Taylor Ahlsmith Ruecking (Source: The Travel Institute)
The Travel Institute’s board of directors named Taylor Ahlsmith Ruecking, an 11-plus-year veteran of the organization, following the retirement of Diane Petras, CTIE, on Jan. 1, 2026.
In one of Ruecking’s first moves as president, he promoted Guida Botelho, CTIE, to the role of vice president.
“The future of this organization is in good hands with Taylor and Guida and, indeed, very bright for industry professionalism,” Petras said.
“Taylor has a proven ability to straddle strategic thinking and technical know-how to advance education for this industry,” said Gary Pollard, CTC, who chairs The Travel Institute board of directors and is president and CEO of Ambassador Tours.
“We took the time to get this right and the board is 100% aligned,” he added. We are incredibly enthusiastic and energized about what’s next for The Travel Institute, knowing Taylor has the demonstrated results and drive to lead this incredible team and achieve a new level of relevance with our stakeholders.”
During his tenure at The Travel Institute, Ruecking was responsible for executing an online learning management system, streamlining disparate content platforms, launching digital credentials, and broadening e-commerce capabilities to better serve students and organizations,” The Travel Institute said.
Most recently, he “led the technological specs for the new Education Hub, the back-end automation of thousands of once-manual tasks, and other improvements for the student experience,” the organization said.
Ruecking worked hand in hand with Petras since the beginning of December as he transitioned into the role of president. “Without Diane’s visionary leadership and guidance, neither myself nor the organization would be where we are today,” Ruecking said.
Ruecking will kick off the new year by maximizing The Travel Institute’s educational capabilities, increasing its visibility, and bolstering operations and resources to ensure “continued momentum in implementing new capabilities while maintaining content and service levels,” the company said.
“Taylor has played such a meaningful role in The Travel Institute’s success, and his passion for developing travel professionals shines through in everything he does,” Jackie Friedman, CTIE, VTA, president for Nexion Travel Group and a member of The Travel Institute board.
“He is uniquely suited to build on the extraordinary foundation Diane Petras created, and I’m excited to see the Institute continue to thrive under his leadership,” she added.
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