From talented newcomers to lifetime achievers, Nexion members are recognized for a variety of accomplishments

IRVING (September 12, 2025) – At its annual conference, CoNexion, Nexion Travel Group hosted its largest event ever from September 8–10 at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando. Celebrating its milestone 30th anniversary, the event brought together 725 advisors, staff and partners for three days of learning, networking, growth and celebration. Throughout the conference, Nexion honored top members with awards recognizing their outstanding achievements over the past year.

“Congratulations to all of our award winners,” said Jackie Friedman, VTA, CTIE, President of Nexion Travel Group. “This year is especially meaningful as we celebrate Nexion’s 30th. It’s inspiring to honor those who truly embody our values. Whether chosen by a fellow member or by Nexion staff, they share one thing in common: a deep passion for supporting Nexion. We are proud to call them members—they represent the very best of who we are!”

In a special tribute, Nexion’s Ambassador Award was renamed in honor of the company’s beloved Senior Vice President, Robbi Jumaa Hamida. The 2025 Robbi Hamida Ambassador Award was presented to Rachel Kerr, owner of Globe-Treks Consulting, recognizing her success, active involvement, and dedication to Nexion’s values—the highest honor a member can receive. Kerr, based in Colorado, joined in 2017 and has earned the Circle of Excellence award for three consecutive years, including an invitation to the prestigious President’s Circle trip. A committed industry advocate, she serves on the Nexion Advisory Board, founded and co-leads Nexion Military in Travel, and co-leads Nexion Young Professionals, supporting and empowering the next generation of advisors.

For the first time, Nexion presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Steve Lincoln, owner of Lincoln Travel in Bridgewater, VA. Fresh out of college, Steve began a career in travel and, 43 years later, remains passionate about the industry. He opened his own agency in 2003 and has earned 30 sales awards and three Ambassador Awards. “The Lifetime Achievement Award is deeply meaningful—it validates my hard work and makes me feel appreciated and respected,” said Lincoln. “It’s not the end of my career, but another steppingstone, and I look forward to achieving even greater success while watching Nexion grow as the premier Host Agency.”

This year, two Rising Star Awards were presented: Mary Hawthorne of JOURNEYS with Mary, LLC, Panama City Beach, FL, as the U.S. Rising Star, and Kevin Lapointe of Sunscape Vacations, Orléans, Ontario, as the Canadian Rising Star. Selected by Nexion’s leadership for their impressive early achievements, both have actively used Nexion’s programs and education to boost sales and enhance client service. After connecting with seasoned advisors and completing her initial training, Mary officially launched her career in May 2024. While Kevin, with a year and a half in the industry, built a strong foundation through Nexion University before jumping into sales and selling vacation packages.

Other awards include:

• The Nexion Townie of the Year, awarded to the most active and helpful member on NexionTown, Nexion’s intranet, is Pamela Fierro of Virginia Beach, VA.
• The Social Pro of the Year award, given to the Nexion member who excels in using social media to promote their agency, goes to Caitlyn Tyler of Edmond, Oklahoma
• The Network Leaders of the Year are Holly Malloy of Trophy Club, TX, Diane Frisch of The Colony, Texas.
• and Angie Sarles of Dallas, TX. This award recognizes them for fostering local Nexion Networks through collaboration, networking and connection
• The Everyone Is In Award goes to Mike Plumton Philadelphia, PA. For Mike, Pride is about showing up as your full self, no matter where you are or who you’re with. It’s about creating space where everyone feels seen, supported, and celebrated In his travel business, Mike leads with listening. He works to make every step of the journey safe and welcoming, especially for those whose stories are often left out.
• The Fostering Excellence Award, New this year, the award honoring Mike Foster for his trailblazing contributions to the agency was presented to Gillian Scott of St. Thomas, ON.
• The Ray of Positivity Award goes to Jarod McNeill of Seattle, WA. And Gene Jochen Whitby, ON, for consistently maintaining a positive outlook, being exceptionally helpful to fellow Nexion members and supplier partners, and naturally promoting Nexion whenever the opportunity arises.
• The Be Kind Award goes to Adrianne Raia of Visalia, CA. and Kim McPhail of Petrolia, ON, for consistently embodying optimism, bringing positivity to every room they enter and demonstrating professionalism and grace in every situation.
• The Globe Trotter Award was presented to Ken Kimi of Aiea, HI, Blythe Asagi of Belmont, California both recognized for their extensive travels and for bringing the world to their clients.
• The Stories of Success Award was given to Brandi Vincent of San Angelo, TX, and Lisa Dunne of Dunnville, ON, recognizing their inspiring achievements and contributions.
• The Eddy’s Choice Award went to Eileen Murphy of Heath, TX, in recognition of her thorough research and resourcefulness, which greatly enhanced the Member Services team’s ability to provide effective support.
• The Spotlight Success Award was presented to an outstanding group of NEXTalk speakers, including Lisa Dunne, Nicole Zima of Lake in the Hills, IL, Mike Plumton, Karis Schaffer of Omaha, NE. and the Anderson family of Hutto, TX; Ashley, Carl & Linda—in recognition of their achievements, building their legacies, growing their businesses and demonstrating resilience in the industry.

All travel professionals interested in learning how to succeed as a professional business owner, backed by Nexion Travel Group’s many great benefits, are encouraged to call 800-747-6813 or email [email protected].

About Nexion Travel Group

Nexion Travel Group is a fully accredited host agency, offering membership to independent travel professionals since 1995. As part of Internova Travel Group, Nexion Travel Group provides ticketing, operations and fulfillment support to independent travel professionals coupled with best-in-class tools, technology, marketing, education and support. Nexion Travel Group is the complete host agency for multi-agent agencies, corporate agencies, experienced agents and those new to the industry.