TCS & Starquest Expeditions Office Staff

During more than three decades in the travel business, T.C. has been a pioneer, developing unique expeditions involving innovative means of travel to many new destinations around the world. He founded and developed Society Expeditions, with which he pioneered travel to many remote destinations during the 1970s and 1980s. The company became the world leader in expedition cruising, being the first to operate two expedition ships year-round to the Antarctic, Amazon, Seychelles, Easter Island and dozens of other remote destinations. Under his leadership, Society Expeditions operated the first West-to-East cruise through the Northwest Passage, and flew the first commercial travelers to the South Pole. He also founded the American Orient Express, the first luxury private train to operate on a year round basis in the US. In 1989, T.C. founded Private Jet Expeditions and became the first in the world to operate expeditions to remote destinations with specially outfitted aircraft, a concept he further developed with two additional private jet companies he founded, TCS Expeditions and Starquest Expeditions. T.C. received a B.A. in Economics from Iowa State University and an M.B.A. from the University of Illinois.

Shelley Cline began her career in luxury travel at TCS Expeditions where she gained 12 years of experience in private jet travel, including 9 years in product development and tour operations. She is responsible for business growth and product development, acts as jet liaison, and oversees all departments to manage costs and ensure superior program quality. She holds a B.A. in Central and East European Studies from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Dr. Charlene "Charlie" Brannon brings a unique perspective to the educational travel business, having dedicated her life to both the fields of travel and education. She began her career in the educational travel business in 1973 and has been working with non-profit travel programs since 1980. Charlie received her B.S. and M.S. degrees from Iowa State University, and her Ph.D. from the University of Washington, where she was a tenured professor. Charlie is active in our philanthropy programs, especially the education of teachers in the schools we support. During her spare time, Charlie creates beautiful quilts for family and friends.

Stevie Wooten has traveled to more than 80 countries and has worked in every area of the travel business including sales, operations, marketing, expedition leading, and destination scouting in the past 35 years. She has 15 years’ experience in the private jet travel business. She is most often the first point of contact for Starquest travelers and is passionate about providing the highest level of customer service for each guest. Stevie also creates completely customized tours around the world for individuals and small groups.

Scott Leviton is a veteran of expeditionary travel to wide-ranging locales such as Cambodia, Rwanda, Papua New Guinea, and Mongolia. He has 14 years of experience in the travel industry and has visited over 80 countries on six continents. He has enjoyed building relationships with TCS private jet travelers during the past 10 years and is dedicated to ensuring that all travelers enjoy extraordinary experiences. Scott also provides online ‘webinars’ for travel agents to become more familiar with our expeditions.

For 9 years, Heidi Tefft worked closely with Charlie Brannon in the Idaho office as a sales assistant and as Expedition Staff Coordinator. In 2007 she was promoted to Director of Sales, and travels around the country to attend many alumni travel reunions and events hosted by the prestigious educational institutions that sponsor our expeditions. Heidi also works with our lecturers to plan the educational programs of our expeditions. She was an Assistant Expedition Staff member on our 2008 Around the World Expedition, and has travelled to Honduras and the British Virgin Islands. She received a B.S. in Secondary Education from the University of Idaho.

Stacy has been working in the luxury travel business for more than a decade and is our Sales Assistant, writing up and tracking the many special arrangements we make with various travel partners and expedition sponsors. Prior to that, she prepared contracts for Designer's Press in California and taught preschool. Stacy enjoys traveling throughout the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.

Heidi brings over a dozen years of experience in marketing and publishing to the marketing department. She oversees all print and online marketing projects, writes our brochures, and works with expedition sponsors and partners to develop marketing strategies. Heidi has done advance work in Egypt and Iceland, and lived in Los Angeles, Hawaii, and Italy, before moving to Seattle. She holds a B.A. in Politics from Whitman College.

Ardis researches and writes for the brochures and other marketing materials. She creates content for and manages the Web site, and prepares onboard libraries for our expeditions. She was a Coordinator for International Relations at a prefectural capital in Japan, and developed marketing materials for Fireborne Corporate Awards in Seattle. She received a B.A. in Japan Studies from Macalester College in Minnesota, speaks Japanese, and has spent close to 5 years living and working abroad.

As our Senior Guest Services Manager, Amber Shearer provides first-rate service to our travelers, answering a myriad of questions and managing the paperwork necessary to ensure that each guest’s itinerary is to spec. She has traveled to many of the destinations on our expeditions, including 29 countries and more than 84 cities. Amber has done advance work in Egypt and Morocco, worked as an Assistant Expedition Leader, and has scouted other destinations for exclusive itineraries we develop for our clients’ families and friends.

Rob Eramia provides a superb level of service to our clients with his trademark friendly manner, drawing upon his extensive travel experience. In addition to being a primary point of contact for our guests, he has worked as an Assistant Expedition Leader on several of our programs and has traveled to more than 49 cities in 19 countries.

Guest Services Manager Emily Haney shares her enthusiasm for world travel with clients while helping to prepare them for their expeditions. She works in a variety of administrative roles at TCS & Starquest Expeditions, and provides guests with insightful information and important documents that make travel a breeze. She has served as an Assistant Expedition Staff member on our Around the World tour, and traveled to Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America.

With 20 years of travel industry experience, Donna Overacker’s expertise in commercial air reservations is unrivaled. She efficiently manages the logistics of getting our travelers safely to and from the beginnings and ends of our expeditions. Donna has visited India, Nepal, and Greece, and has enjoyed adventures across all 50 states.

Kjersti has worked in affinity travel for over a decade in the areas of operations, passenger services, and sales. She oversees all logistics and operational details; has been an assistant expedition leader for our Around the World program; and has scouted many destinations. Kjersti has a B.A. in German from Bates College, and was a long-time resident of San Francisco before moving to the Pacific Northwest.

Kara began her travel career with educational cruises to Alaska, the Caribbean, and around the world. She began working in the luxury travel industry with TCS Expeditions in 1999. Kara worked for 4 years as an Assistant Expedition Leader and Advance Staff before becoming an Operations Program Manager. She has traveled to more than 80 countries, and has participated in more than 60 private jet expeditions in different capacities, from scouting to program management. Kara earned a B.A. in Sociology and Recreation, Travel, and Tourism from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA.

Hilary has been involved in the travel industry since 1988. She has more than a decade of experience in private jet travel and has worked in a wide range of roles, from destination scout and program manager, to sales and marketing. In her current role, she coordinates staffing of the lecturers, leaders, physicians and advance staff for our expeditions. Hilary holds a B.A in English and Public Relations from William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri.

Jeff manages all the expedition amenities and supplies for our private jet programs. He has done advance work in Namibia, Borneo, and Laos. A native of Washington State, Jeff earned a B.A. in Marketing and Management from the University of Washington.

An industry vet for nearly a decade, Charlie runs the home office with his trademark California style and humor. He is responsible for accounting, finance, IT, HR, and other administrative functions. He has scouted Thailand and did advance work in Easter Island and Samoa.

Steve enjoys his work in the expeditionary travel business. He worked for Society Expeditions from 1997-2000 and joined TCS Expeditions in 2006. A team player with many talents, he oversees our Finance and Human Resources department. Steve is a Seattle native and holds a degree in Accounting from the University of Washington.

Juanita has worked in accounting at our sister companies in Spain and the U.K. since 2004. She is well-versed in the intense and precise business of ensuring that all accounts payable and receivable are handled efficiently. Originally from Zambia, Juanita received her education in England and obtained her degree from Portsmouth University.

Vivi helps liaise with investment advisors, attorneys, and other professionals on behalf of the C.E.O. She also manages the company's philanthropic programs, leveraging our network of expedition agents around the world and ensuring that projects are effective, efficient, and accountable. A native of Brazil, she is fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish; has visited more than 45 countries; assists with scouting new destinations in South America; and quietly works behind the scenes to keep our office running smoothly. Vivi has a B.A. in Public Relations & Communications from the Faculdades Integradas Alcântara Machado.