Keynote Session: Destination Original Indigenous Tourism Collaborative Panel 

Join us for an insightful and forward-thinking discussion on the Destination Original Indigenous Tourism collaborative. Leaders from AIANTA, the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, and New Zealand Maori Tourism will provide updates on the future of this groundbreaking initiative. This innovative organization aims to unify the collective voice of Indigenous peoples worldwide.

In this panel session, we will examine Indigenous tourism standards from each country and discuss the need to establish guidelines for Destination Original-marked experiences. This ensures that travelers can immediately recognize and trust they are receiving an authentic Indigenous experience. Additionally, we will discuss the goals of the newly formed organization and explore the future of Indigenous travel across the globe.

AIANTA CEO Sherry L. Rupert (Paiute/Washoe) has nearly two decades of executive-level
experience managing and promoting Native American tourism. As CEO of the only national
association dedicated to Indigenous tourism, she is the leading voice when it comes to
advocating for travel and tourism as a significant economic driver in tribal nations. She also
holds leadership positions on various national boards including the Board of Directors for the
U.S. Travel Association and more. Under her leadership, she launched the Economic Impact of
U.S. Indigenous Tourism Businesses, the first-ever ever study of its kind. Prior to assuming the
role of CEO, she served as President of AIANTA’s Board of Directors since 2012. During that
time, she was instrumental in working with Congress to pass the Native American Tourism and
Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act.

Keith Henry is a Métis person who was born in Thompson, Manitoba and raised in Prince Albert,
Saskatchewan. He has become an international Indigenous cultural tourism leader receiving
recognition as the former CEO for Indigenous Tourism Association of British Columbia (ITBC).
Henry spearheaded the growth of authentic Indigenous tourism in Canada as he worked to
redevelop the national Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada as elected chair when this
organization incorporated in April 2015. In October 2015 he took the full time role as the
Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada’s CEO. He continues to be recognized across
Canada as one of the leaders in Indigenous tourism and has led many new initiatives including
the national strategy entitled “The Path Forward 2016-2021”, contributions to the development
of national standards on market readiness and authenticity, cruise industry opportunities.

Dame Pania, recently inducted as a Dame Companion in December 2023, is the Chief
Executive of New Zealand Māori Tourism. Alongside her Damehood, she was also bestowed
the matai – the chief title – of Toluma’anave from the Satapuala village of Sāmoa. With over 30
years dedicated to Māori business and economic development, she has revolutionized the
Māori tourism sector through progressive strategies and intergenerational business models. Her
leadership has transformed product deliverers into providers of rich, curated Māori experiences.

She is renowned for her influential leadership and humility and remains dedicated to her people
in Te Māhia.

Keynote Speaker: Alex Lasry, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism, International Trade Administration

Alex Lasry is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism at the International Trade Administration. In this role, he leads the National Travel and Tourism Office and is executing the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Travel and Tourism Strategy to enhance the international competitiveness of the U.S. industry and maintain America’s status as a top destination for international visitors.

Alex has been a business and community leader in Wisconsin with more than a decade of public and private sector experience. Most recently, he was a co-owner and Senior Vice President of the Milwaukee Bucks. He played a leading role in transforming the organization into one of the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s premier franchises both on and off the court, culminating in the team’s first NBA Championship in 50 years in 2021. He was responsible for the Bucks’ corporate citizenship efforts and spearheaded the public-private partnership to create the Deer District, one of downtown Milwaukee’s central attractions. He also led the organization’s workforce development efforts and successful negotiations for an historic project labor agreement, creating thousands of union jobs.

Alex led Milwaukee’s successful bid to host the 2020 Democratic National Convention. He served as the Chair of the Milwaukee 2020 Bid Committee and Finance Chair for the Democratic Convention’s Host Committee. Alex served in the Obama White House in the Office of Public Engagement & Intergovernmental Affairs as a Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff and later as Deputy Counselor for Strategic Engagement. He graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and received his M.B.A. from NYU’s Stern School of Business. Lasry is married to a superhero wife and has one daughter.

Keynote Speaker: Erik Stegman, CEO, Native Americans in Philanthropy

Erik Stegman (he/him) serves as Chief Executive Officer of Native Americans in Philanthropy, a national organization advocating for stronger and more meaningful investments by the philanthropic sector in Tribal communities. Previously, he served as the Executive Director for the Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute. He has held positions at the Center for American Progress on their Poverty to Prosperity team, as Majority Staff Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and in the Obama administration as a Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of Education. Erik began his career in Washington, D.C. at the National Congress of American Indians Policy Research Center. He holds a J.D. from UCLA School of Law, an M.A. in American Indian Studies from UCLA’s Graduate Division, and a B.A. from Whittier College.

“The Heart Speaks” Keynote Speaker: Lora Ann Chaisson

We are thrilled to announce that Lora Ann Chaisson will be presenting the signature AITC closing keynote address, “The Heart Speaks” on Thursday, October 31. Lora Ann is the Principal Chief of the United Houma Nation (UHN) and a current resident of Pointe aux Chene, Louisiana. She is the UHN’s National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Delegate as well as the Southeast Regional Alternate Vice President to the NCAI Executive Committee. She is also the Vice President of the Board of Directors for the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association as well as a current member of the United States Department of Labor Native American Employment and Training Council. Chaisson is employed as the Vice President of Tribal Solutions Group. Her work with Tribal Solutions Group encompasses a variety of divisions with solution-based services in areas such as education, gaming, medical, and broadband/ communications specifically for tribal nations, entities, and enterprises. During her free time Chaisson enjoys teaching friends and family traditional Houma Indian basket-weaving, jewelry-making, and cooking.