite gelato: lavender. Favorite travel destinations: Bosnia Herzegovina, Scotland, and the Great Northwest.
Sheryl Harris: Core Operations Lead. Favorite gelato: pistachio/chocolate. Favorite travel destinations: Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland.
Simon Griffith: Television Producer. Favorite gelato: paua. Favorite travel destinations: Ngaruawahia, Ruapehu, and Tokomaru Bay.
Stefanie Bielekova (not pictured): Travel Advisor. Favorite gelato: sesame.  Favorite travel destinations: Cape Town, Paris, Rome, and Sydney (Australia, not Nova Scotia).
Steve Cammarano: Television Series Editor. Favorite gelato: tiramisu. Favorite travel destinations: Belize, Eastern Europe, France, Italy, New Zealand, and someday favorite, Croatia.
Steve Smith: Manager of Tour Planning and Guide Services/Guidebook Co-Author. Favorite gelato: cabernet franc. Favorite travel destinations: France, France, France and southern Utah.
Suzanne Kotz: Editor/Researcher. Favorite gelato: fragola. Favorite travel destinations: France and Oxley (Ontario).
Tara Swenson: Tour Department Assistant Manager/Lead Guide. Favorite gelato: Hacker-Pschorr. Favorite travel destination: Bavaria.
Tim Tattan: "Travel with Rick Steves" Radio Producer. Favorite gelato: Mado Turkish apricot goat's milk. Favorite travel destinations: Caledonia, California, Canada, Cappadocia, Carolina, and Cork.
Tom Canham: Software Developer. Favorite gelato: lemon. Favorite travel destination: Italy.
Tom Griffin: Editor/Researcher. Favorite gelato: caffe. Favorite travel destinations: Brittany, Pacific Crest Trail, and Paris.
Tom Platt: Shipping Manager. Favorite gelato: nutella. Favorite travel destinations: Ireland, Italy, and Las Vegas.