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Meet Our Asia Travel Team

Dedicated to excellence in travel

25-onwhite.pngWe're an owner-managed small company and a team of experts with a passion for our region of the world. The exceptional quality of service that defines Asia Transpacific Journeys is a direct reflection of the knowledgeable, experienced, committed people who work here.

Along with our Asia Travel Specialists, we believe that travel propels us outside of ourselves, beyond our previous understandings, to embrace new ways of imagining, new ways of seeing. Contact them when you are ready to Journey Beyond the Ordinary™.

Marilyn Downing Staff, Founder & President

Marilyn is the founder and driving force behind Asia Transpacific Journeys. She earned degrees in environmental biology and sociology before setting off on worldwide travels, and a stint living in Thailand where her company was born over two decades ago.

She is the veteran of far-flung adventures that span three decades and the most remote corners of the region, fueled by an abiding love of trekking and traditional tribal cultures. An accomplished photographer and engaging speaker, she's a frequent expert lecturer at museums, universities and conferences.

Accounting

Donna Galland, Chief Financial Officer

Donna displayed a knack for numbers early on, which was honed with a B.S Degree in Accounting from CU – Boulder. She crunched digits for Moguls Mountain Travel as Controller and at a Boulder law firm as Financial Manager before seizing the accounting reigns at Asia Transpacific Journeys. She has her brown belt in Thai kickboxing, so keep your hands out of the till.

Heather Crouch, Accounting Assistant

Heather was born under the shadow of a giant Paul Bunyan statue in Brainerd, Minnesota. Her early journeys took her to San Diego where she earned a B.S. in Finance and met her future husband in a class studying multi-variable calculus.

Although she hasn't traveled the world as extensively as some of her colleagues, Heather looks forward to visiting some of the beautiful and exotic destinations frequented by many happy Asia Transpacific clients. She is an avid runner, and recently completed two marathons, including the New York City Marathon. In winter you'll find her on a quest for champagne powder in the Colorado Rockies.

Airline Travel

Simone Farbus, Air Travel Manager

This year Simone celebrates 18 years as Asia Transpacific Journeys' Travel Agency Manager, marking over 32 years as an international travel agent. Her favorite travels include a visit to Cambodia's Angkor Wat, a sunrise climb to the top of volcanic Mount Bromo, Indonesia, a camel caravan in Morocco, bazaar browsing in Cairo, and viewing the Taj Mahal at sunset.

Simone delights in getting you the best fares to our corner of the world so you can create memories of your own.

Janene Digregorio, Air Travel Specialist

Janene has been in the travel business for over 25 years. She's a Colorado native whose travels have taken her to far-flung places throughout Europe, Central America, South America and Africa.

Cherished memories include awakening at dawn in Botswana to find a wild elephant walking out of the jungle towards her. When not exploring she may be found cooking for friends and family and hiking around the Flatirons with Cocoa, her chocolate Labrador.

Marketing

Kim Mitchell, Manager of Technology and Interactive Marketing

Striking a rare right-brain/left-brain balance, Kim holds an M.S. in Information Systems, a B.S. in Marketing. When she isn't pedaling her way through grueling road bike events, she can be found snowshoeing and Nordic skiing throughout the Rockies.

She's lived in Germany, Argentina and Italy, and traveled through many countries in Asia, in a quest for the perfect plate of Asian cuisine.

Kelly Reed, Marketing and Public Relations

Kelly's love of travel began when she was a professional athlete, traveling the world and immersing herself in the culture of the locations in which she competed. While pushing herself physically, Kelly didn't hold back in the mental arena either —

she furthered her marketing andgraphic design capacity working in a various creative communication roles. She holds degrees in Journalism and Marketing from Miami University, Ohio, and has spearheaded many creative campaigns, both at start-ups and well established companies. An incorrigible communication and social media maven, Kelly loves creatively combining her passions for design, marketing and travel. Though retired from professional racing, Kelly spends her free time chasing around her athlete husband and their three kids.

Jan Bachmann, Administrative Coordinator

Jan’s introduction to Asia began with a 4-month world trip with her brother visiting Thailand and India in 1983. Upon returning to the U.S., she attended the University of North Carolina in Chapel HIll, earning a graduate degree in library science.

After a short stint at the University of New Mexico, she moved to Switzerland and worked at the Hauptbibliothek Universitaet Zurich-Irchel for over 12 years. During these years abroad, she travelled extensively throughout Asia – Indonesia, the Philippines, and most recently to Nepal, where she trekked to the Annapurna base camp. Currently she is happily settled in Boulder where she enjoys hiking with her 9 year old daughter and commuting to work via bike.

Operations

Kirsten Louy-Nasty, Chief Executive Officer

Kirsten grew up in our nation's capital, dreaming of places far and away. She landed in Papua New Guinea to participate in a grassroots organization studying women and small businesses. Kirsten created and received the first Cultural Studies Bachelor of Arts at Keene State College in New Hampshire. Her travels have taken her throughout four continents.

Trip Coordinators

Lesa Clarkson, Trip Coordinator

Lesa circumnavigated the globe during a semester in college, and earned a degree in International Business from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She then spent two years in Japan working for the Ministry of Education.

Extensive journeys throughout Asia followed, including two stints in Bhutan. Her first-hand knowledge of the region makes her a superb resource when crafting trips.

Tamara Grivicic, Trip Coordinator

Tamara is a native of Croatia, and holds an MA in Linguistics from UC Davis, where she garnered multiple academic awards and scholarships. Now a true Boulder Granola Girl, Tamara is a devotee of Anusara yoga, a health food connoisseur, and an avid fan of all things outdoors. Her dedication to alternative energy is unwavering: she commutes by bicycle 365 days a year.

Emily Lumia, Trip Coordinator

Emily's cosmopolitan interests were nourished from a young age living in Massachusetts, beginning with multiple visits to Boston’s museums and concert halls. Her love of learning and exposure to new ideas continued through language classes in school (she speaks German, Mandarin Chinese and Italian), international films, avid reading, and travels to Ireland and Italy to visit her extended family.

While earning degrees from The University of Colorado in English Literature and Art, Emily found employment working for a small film company and a media non-profit before joining Asia Transpacific Journeys. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, cooking, painting, playing viola, drums and guitar, and discovering new hobbies like blacksmithing and rockhounding.

Jennifer Raines, Trip Coordinator

Jennifer's fascination with foreign cultures, both old and new, led her to study Anthropology and Classics, earning an honors degree from CU Boulder.

Inspired by a semester abroad in Rome, she continued to delve into the interplay between contemporary culture and the past as a research fellow in Bulgaria. Intrigued by the region, a few years later she quit her job and returned for a three-month foray into the Balkans, sparking her interest in exploring further eastward. At home, Jennifer can be found cooking, hiking, watching Anthony Bourdain and indulging in juicy armchair travel books.

Katie Weiland-Landgraf, Trip Coordinator

Katie holds degrees in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin. A love of travel and different cultures was indulged in a year abroad studying in Costa Rica, soaking up its culture, and exploring its eco-systems.

A self-confessed music junkie, she's a fixture at local bluegrass venues and jamband concerts. An abiding love of animals has defined Katie since childhood: she's been a dedicated vegetarian (and sometime vegan) since the age of 12, and is an impassioned supporter of animal rights. Weekends will find her hiking through Boulder's beautiful foothills with her English bulldog and American terrier.

Final Documents Team

Lindsay Koehn, Documents Coordinator

While studying Sociology, with an emphasis on criminal justice, at the University of Colorado, Lindsay’s love for art, travel and other cultures led her to embark on a semester-long journey to Canada, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Egypt and Morocco. Inspired by her experiences abroad, her desire to further explore the world flourished.

After graduating, she began postgraduate courses at the International Sommelier Guild (ISG), where she later received her Sommelier certificate. She now aspires to amalgamate her love for oenology and ambition to see the world. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, wine tasting and indulging in quality time with friends and family.

Jordan Smith, Documents Coordinator

A native North Carolinian, Jordan knew from an early age that she wanted to spend a great deal of time abroad. During her senior year at James Madison University, she finally got that chance and spent a semester in London, absorbing the history and arts of that metropolitan city and much of Europe as well.

Upon returning to Virginia, she completed her Bachelor's degrees in English Literature and Dance. With her travel bug still piqued, she then spent a year living in Australia and took some time to travel through much of South East Asia before returning to the States. Now a Colorado resident, Jordan can be found racing down the slopes, exploring new trails with her puppy or planning her next big adventure.

Amanda Phillips, Documents Coordinator

Amanda’s innate interest in foreign countries and international relations led her to study Political Science and Classical Studies as an undergraduate at the University of Colorado. A semester abroad in Spain opened her eyes to the thrill of discovery first hand and she caught the travel bug.

Before finding her way to Asia Transpacific Journeys, Amanda studied with a UN Ambassador to Pakistan and worked with politicians at the local and federal level. She sees her love of politics and travel as constants in her future. When not at work, Amanda can be found enjoying the plethora of outdoor, cultural and political activities in and around her hometown of Boulder.

Max Smith, Documents Coordinator

Exploration for Max began on the hill behind his house, building forts and climbing trees. Beginning at a young age, traveled to places ranging from Spain and China, to less coveted destinations working in lumber yards and kitchens, all of which have fueled his desire to learn and discover.

Life as an explorer continued in academia, where books were the preferred mode of transportation, earning his degrees in English Literature and History. Most recently, Max has his hands full with the many new horizons that Asia Transpacific Journeys has to offer.