Cheryl’s passion for the travel industry started at an early age, 15 years old, when she held summer jobs at the Port of Miami and Sea World. After graduating with a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Georgia, she accepted a position with Worldspan LP (now Travelport). Cheryl held various leadership positions throughout her 13+ year tenure in travel technology. Notably, she served as Vice President of Major Accounts and was responsible for the company's largest travel agency clients. In 2002, she was honored by Travel Weekly as one of the most Powerful Women in Travel. In 2009, Cheryl fulfilled her dream of owning her own travel management company. She aligned her company, The Travel Collection, with Valerie Wilson Travel in 2012 and tripled the sales revenues over an 8-year period. In 2020, she sold her company to Valerie Wilson Travel and accepted a leadership position as Director of Associate Access and was responsible for talent acquisition focused on "career changers" and budding entrepreneurs - guiding them with the best practices in running a successful travel company.