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35 B M & T ••• March/April 2015 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com SARA B. HAMLIN has been in the tourism industry for more than 20 years. She has been vice president of Tourism for the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau for 10 years. Hamlin is responsible for promoting and booking motor coach business, family reunions, implementation of the tourism division's marketing plan and budget for the greater Birmingham area. She also supervises the operations of three Birmingham area visitor centers. Hamlin serves on the Board of the American Bus Association. Hamlin serves on the Board of Governors of ABA Foundation. She is involved in the follow- ing organizations: Destination Marketing Association International, Bank Travel, National Tour Association, Ontario Motorcoach Association, African- American Travel Conference, YWCA, and The Women Network. SHUN HATTEN is vice president of Sales for the Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau, a position she has held since 2002. Before joining the Bureau, Hatten worked within the industry as a hotel sales director for six years where she was responsible for training and opening hotels in various cities. Hatten attended Hinds Community College and graduated from Jackson State University with a B.S. degree in biology. Hatten is a member of Professional Conference of Management Association and Destination Marketing Association International. She also serves on various other committees within the industry. GLORIA M. HERBERT is the asso- ciate publisher/editor of Black Meetings & Tourism magazine, the award winning, international bi-monthly industry trade publication for the African-American meeting planner, incentive manager, travel agent and hospitality/tourism profession- al. Herbert also serves as associate produc- er of "Today's Black Traveler" a new televi- sion travel series currently in development. Before creating Black Meetings & Tourism along with her husband, Solomon Herbert, who serves as the magazine's pub- lisher/editor-in-chief, Gloria was a part of their print and photo journalism team that produced over 800 articles which appeared in numerous regional, national and inter- national publications. Herbert's early work experience was as an educational consultant for children with neurological deficiencies. She holds an undergraduate degree from California State University at Long Beach and a Masters of Science from the University of Southern California. Herbert was a mem- ber of the first graduating class of the Burklyn Accelerated Business School in Vermont; an innovative school with a high-speed, experiential entrepreneur- ship program that emphasized a non- competitive, "win-win" approach to doing business. Also, Herbert has the distinction of hav- ing attained the level of "Sensei" (teacher) in the art of Ikebana (Japanese Flower Arrangement) with over 15 years of training in this specialized area of floral design. SOLOMON J. HERBERT is the publisher/editor-in-chief of Black Meetings & Tourism magazine, the multi award-win- ning international industry trade publica- tion for the African-American meeting planner, travel agent and hospitality/- tourism professional. He also serves as executive producer of "Today's Black Traveler," a new travel television series cur- rently in development. Before creating Black Meetings & Tourism with his business partner and wife Gloria, Herbert was self-employed as a full- time freelance print and photo journalist since 1981. During that period over 800 of his articles appeared in numerous regional, national and international publications. Herbert currently holds or has held membership in several professional organi- zations, including the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners (NCBMP), National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers (NAB- HOOD), Meeting Professionals Inter- national (MPI), Travel Professionals Of Color (TPOC), Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), Africa Travel Association (ATA), Travel and Tourism Marketing Association (TTMA), Black Business Association of Los Angeles (BBA), Regional Black Chamber of Commerce of San Fernando Valley, and Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce (GLAAAC). Herbert and his wife Gloria were the 2002 recipients of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planner's Minority Business Award, the 2005 recipients of the Regional Black Chamber of Commerce of San Fernando Valley's Small Business of the Year Award, the 2007 recipients of Outstanding Entrepreneur Award from the Black Business Association of Los Angeles, the 2008 recipients of California State Salute to Small Business Award, the 2008