204 Millennium - A Marquis Who’s Who Magazine HOSPITALITY AND LEISURE Oregon State University. She also holds a CTP certification from the National Tour Association. Alongside her primary endeavors, Ms. Billette was vice president for the alumnae board of Stephens College, the leadership board of the National Tour Association and alumnae executive boardof NWMotorcoach. Shehas alsomaintained active affiliation with the American Bus Association and Oregon Tourism. Although her career has been suffused with highlights, she is especially proud of understanding other cultures and meeting individuals who soon became close friends. To present, she still has multiple friends who mainly live abroad. Additionally, she has learned about other countries’ histories and has often joined diversified groups to educate herself. As technology has progressed, Ms. Billette says that many tourists and travelers are aware of much more about their destinations than in decades prior. She attributes this to the emergence of the internet. Cynthia Karen Billette began her career in the tourism industry in 1979, when she served as a tour management contractor for various first-class companies. Maintaining her roles until the present day, she has concurrently excelled as the president of Columbia Crossroads Tours, Inc., since 1995 and a co-founder of Spotlight Northwest since 2015. A Certified Tour Professional with a classification in tourism since 1979, she has completed tours in more than 100 countries across the globe, as well as in all 50 U.S. states. Ms. Billette’s interest in tourism began at a young age when her family moved to Bombay, India, on instruction from the U.S. government. During this time, she learned about Indian culture and saw a plethora of tourists who frequented many landmarks, shops and other facilities throughout India. Upon relocating back to the U.S., she desired to enter the field as a tourist guide and attended school in San Francisco to receive her tourism certification. She holds an AA in fashion design from Stephens College and a BS in international studies from Eastern CYNTHIA KAREN BILLETTE PRESIDENT Columbia Crossroads Tours, Inc. Beaverton, OR
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