Carol Owen
Retreats Resources is the culmination of “Mama Carol’s” 40-year career in the group travel industry. As a subject matter expert on incentive travel, she’s been a writer, a speaker, a panelist, a founding board member, an entrepreneur, a teacher, a mentor and a pioneer in the field of developing experiential incentives. Her work with Bellsouth, AT&T, Cox Communications, Showtime Networks, Time Warner and other media companies has been globally recognized for both vision and execution - and is the source of endless funny stories and treasured memories!
Carol’s profession and her passion are pretty much one and the same - she adores distinctive hotels that offer a unique hospitality experience, likes to understand their vision and help tell their story. From design to fine dining, from ambience to “attitude,” from a sense of place to a sense of peace, she thrives on absorbing each experience and sharing what she has learned with others. That is the reason Retreats Resources was born!
When not traveling, Carol enjoys living in the Chapel Hill area. Eat. Read. Breathe. Live. This is how she aspires to spend her time!
Whitney Bradley
Whitney’s combination of right brain/left brain packs a big punch when it comes to bringing a creative edge to all we do. She’s poised to take the helm of Retreats Resources and expand our company footprint into the entire U.S.
Her background of marketing and corporate event planning spans 20 years and includes past clients such as Verizon, Daimler Chrysler/Mercedes, Michelin, BMW Manufacturing Corporation, First Robotics, Bi-Lo grocery stores, BMW Motorrad, and the Homepoint (Music City) Bowl.
When she’s not “Retreats Resourcing,” she enjoys spending time with her husband and teenage daughters, performing with her R&B/contemporary jazz band, and checking off her “Next Chapter Bucket List,” item by glorious item.
Cindy O'Gorman
A 20+ year veteran of the hospitality business, Cindy has held key sales leadership positions at Chatham Bars Inn on Cape Cod, The American Club at Kohler, Auberge Hotels & Resorts, Steamboat Ski Resort Corporation, The Island of Lana’i, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and La Costa Resort & Spa. With years of involvement in industry associations such as Financial & Insurance Conference Planners Association, SITE and MPI, she is well known in the industry and takes advantage of a tremendous network of hospitality executives.
Kelly Black
Kelly Ann Black has spent more than 15 years mastering event management, treating it as both an art and a science. From orchestrating intimate VIP meetings and planning exclusive incentive trips, to managing corporate conferences and citywide association conventions, she’s worn just about every hat in the business. As a former planner, exhibits manager, and sourcing director, Kelly has blended creative vision with meticulous execution — knowing exactly how to negotiate the perfect contract, build a flawless floor plan, and seamlessly execute a vision (with the spreadsheets to prove it).
When she isn’t managing real-world event stages, you can occasionally find her on actual sets doing background acting for fun. A proud double-threat when it comes to regional loyalty, Kelly was originally raised in the Philadelphia area but has happily called Atlanta home for nearly 20 years. She took her talents to Athens for grad school at the University of Georgia, solidifying her commitment to loudly cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs.
At home, the logistics expertise continues as a parent to two kids: JT (19), who is currently navigating college life down in Florida, and Natalie (12), who keeps their Georgia household lively.
EmmaKylee Rice
EmmaKylee (EK) Rice, CMP, has worked in the events world for over a decade, first in the PR industry supporting social events, then quickly transitioning to the corporate side of meetings, retreats and incentives. She has worked hand-in-hand with Fortune 500 companies including Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot and LG on events in the thousands, as well as high-touch executive retreats, full of special touches.
EK graduated from The University of Alabama with a degree in Public Relations and a minor in Nutrition and proudly cheers for the Tide every football Saturday. When not planning her next event (or planning her next travel adventure!), she is spending time with her husband and her 3 year old wild child, Emmy.
Lauren Long
With over 15 years in the hospitality industry, Lauren began her career with a small catering and design company while attending the University of Georgia and quickly found that her passion lies on the corporate side of the events business. She has worked for Destination Management Companies (DMCs) and meeting planning firms in Atlanta, planning and executing events all over the U.S. from small mom-and-pop businesses to Fortune 100 companies. She is a dedicated team member who prides herself on her organizational skills throughout the planning process and also her ability to maintain a calm demeanor and find solutions when tricky opportunities arise in the bustle of on-site logistics. Lauren resides in North Georgia with her husband, daughters (Kate & Nora) and chocolate lab (Elli).
Kelli Price
Kelli’s often asked, “What is your favorite subject to photograph?” And replies, “Being part of the Retreats Resources team has made me realize my favorite is working with individuals on their headshots and hear them say, ‘This is my favorite photo, and I hate getting my picture taken!’ I also LOVE telling the story of these amazing events!”
Although Kelli is a vital part of our event team, she's the captain of her own ship most of the year. She can capture your corporate events, meetings, team member headshots, brand photography and more as your award-winning photographer. With a flexible travel schedule, she can also capture your international meetings and incentive programs.
With several years of experience as an event photographer in the Atlanta and Reno/Tahoe Area, she helps you get the most out of your budget while building accolades for your event team and attendees. With 7 years of “hands-on” work in incentive operations with USMotivation, Kelli is well versed in the flow of corporate events.