Savvy, Seasoned Corp. Buyers Face Off In NBTA Leadership Battle

The leadership of the National Business Travel Association for the next two years will be decided in San Diego in two weeks at NBTA's 37th annual convention during a direct members-only business session from 8:30 am to 9:45 am, Monday, Aug. 15. The winners will be announced and take office at a breakfast general session on Wednesday, Aug. 17.

Preregistration numbers suggest there could be significant turnout for the vote, as more than 1,000 travel managers already have registered for the convention.

With two candidates for president and two for vice president, each running for two-year terms, and four running for one three-year board seat, the depth of talent and experience in the election lists this year is worth noting: NBTA's members face some good, although perhaps hard, choices.

For the position of NBTA president & CEO this year, the candidates are Suzanne Fletcher and Betty Lucero Sweetman, both experienced corporate travel buyers who have built renowned travel programs and held top NBTA national and chapter posts.

Sweetman, senior travel manager at Amgen, is the current NBTA vice president, and Fletcher, director of travel, meetings, food service and fleet transportation for Weyerhaeuser, is the immediate past chairman of the NBTA Aviation Committee.

While serving during the past two years as NBTA vice president, Sweetman also took on the role of chairman of the new Legislative Advisory Council. In her official platform statement, Sweetman said that as president she would seek to extend NBTA's global reach and pursue issues-based collaborations, focus on NBTA's financial health by recruiting more allied members, sustain the momentum of the Legislative Advisory Council and NBTAPAC, ensure the relevancy of educational programs and reinforce the value of volunteerism. Sweetman has been a direct member of NBTA for 11 years.

Fletcher, who first served on NBTA's board in 1998, has been a direct member for 15 years. In her platform statement she said her primary objectives as president would be to continue broadening the association's international presence, strengthening NBTA's presence in Washington, "facilitate the preservation of our jobs as travel management executives" by communicating their value to senior management, continue to enable a cooperative and inclusive environment for allied members, expand the network of professional associations with which NBTA is affiliated and reach out to local chapters with educational support and to build unity.

The vice presidential contest also is between two experienced and accomplished U.S. corporate travel buyers who work for Japanese companies, Charles Franklin II, CCTE, American Honda Motor Co.'s manager of corporate services, and Kevin Maguire, CCTE, Tokyo Electron U.S. Holdings' manager of corporate travel and fleet services.

Franklin is just completing a three-year term as president of NBTA's Chapter Presidents' Council and formerly served as president of the Los Angeles Business Travel Association. He has been a direct member for five years. His focus is on education and collaborative partnerships.

Maguire, a direct NBTA member for 10 years who also formerly served as president of the Chapter Presidents' Council, said NBTA should focus on expanding its national, state and local legislative influence; expanding its international presence; enhancing educational programs, growing the partnership with local NBTA chapters; and working to bridge gaps between direct and allied members. Maguire previously served as president of the Austin Business Travel Association and he co-chaired the NBTA Data Privacy Committee.

The four-person race for the Director at Large board seat also is being run by stalwart travel management practitioners: Stephanie Dillon, CCTE, The Capital Group Companies' assistant vice president, global travel, meetings and events; Kathleen Goodliffe, Intermountain Health Care's director of travel and meetings; Paul Lang, CCTE and CPM, Bayer Corporate and Business Services' manager of travel services; and Gary Polito, CCTE, Bose Corp.'s corporate travel manager.