Global Traveler’s Globility Board

Get to know the magazine’s hand-selected board of subscriber advisors and highly experienced world travelers.

2023-12-11 -

In 2012, Global Traveler introduced its Globility Board, an elite group of globetrotters serving as a link between the magazine and our readers. Candidates were invited to apply for a position on the board, completing an application listing their general background, employment information and travel history. Over the past 11 years, the group has gathered several times to discuss all things travel and Global Traveler. The board has grown and changed, and the world has been turned upside down, but one thing remains the same: The priceless insight goes far beyond data we can garner from surveys or research, and the board is truly invaluable.

Here’s a closer look at our esteemed members.

SUE CASTORINO

Sue Castorino is president of The Speaking Specialists in Chicago, providing contemporary media training, issue management and speech coaching for more than three decades. She founded the company following a distinguished career in broadcast journalism as a news anchor and reporter at WBBM (CBS) Chicago. She specializes in working with collegiate, professional and Olympic athletes and coaches, as well as executives and professionals in North America, South America and Europe. She also serves on the faculty at Loyola University Chicago’s School of Communication, where she teaches courses in broadcast journalism, professional public speaking and ethics & communication.

She has traveled to all 50 states — most multiple times — and a dozen countries. She has attended nearly every Olympic Games since 1996. She is a United Airlines Million Miler and Marriott Lifetime Platinum Elite and still sees every trip as an adventure. She especially enjoys visiting college campuses, major sporting events and historic places. She is a native of Columbus, Ohio, and a graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Speech.

JOSEPH CESTARO

Joseph Cestaro was born and raised in Queens, New York, and has lived on Long Island, and in Boise, Idaho, at

different times during his 68 years. He owns an insurance business on Long Island with his partner Mark, and is also CEO of Debt Reduction Services, a non-profit organization since 1996. He recently adopted an Airedale Terrier rescue puppy, named Nero.

ERIC CHIANG

Eric Chiang is a professor of economics at Florida Atlantic University and author of Economics: Principles for a Changing World, an economics textbook used at more than 200 universities. Chiang is an innovator in teaching pedagogy and the use of technology to promote active learning in the classroom. Chiang travels the world to meet with instructors and students, logging approximately 150 flights per year. He is a United Global Services and Million Miler, and a Delta Diamond Medallion and Million Miler. Chiang has produced a mini-documentary series featuring economic concepts while traveling titled Around the World in 80 Hours.

NNEKA CHIAZOR

As vice president of Public and Government Affairs at Cox, Nneka Chiazor leads a team entrusted with enhancing company revenues, increasing social impact and fostering positive employee relations.

Chiazor’s career spans 20-plus years in operations/corporate leadership roles in the communications industry.

Committed to building inclusive communities, Chiazor serves on the board of the Public Affairs Council, Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Le Look Nigeria and Virginia Beach Development Authority. She has been recognized by several publications, including Washingtonian Magazine and Virginia Business Magazine.

An alumnus of Harvard Business School, Chiazor has earned degrees in Computer Science (BSc.) and Telecommunications (MSc.).

IRIS CHILDRESS

Iris Childress is a program manager with Microsoft’s Worldwide Commercial Business. She specializes in bringing technical innovation to emerging market countries. Childress was born in the United States and raised in northern Italy, which began her love of international travel and living abroad as an expat in the United Kingdom, Finland, Mexico, Singapore and the Philippines. You will find Childress visiting gardens around the world, making an annual pilgrimage in the spring to Keukenhof in Lisse and Kew Gardens in London. She is based in Bellevue, Washington

DONNA CHILDS

Donna Childs is the founder and chief executive officer of Prisere LLC, an enterprise that develops tools and apps to enable disaster resilience. The National Association of Women Business Owners named Childs its “Women Business Owner of the Year.” Childs travels extensively for her business, particularly for clients such as the United Nations.

JONATHAN FUCHS

Jonathan Fuchs is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) with Masters degrees in College and University Administration and Health Services Administration. He is currently a board member/Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Patientory Association, an international membership organization promoting Blockchain technology and interoperability for healthcare organizations.

CELESTE LINHARD

Celeste Linhard has been in the food and beverage industry for more than 25 years. The travel involved in managing territories eventually led to a love of traveling the world. She has flown 2.3 million miles with United (an equivalent to going around the globe 92 times or going to the moon and back almost five times) and has achieved Lifetime premier status with Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott. She loves discovering foods from around the world. She enjoys occasional corporate event planning assignments for a change of pace. She is married with three daughters who also caught the travel bug. She feels blessed to have earned the opportunity to do what she loves: just going somewhere … enjoying the journey just as much as the destination. Her personal signature includes a quote by Susan Sontag, “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.”

TOM LINHARD

Tom Linhard has been a leader in the fax server industry since 1992, and has launched several successful companies within the industry. Linhard is most notably known in the computer fax industry as the CEO and founder of FaxCore, Inc., which he launched in 2002. FaxCore, Inc. is located in Denver, Colorado, where he lives. He also founded FaxCore Asia Sdn. Bhd., located in Kuala Lumpur and the anchor of the Southeast Asia region.

In 1999, Linhard launched another company, etherFAX, LLC for the purpose of moving faxing into “the cloud.” etherFAX has been successful and experienced double-digit growth every year since its inception.

Linhard is a graduate of Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah. He travels extensively as a result of managing his global network of dealers. Linhard has been married to Celeste for 35 years and they have three daughters.

ERIC LUDWIG

Eric Ludwig served 15-plus years as a vice president in JPMorgan Chase’s Global Network Services organization, responsible for managing a core network across six of the seven continents, which afforded him many domestic and international trips. In 2016, he relocated to Arizona and joined a faith-based non-profit serving as a life coach to various relief workers and ministry partners around the world, getting the chance to observe firsthand the work they are doing to help others. When not traveling for work or ministry, he enjoys adventure travel with his family, including diving, cycling, skydiving or simply enjoying a day on a faraway beach. In 2019, he was able to achieve a personal goal of visiting more countries than his age.

JEANCHRISTOPHE MURAT

Jean-Christophe Murat runs an import/ export business for which he travels internationally about 75 percent of the time between opposite sides of the world, promoting specialty products to 20-plus countries on five continents. Florida is home, but an aisle seat or a king-sized bed is where he lives. As a result, the perks of premium travel are both a necessity and a reward to look forward to. His first insight into the travel industry came with a summer job as a flight attendant for Air France at the age of 18; he now has lifetime elite status in all major airline alliances.

MARK RIZKOWSKY

Mark Rizkowsky was born and raised in Southern California, and his family has traveled the West Coast since he can remember. He moved to Boise, Idaho, in 1994, and never looked back. He now lives in Saint James, New York, with his husband and new puppy, Nero, a rescue Airedale Terrier who needed a good family. He works with his husband Joe at their insurance business on Long Island. Also, he is currently a CCO at Debt Reduction Services, a non-profit organization.

HENRY ROSALES

Henry Rosales is a 30-year meetings and events professional with experience in both corporate and association meetings. Currently he is vice president, Strategic Events for CoreNet Global, a professional Corporate Real Estate Association with more than 10,000 members. In this role, he has the strategic responsibility for global events reporting to the assocation’s CEO. He was 1K and million-mile status on United Airlines. In addition, he has Platinum-forLife status with Marriott Bonvoy. His interests include international travel; luxury vacations; cooking; and entertaining Sofie, a 2-year-old Great Dane. Rosales lives in Denver, Colorado, with his husband, Doug.

MIKE RUSSO

Mike Russo is a registered nurse with Centura Health and a retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force. He has a master’s in aerospace

science and enjoys traveling to destinations throughout the world. Russo has achieved Diamond or Platinum status with Delta Air Lines (and previously Northwest) every year since 1997 and Spire or Platinum status with InterContinental Hotels Group every year since 1997 as well. Russo is also a Hilton Diamond member.

MARVIN SINGER

After nearly 40 years of federal service, Marvin Singer retired as senior advisor in the Department of Energy’s Office of Basic Energy Sciences in June 2012. During his career, Singer held senior-level positions at the President’s Council on Environmental Quality, the Energy Research and Development Administration and the Department of Energy. His work focused on fossil energy, energy and science research and development, and the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of energy development. Singer was privileged to travel often, both domestically and internationally. He served as the head of numerous U.S. international delegations and participated regularly in meetings with individual governments and international organizations, including the Paris-based International Energy Agency and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Singer and his wife particularly enjoy traveling in the Southern Hemisphere during winter in Washington, D.C. You might meet him at Washington Dulles International Airport, where he volunteers with Travelers Aid.

PAULA VOGEL

Paula Vogel’s first trip on an airplane was to New York City’s United Nations four-week study program. Her first international trip was to Algiers, Algeria, for her first real job as a twentysomething in 1978. Business travel was much different then, but the need to pay attention and overcome travel inconveniences has not changed.

Retired, she’s a volunteer with dental foundations expanding services to the underserved, and the local art museum. She loves travel to see wildlife, isolated cultures and heritage sites. A good golf course is also welcome!

ADAM WHITE

Adam White is a curious traveler, entrepreneur and educator. He is the founder of Atlas Workshops, a global education and research company. He frequently travels the world to research new ideas, experiences and innovations for nonprofits, startups, schools and businesses (while making sense of airline loyalty programs, hotels and adventures along the way). He comes from a family of travelers, spent three years living out of a suitcase and is nearing the end of a race with a friend to visit and explore 100 countries first. Currently at 97!

STEVEN WHITE

Steven White is a sales and marketing executive in the housewares industry. He has traveled all over the world working with manufacturers and companies to bring new products to the United States. He is married, has two adult children and is a new grandparent. He loves to travel, particularly to Hawai’i, France and other interesting travel destinations. He is also an avid golfer and loves to play golf around the world.

DOROTHY WOOD

Dorothy Wood is the president emeritus of JD&W Inc. Active in the community, she serves as an economic development commissioner for Virginia’s largest city. She chairs the Advisory Board of the Coalition of

Hearing and Balance from the Otolaryngology Department of Eastern Virginia Medical School. She has represented the State of Virginia as Chair of the State Board of Contractors as well as other State of Virginia boards. She is the chair of the Virginia Beach Economic Development Authority, a board member of the Virginia Beach Rescue Squad Foundation, member of the Military Economic Development Authority and board member of Growth Smart. She is the former First Citizen of Virginia Beach and was honored by the Salvation Army with the Evangeline Booth Award in memory of its founder. She received the Inside Business Women in Business Award, the YWCA Women’s Award and the Outstanding Women in Business Award from Virginia Lawyers Weekly, in addition to many others.

OUR GLOBILITY BOARD ALSO INCLUDES: David Barsotti,

a 25-plus-year MercedesBenz and Audi dealership owner and operator

Frank Brightwell,

the founder and director of Somos Amigos Medical Missions, a nonprofit organization that operates a primary care medical and dental facility in the mountains of the Dominican Republic

Benjamin DeLee,

an avid traveler and assistant professor at SUNY Cortland

Mark Leininger,

with extensive experience in the planning and design of airport terminals

Matthew Provencher,

the chief of sports surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, a commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves and associate professor of surgery at Harvard University