Scholarship Auction & Awards Committee
Support the next generation of tourism professionals!
The Scholarship Auction Committee is dedicated to investing in the next generation of tourism professionals by raising funds for the Destinations of New York State Scholarship Fund through the planning and execution of the Scholarship Auction. Through collaboration, creativity, and community engagement, the committee secures travel packages and contributions that directly support scholarships for aspiring tourism, hospitality, and culinary professionals. Its mission is to strengthen New York’s tourism industry by empowering future leaders.
The Scholarship Auction Committee meets monthly on Fridays to collect auction donations, share updates, and plan for the auction event at the 2026 NYS Tourism Conference in Utica, NY. Committee members also participate on-site at the NYSTIA Annual Conference, where the live auction is a highlight of the event and a crowd favorite. The Scholarship Auction Committee is open to all NYSTIA members.
Support the scholarship program today with an auction item donation*, or make a financial donation directly to the 501(c)3 Destinations of New York State Scholarship Fund!
*We suggest that you refer to this PDF of the auction item donation form to prepare your submission. The user submission must be completed in a single session.
Scholarship Auction Committee Members:
Jennifer Ackerson - Chair, President/CEO, Alon Tourism Solutions
James Sauter - Co-Chair, Co-Founder, Rove
Kelly Rapone - Co-Chair, Tourism Director, Genesee County Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center
Deborah Garry - Founder & President, BBG&G Integrated Marketing
Diane Meglino - Northeast Region Business Development Manager, Premier Travel Media
Mary Gendron - Principal, Salad Girl Consulting, LLC
Matt Mitchell - President, Corporate Communications
> Rachele Markle - staff liaison
Destinations of New York State Scholarship Awards Program and Fund:
The Awards Program: The Destinations of New York State Scholarship Program awards $10,000 in tuition and internship scholarships (see 2024 recipients below). Each year, NYSTIA's Scholarship Committee meets and reviews applications and selects the award recipients from the field of applicants. Applicants must be students in good standing who are residents of New York State studying tourism-related degree programs at New York State colleges and universities.
The Fund: The scholarship fund, 100% supported by the membership of NYSTIA, is fiscally maintained by the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan Counties (CFOS), a 501c(3) charitable organization. Contributions are tax deductible. CFOS awards the grants directly to the college, university or institution involved.
2024 Scholarship Recipients:
- Sarah Walters - Niagara University
- Samantha Phillips - Rochester Institute of Technology
- Carter Benedict - Rochester Institute of Technology
- Tracey McKinney - Monroe Community College
- Lydia Hulbert - SUNY SCCC
Scholarship Awards Committee Members:
Name - Co-Chair
Name
> Brooke Wilson - staff liaison