OUR TEAM

Dr. Don Hawkins, Solimar International’s Chairman and Principal is an expert in tourism policy, strategic planning, workforce development and management education with 52 years of international experience. Don held the endowed Eisenhower Professor of Tourism Policy Chair at the George Washington University School of Business. In 2003, he received the first World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Ulysses Prize for individual accomplishments in the creation and dissemination of knowledge in the area of tourism policy and strategic management. In 2012, he was elected as Vice Chairman of the UNWT0 Affiliates Council and appointed as Special Advisor to the UNWTO Secretary General for the Knowledge Network. He was the Founder and Chairman of the SAVE Travel Alliance, serves on the Board of Directors of the Ulysses Foundation and is Chairman Emeritus of Sustainable Travel International and Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance

Don has consulted all over the world including North American, Caribbean, Latin American, European, African, Middle East, and Asia/Pacific Regions. His doctoral degree was in Park Management, awarded by New York University in 1967. He is credited with over 114 publications, including books, journal articles, monographs, project reports and educational materials.

Jim Phillips has 30 years of experience in international tourism consulting, including strategic planning for tourism development, small business and microenterprise development, hotel and tourism-related investment promotion, marketing and promotion, feasibility studies and economic impact analyzes. Prior to becoming an independent consultant, Jim worked for Arthur Andersen LLP and Arthur Consulting Group International, completing assignments in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Russia, and the Middle East. Jim also served as Director of Tourism Development Programs for the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Latin America and the Caribbean, where he conducted programs and events for more than 30 countries in the LA/C region. Programs included hotel investment missions and conferences, investment promotion strategy development, tourism planning, and product development and assessment missions. Work at the Commerce Department also included providing technical assistance to entrepreneurs and small businesses to establish and operate a range of tourism and export-oriented enterprises.

Jim holds a Bachelor's degree in economics from Eckerd College and a Master's degree in International Business from the American Graduate School of International Management, Thunderbird campus.

Natalie Sellier has over twenty years of professional experience in the tourism industry and is responsible for Solimar’s internal operations, including contracting and financial management while supporting business development efforts and assisting technical staff achieve programmatic objectives. Natalie originally joined Solimar in 2007, utilizing her business background and passion for travel to assist small tourism enterprises and destination management organizations achieve financial sustainability by way of strategic business planning, public-private partnerships, and market linkages. Natalie brings technical and program management expertise through her involvement in the implementation of over 100 technical programs and is well-versed in the intricacies of both federal and donor contracting and cost accounting standards.

Natalie holds a Bachelor's in Business Administration from James Madison University and a Master's in Business Administration from The George Washington University with a degree focus in sustainable destination management.

Over the last twenty years, Matt Humke has pioneered an approach to building community-based tourism enterprises that directly support biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation efforts in protected areas throughout the developing world. First working with Native American communities such as the White Mountain Apache Tribe in Arizona, next as Rare Conservation's Senior Manager of Enterprises in Latin America & the Caribbean, and now managing Solimar's small business development projects around the world.

The community-based tourism enterprises Matt has helped to establish, such as "La Ruta Moskitia" in Honduras, have generated more than $5 million for local economies over the last ten years. The success of these enterprises in conservation and poverty alleviation has resulted in a number of the industry's top honors, including a Tourism for Tomorrow award, a Responsible Tourism award, and inclusion on both Condé Nast Traveler's "Green List" and National Geographic Adventure's "Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth".

Chloe King is both a critical researcher of and experienced practitioner in the worlds of conservation and development. A PADI Divemaster and avid ocean advocate, Chloe worked in the marine tourism industry and led research projects in Indonesia as a Boren and Fulbright Scholar, researching how tourism impacts resilience social and ecological resilience while gaining fluency in Bahasa Indonesia. As the Director of Stewardship for Solimar International, she manages and implements USAID-funded projects that focus on utilizing tourism as a catalyst for regeneration in destinations on the frontlines of climate change—including in Timor-Leste, Maldives, and Bangladesh. Her work has included establishing thriving DMOs to devolve destination management to local stakeholders, creating national tourism climate adaptation strategies, and instituting nature-positive strategies for tourism destinations and businesses.

Chloe holds an MSc Marine Systems and Policy from the University of Edinburgh and an MPhil in Conservation Leadership from the University of Cambridge where she was a Marshall Scholar. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge, working with government and community stakeholders of the Galápagos Islands to imagine a more resilient and regenerative tourism future in the post-pandemic era.

Mr. Ivane Vashakmadze brings more than 30 years of working experience in tourism sector as mountain climber and guide, resort operator and development consultant. He has worked as a project manager and lead consultant for the international cooperation projects with various donor organizations and public institutions such as World Bank, USAID, EU, KfW, GiZ, SDC, ADA, WWF etc. Amongst the other specific tasks, he has been working on tourism sector national and regional strategies, institutional policy, protected areas (National Parks) and eco-tourism planning, cultural heritage management, tourism economic assessment and land use planning and urban planning, mountain resorts management and adventure tourism operations.

Mr. Vashakmadze has also experience to work in public sector as a deputy general manager of the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation, acting head of Georgian National Tourism Administration and GM of government JSC "Gudauri ski resort".

He has solid experience of developing tourism sector initiatives and recommendations for tourism strategy, assisting public institutions in heritage management and policy regulations, developing employment opportunities and SME development projects within tourism sector, assessing investment proposals for regional development and tourism, supporting business initiatives in tourism and hospitality services, implementing small scale pilot project in mountainous areas etc. In addition, he has been engaged in conducting tourism scoping assessment in Central Asian countries under USAID CTJ project.

Mr. Vashakmadze is a member of several organizations in tourism sector. He is a Co-Founder and board member of "Georgian Mountain Guide Association", steering committee member of "Adventure Tourism Leaders school", board member of bio-farming association "Elkana", founder member of "European Mountain Forum" and Co-founder of "European Mountain Forum" / "Global Mountain Forum", Member of World Bank experts group, etc...

Zarmine (Zara) Zeitountsian is an accomplished entrepreneur and marketing leader with experience in the United States, Russia, and Armenia. After earning her MBA, she transitioned from corporate banking to entrepreneurship, founding a successful Los Angeles art gallery and organizing over 50 exhibitions, many of which sold out due to her innovative marketing strategies. She also co-founded and managed an annual multi-gallery art fair that attracted 6,000 attendees. Pursuing her passion for dance, Zara established an international dance studio in Los Angeles, now ranked second in the city.

Since moving to Armenia in 2010, Zara has contributed significantly to marketing, fundraising, and development projects, including leading the large-scale Tatev Revival Project. Her leadership roles include Development Director at the RVVZ Foundation and Dilijan International School, and Communications Director at the American University of Armenia. As the inaugural Chair of Armenia's State Tourism Committee (2016–2018), she oversaw an 18% growth in tourism.

Currently, Zara teaches marketing and tourism-related courses at leading universities in Armenia and is a sought-after speaker on topics like community development and tourism trends.

Konul Kazimova is an expert in sustainable tourism, rural development, and women’s economic empowerment, with over nine years of experience in project management, event planning, and monitoring & evaluation. She holds dual Master’s degrees in Agricultural and Food Systems Management from ADA University and Tourism and Hospitality from Azerbaijan State University of Economics.

Her global expertise includes research on empowering female farmers through the US State Department's Professional Fellows Program, participation in sustainable tourism and agribusiness programs in Japan, and training in green development in China. She has also contributed to rural tourism and green transition strategies in Korea.

Konul has led impactful projects such as the UNWTO Tourism Ministers Meeting, Azerbaijan Tourism Summits, and agritourism initiatives funded by USAID, EU, and GIZ. As a senior advisor to Azerbaijan's State Tourism Agency, she developed sustainable tourism strategies and capacity-building programs for female entrepreneurs.

Currently, she serves as country manager for the South Caucasus Regional Tourism Program and lectures on economics and tourism, sharing her global insights to inspire future professionals. Passionate about innovative, sustainable solutions, Konul bridges local and global approaches to drive impactful change.

Archil Lezhava has served on the management positions in numerous donor-funded projects for more than 15 years. He was leading tourism sector at USAID-funded $24.2 million project in Georgia establishing and maintaining productive and mutually beneficial relationships with the local and national public and private sector stakeholders, other development partners at regional and central government levels was one of the primary duties. That resulted into more than 600 full time job creation, more than $1.4 million investment leverage from other sources covering more than 80 target communities. He directly took part in transformation measures of those who benefited from the above mentioned. Mr. Lezhava has solid experience of developing tourism sector initiatives and recommendations for Georgian National Tourism Administration, assessing proposals for regional development and tourism, supporting business initiatives in tourism.

Mr. Lezhava led Waste Tariff and Littering Fine Policy Elaboration Team at where he was engaged in developing General Methodology for Establishing Waste Tariffs and Cost Recovery System in Georgia along with international experts and adopting them on the regional municipality level. Little above 20 local government and non-government organizations, professional and business associations were provided with improved services while supporting target communities.

Prior, Mr. Lezhava played a leading role in the radical performance turnaround of a state-owned utility being managed on behalf of USAID in Georgia. He led the staff of United Energy Distribution Company of Georgia (PA Consulting Managed Project under Georgian Energy Security Initiative) where the utility became the largest taxpayer in the country after the reforms that were elaborate by the team and the project was awarded the gold and platinum medal at the 2006 MCA Management Awards in London.

Actively participating in public private partnership activities in addition public relations and marketing while holding principal position in Georgia’s leading organizations as well as liaising with respective authorities of Government of Georgia, stakeholder engagement, community outreach, public, media and international institutions are major skills acquired during occupying different positions of his career development.   

Giorgi Tchokhonelidze is a highly skilled and versatile Graphic Designer with extensive experience delivering innovative design solutions across various sectors, including branding, print media, e-commerce, and digital marketing. He specializes in creating compelling logos, brand identities, print materials, and digital assets, with a proven ability to elevate brand presence and drive customer engagement. Giorgi excels in conducting thorough market research and understanding client needs, enabling him to produce designs that are both visually appealing and strategically impactful.

Throughout his career, Giorgi has successfully designed and optimized product images, banners, and promotional materials for e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, leveraging A/B testing to refine design elements and maximize performance. His creative visual storytelling has consistently increased sales conversions, enhanced customer engagement, and improved brand recognition.

Giorgi has extensive experience collaborating with cross-functional teams, including marketing professionals, content creators, and copywriters, to produce cohesive and effective visual content for social media campaigns, pitch decks, and print publications. His hands-on approach to design and client consultation ensures the consistent delivery of high-quality, customized solutions that exceed expectations.

With a deep understanding of design principles, color theory, and typography, Giorgi is committed to continuous growth and skill development. He is passionate about translating complex concepts into clear, aesthetically pleasing visuals that resonate with target audiences and deliver measurable results.

Sylecia Johnston has learned to be a community developer, globally-minded leader and cross-cultural bridge builder through her personal upbringing and experiences living across the USA and traveling abroad (educational, humanitarian, business, and leisure travel for 35+ years in over 40 nations), using emotional intelligence to facilitate understanding between world views.  She holds a Bachelor's degree in Global Affairs from Texas Tech University and a Masters in Tourism Administration specializing in Sustainable Destination Management from The George Washington University. She is a certified Project Management Professional and a program manager bringing over a decade of experience helping organizations operate efficiently and creatively with a focus on driving towards an equitable and regenerative future. Her career has led her to positions with Convention & Visitors' Bureaus (CVB) and Destination Management Organizations (DMO), consulting for international inbound tour operators, coordinating multiple business accelerators and workforce advancement programs, and volunteering for non-profit organizations. 

Madeline Ferland’s love of language learning, community, and traveling comes from her childhood as a military dependent - having lived in seven states in the United States, two European countries, and having visited myriad other countries for leisure. As a result, she has the ever-present itch to travel, explore, and experience cultural immersion. During her study abroad experience in Berlin, Germany, in the summer of 2022, Madeline realized she wanted to transform her fondness of  international affairs and education into international work. She wants to contribute to a sustainably-functioning future in the tourism industry and in destination marketing and management, working alongside such passionate experts with Solimar International.Madeline holds a dual BA in International Affairs and German language as well as a minor in Russian language from the University of New Hampshire.

Maria Lucia Prinz started working in tourism 15 years ago as a tour guide while studying ecotourism in Guatemala City. When graduated from the university, she started working in Peten, Guatemala, developing community based tourism enterprises and linking theses enterprises to support conservation.

Since then she has helped develop a number of ecotourism enterprises in Central, South America, Africa and the Caribbean and specializes in product development, staff training in tourism operations and nature guide training through a proven methodology. She also has expertise in the areas of business planning, product development, sales and marketing.

Juan Luna-Kelser made a career at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). In the last ten years of his career, he concentrated his efforts in the planning, designing, and managing of tourism investment loan projects, as well as technical assistance operations. Since his retirement from the IDB in January 2007, Juan has been advising and consulting for Solimar International and continues to be engaged by bilateral and multilateral financial institutions, as well as NGOs and private clients for the development and implementation of sustainable tourism projects in various countries.

Currently, Juan is a Sr. Research Scholar at the International Institute of Tourism Studies at George Washington University’s School of Business. He holds a Masters degree in Tourism Administration with a concentration in Sustainable Destination Management from George Washington University, as well as a Masters degree in Political Science from Drew University, Madison, New Jersey. He earned his Bachelors degree in Political Science at the University of the Pacific, Stockton, California. Juan is originally from Mexico City and is fluent in Spanish, English and Portuguese.

Natasha Martin is an adventure tourism marketing expert. She has experience working with private sector, government and trade associations, and has worked with clients around the world from Greenland to Namibia.  She currently conducting  research into the motivations and preferences of Asian adventure travellers, and working with destinations and companies to help them reach this growing segment.

Natasha has a BA in African History from Concordia University and a Masters of Tourism Administration from The George Washington University. Natasha speaks French and Spanish and is based in Hong Kong.

Bradley Weiss is a tourism development consultant who has worked with Solimar on numerous assignments over the past ten years. Most notably, he spent four years with Solimar in Ethiopia leading the private sector competitiveness and workforce development efforts for a Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance (GSTA) Project. During this period, he also lent support to a similar GSTA project in Uganda. 

Previously, he worked at the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), where he mobilized educational institutions to aid member nations in areas such as training, knowledge management, and strategic planning. He has also gathered experience in tourism development through consulting engagements in countries such as Mozambique, Ecuador, Philippines, Botswana, Peru, Madagascar, Vanuatu, Kenya, Brazil, Armenia, Mali, Panama, Rwanda, Seychelles, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Lesotho, São Tome e Príncipe, Cape Verde, and Zambia. His consulting work in these countries, conducted primarily through World Bank and USAID-financed initiatives, has been in the areas of tourism policy & planning, capacity building, marketing, public-private dialogues, quality standards, shared economy, and community enterprise development.

Bradley holds Master’s degrees from the George Washington University in Tourism Administration and Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (Spain) in International Tourism and Hotel Management.

Olivier Messmer joined Solimar in September 2008 to work on USAID-Dominican Republic Sustainable Tourism Alliance program. With a strong knowledge of the eco-tourism sector, Olivier was responsible for community tourism product development, including helping to promote and link these new enterprises to the market. Since 2010, Olivier has mainly worked in African destinations (including the Marrakech and Fez Medinas, High Atlas and Sahara desert in Morocco, Benin, Madagascar and Ghana) where he was in charge of several tourism development projects financed by USAID, The World Bank, Millenium Challenge Corporation, UNDP and GIZ. Olivier has extensive experience managing international development projects in Western Africa and a wide network of European Tour Operator contacts, particularly in France. Olivier has over 15 years experience in tourism marketing, tourism product development, development of public private partnerships and tourism investment promotion. Olivier holds a joint Erasmus Master degree in International Business from Bordeaux Business School, France and the University of Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Hitesh is an Architect, Landscape Architect, Interior Architect, Destination Physical Planner, Protected Area Planner, and is a multi-International award winning planner and designer with Awards in Landscape Architecture, Planning, Architecture, Urban Design, Creative Writing and Interior Design. He is considered by his peers as the world’s leading authority, practitioner and researcher on sustainable tourism/ecotourism physical planning and both the landscape architectural and architectural aspects of ecolodges. Hitesh has over 34 years’ experience, having worked and consulted in 66 countries on six continents. Hitesh has for many years, led teams in the design and development of some of the most iconic eco-friendly resorts including: The Crosswaters Eco-resort and Spa in China is one of the most highly awarded international hospitality projects; Nihi Resort in Indonesia was identified as the Top Hotel in the world by Travel and Leisure for two consecutive years (2016 and 2017) and Hitesh’s office has been for the past few years, been working on the first Six Senses Galapagos Eco-Resort and Spa in South America.

His expertise is also on how to empower indigenous and local communities during the Planning/Design processes. He has worked on projects where tourism is used to channel money from tourists to local communities - Madagascar, Western Uganda, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, DR Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Nepal, Australia, Timor Leste and Colombia. As the designated Landscape Architect and Sustainable Tourism Physical Planner, Hitesh has provided Master and Site Plans to help create destinations that are low-impact and are a win-win-win - financially, environmentally and socially

He is an author of three books, including award winning “Authentic Ecolodges” by world renowned publisher - Harper Collins.  In July 2006, National Geographic Adventure magazine identified Hitesh as one of five Sustainable Tourism Pioneers in the world mainly because of his Master Planning work to protect endangered habitat and alleviate human poverty. He has been featured / interviewed / mentioned in over 195 international magazines, newspapers, books, newsletters and blogs.  

Hitesh Mehta is one of the founding members of the Global Ecotourism Network and was the longest serving Board member of The International Ecotourism Society. Mr. Mehta is also an Adjunct Professor (at FIU), a Professional Public Speaker and Photographer, and a Hall of Fame Cricket Player from Kenya.

Khalil comes from a multicultural household with an academic background in Ethnic Studies, Geography, and Italian. During his undergraduate studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, he traveled abroad to Perugia, Italy to enhance his skills with the Italian language and completed an internship assisting a local vendor engaged in fair trade practices. This experience confirmed his affinity for travel, language learning, and cultural immersion. To date, he’s traveled to 27 countries and lived in 4 where English isn’t the primary language. These experiences taught him valuable skills such as: organizing complex logistics, language competency, navigating cultural differences, quickly adapting to unpredictable scenarios, and assisting with conflict resolution.

Khalil is currently working towards completing a Master’s degree at the University of Florida in Tourism & Hospitality Management. He’s eager to apply the Destination Management skills learned from this program to aid Solimar and its partner organizations in achieving their sustainability goals. Khalil believes that enhancing strategic communications between sustainable tourism organizations and sharing knowledge to the people they serve is a key first step in modernizing the tourism industry. Furthermore, educating local ecotourism operators how to market themselves provides a tangible way to mitigate traditional tourism’s negative climate effects, protect delicate natural ecosystems, and improve the economic viability of rural communities and developing nations.

Khalil’s interests include: traveling, language learning, weightlifting, hiking, yoga, chess, and photography.