About Us
Landmark Educational Tours
Our passion for travel is indescribable
Discover the world’s most iconic destinations with Landmark Educational Tours. As an employee-owned travel company, we specialize in creating exceptional group tours designed to inspire, educate, and connect. Our passionate team of travel experts is committed to delivering top-tier educational experiences rooted in hospitality. Whether you’re a student, educator, or lifelong learner, join us for unforgettable journeys that bring history, culture, and adventure to life.
Meet Our Team
Tara Marcucci
Landmark Specialist & Leader
Tara is one of our Landmark Specialists and Trip Leader. Currently living in Rhode Island, Tara shares her passion for travel and experience in trip management with every trip.
Boasting her U.S. National Parks pass, Tara hopes to one day visit every U.S. National Park with her dogs.
Carly Rodgers
Customer Success Specialist
Currently residing in Chicago, Carly brings years of hospitality experience to our team. She is passionate about building meaningful relationships and helping customers reach their goals. Carly is dedicated to understanding each customer’s needs and ensuring they feel supported at every step. Outside of work, she enjoys the simple joys in life—music, food, laughter, travel, and quality time with friends and family.
Maya
Slavkin
Landmark Specialist
Originally from Los Angeles CA, Maya has a profound passion for travel and has spent the past three years working in international education, holding teaching positions in Spain and New Zealand. She has various hospitality and sales experience that she is excited to bring to Landmark Educational Tours. She graduated from George Washington University in 2020 with a B.A. in Sociology. Maya‘s love of travel has taken her to 28 countries and some of her dream destinations include Iceland, Brazil, and Colombia! In her free time, Maya enjoys reading, spending time at the beach, cycling, and of course, traveling!
Emily Wilson
Customer Success Specialist
Currently residing in Atlanta, GA, Emily brings years of experience as an elementary educator and community engagement leader. She is deeply passionate about travel, education, and enhancing client experiences. Emily excels in sharing ideas and fostering collaboration to achieve common goals. Outside of work, Emily enjoys live music, teaching Pure Barre classes, and spending quality time with her husband, son, and two dogs.
Dream Destinations: Italy, Japan, New Zealand, and Tanzania!
Angela
Gallagher
Customer Success Specialist
Hi my name is Angela and I am so excited to be apart of the Landmark team. I currently live in Phoenix, AZ with my husband and golden doodle puppy named Stella! I graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in Elementary Education. During my time at Arizona I was able to study Art History abroad in Prague, Czech Republic where my love for travel and history began. I have been to 25 different states and 12 countries. In my free time I love to go for walks, go to Orangetheory, and be with friends and family.
Michaela Ruffino
Managing Director
Currently residing in Rhode Island, Michaela is an accomplished leader in the hospitality industry. With a rich background and experience, she has honed her expertise in the field and possesses an impressive portfolio of travel knowledge. Michaela holds a bachelor’s degree in Travel and Tourism Hospitality Management from Johnson & Wales University, which has equipped her with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in her career.
In her spare time, Michaela likes to spend time with her beloved dogs and indulges in baking. She also has an insatiable appetite for travel and has set her sights on visiting some of the most breathtaking countries in the world. Her current bucket list includes Japan, Greece, Maldives, and many more. Michaela is passionate about exploring new cultures and experiencing everything the world has to offer.
Ericka Montano
Operations Director
Ericka is our Director of Operations at Landmark Educational Tours. She has never stopped learning and is about to graduate from Tourism Business Administration. Ericka is fully bilingual and has more than 20 years of experience working in operations activities such as group management, financial management, contract management, logistics, and customer service. Her experience working with large corporations such as TUI and First Choice has given her the knowledge and skills to help improve our product.
Ericka’s signature is her strong service philosophy and focuses on achieving all aspects of our elite service.
Christine MacAllister
Landmark Specialist
During her senior year of high school, Christine embarked on an educational group tour to Italy that ignited her lifelong passion for exploration and adventure. Since then, travel has become a cornerstone of her life, leading her to visit 39 countries and Antarctica. When she isn’t traveling abroad, she enjoys exploring America’s National Parks, attending live music events, and spending time at the Delaware Beaches.
Driven by a desire to inspire students to step outside their comfort zones and foster greater cultural understanding, Christine is thrilled to be a part of Landmark Educational Tours and is dedicated to helping students embark on unforgettable educational experiences, uncovering some of the most beautiful and enriching destinations across the United States and beyond!
Briana Kotchen
Marketing Specialist
Currently, in Minneapolis Minnesota, Briana is a new addition to our marketing team! She is passionate about marketing, social media, and traveling. Briana is a creative individual, she enjoys sharing her ideas with others and being able to come together as a team to achieve different goals. In her free time, she enjoys watching sports, baking, and spending time with her family and friends.
Dream Destinations: Greece, Australia, London, and Puerto Rico!
Bernard Mallette
Canada Sales Specialist
Bernard brings a wealth of experience in the student travel industry, with a particular passion for crafting unforgettable adventures in Canada. Whether you’re dreaming of exploring the vibrant streets of Montreal or its underground network with your students. Or immersing them in the rich history of Quebec City, or maybe marveling at the breathtaking Niagara Falls and CN tower in Toronto, Bernard is here to help you design the perfect school trip to Canada.
Bernard worked in the bus industry in the late 1990’s as a dispatcher, spare driver. He was also the Operations Manager at Educatours in the early 2000s where he oversaw the logistics for more than 24,000 passengers and 475 buses. He was an operations coordinator with Global Tourisme in Quebec City and Operations guru at Jonview Canada, the largest tour operator in the country.
Bernard is passionate about ensuring every trip is well crafted to provide a seamless and enriching experience when traveling to our Canadian programs.
Iliana Arista
Operations Specialist
From Cancun, Mexico to the world! Iliana is a Passionate of traveling since she can remember.
With nineteen years of experience in the Tourism field is able to identify the best options for an unforgettable lifetime trip. In her professional background we can find restaurants, hotels and cruise ships.
She likes to spend time with friends and family, enjoys to explore new destinations and to go back to her favorite spots such as Mexico City, Disney parks, NY, Las Vegas, Madrid and London just to mention few.
Bucket List: Japan, Thailand, Cambodia and the list goes on!
Abbey Gibson
Accounting/Office Coordinator
Currently, in South Boston, Abbey is experienced in administrative management. She is very excited to begin her journey, as an accounting coordinator, with Landmark Educational Tours. Abbey enjoys spending her summers on Cape Cod with her family and friends.
Dream Travel Destinations: Greece, Fiji, Amsterdam, & London
Lupita Ramirez
Operations Specialist
45 years
Married
Tourist profession
28 years of experience as a travel consultant, sales, supervision, coordination, group logistics and operations of a receptive travel company.
I think that tourism in general has the most magical vibe, people as tourists, travelers, look for the best and safest option to go out to see the world and one receives all that positive emotion that keeps us giving our best every day.
Martha Montano
Operations Specialist
Martha, hailing all the way from Cancún, México, is a true globetrotter with a passion for travel and a thirst for cultural exploration. Over the past 16 years, she has embarked on extraordinary adventures, living on the ocean and visiting over 48 countries and counting.
With a dream of completing the seven wonders of the world, Martha has already checked off five and eagerly anticipates visiting Petra and The Taj Mahal to fulfill her goal. Her experiences working for a cruise line have honed her skills in understanding diverse customer needs and providing unique and unforgettable experiences. Martha is known for her dedication, organization, trustworthiness, and ability to work efficiently under pressure.
Thriving in a culture of positive customer service, Martha enjoys engaging with customers and delivering exceptional experiences. Her passion for travel, coupled with her customer-centric approach, makes her a valuable asset at Landmark.
Stephanie LaForce
Sales Success Specialist
Currently residing in New Hampshire, Stephanie has spent the last 10+ years providing excellent customer service in a wide range of roles throughout the hospitality industry. With a background in travel operations and logistics, she possesses an impressive network within the tourism industry. Stephanie holds a bachelor’s degree in Travel and Tourism Hospitality Management from Johnson & Wales University, which has equipped her with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in her career.
In her spare time, Stephanie runs a small macrame craft store making various items such as handbags and home decor. She cares for her two small parrots, Hades and Xerxes, who enjoy perching on her shoulder during virtual meetings. When the weather is nice, Stephanie enjoys exploring the breathtaking landscape the New Hampshire mountains have to offer and finding a quiet spot to stick her nose in a good book.
Maiah Morani
Landmark Leader
Hi I’m Maiah! I am currently studying Event Management and Hospitality at Johnson & Wales University. I am grateful for the opportunity to gain more industry experience as a member of The Landmark Team. My interest in travel comes from a strong connection to my Portuguese heritage, and my ability to speak more than one language has encouraged me to connect with people from all over the world. I am excited to build upon my knowledge and skillsets during my time as a Tour Manager, and look forward to meeting new faces from around the globe.
Edwin Yip
IT Specialist
Edwin Yip has decades of commerce system experience. Most recent is his 15 years of building systems for the travel industry. This experience began with First Choice in the United Kingdom which merged with TUI Travel PLC which became the largest tour operator in the world with over 60 thousand employees. While as the Director of Application Development at TUI Student Travel he worked with Brightspark , Jumpstreet, Education Tours, and other student brands of the company in building out their commerce platforms.
Gerardo Barrera
Finance Director
Gerardo Barrera began his journey in the travel Industry 20+ years ago when he joined as a Finance Director for StudentCity.com. He gradually became the Chief Financial Officer of the parent company, TUI Education North America which portfolio includes Brightspark, Educational Tours, Jumpstreet, Educatours, Travel Adventures, and New Horizons. Now, Gerardo lives in Boston with his wife and two sons. He also is the Co-Founder of Go Blue Tours, Juniper Tours, and Landmark Educational Tours.
Maggie Shelton
Landmark Leader
Maggie is originally from Richmond, VA! She enjoys traveling, hiking, yoga, and history. In her free time she loves going on walks or reading! She loves helping people discover new places and learning new things. She is super passionate about forever learning and trying new things!
Madison Petranek
Landmark Leader
Madison is originally from Ashburn, VA, and is currently studying Spanish and Experience Design & Management at Brigham Young University. She loves to travel, hike, and soak up the sun at the beach! In her free time, she enjoys going on walks and spending time with friends. Madison is passionate about learning, exploring new places, and immersing herself in different cultures!
Dream Destinations: Japan, Antarctica, Portugal, and Nepal.
We work with only the best.
Building a community that works with you and your group in mind.
