GEORGIA BLAZEKA-NITESCU Freelance travel writer Georgia Blazeka-Nitescu  has lived in three countries in the past 15 years and traveled extensively in Europe and Americas accompanied by her husband and son, and sometimes niece and nephew. Her work has appeared in The New York Times Syndicate,The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, Halifax Herald, Le Matin and Emirates Woman. Being a travel cheapskate, Georgia has a longstanding interest in no-money-down travel fun and believes that some of the most invaluable travel experiences are free. She is founding - contributing editor of "Free Travel Fun" at www.suite101.com. She equally enjoys her skiing trips and summer destinations.

 

HARRIS E. BURSTIN, M.D. Harris E. Burstin, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics at NYU School of Medicine, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a specialist in Critical Care Medicine. Trained at the Autonomous University of Guadalajara, Mexico, and NYU, Dr. Burstin is currently affiliated with several noted hospitals and maintains a private practice in New York City. He resides in New Jersey with his wife and three children.

 

FRAN FALKIN Fran Falkin has seen travel from every perspective: as the wife of a Travel Agent and mother to an energetic and inquisitive teenager. She has traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada and is dusting off her passport with an eye to seeing Amsterdam this summer.

 

SUSAN FINCH Susan Finch is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to Family Travel Forum. She has also worked extensively as a film and video editor on advertising, film, and corporate campaigns. As the daughter of a commercial airline pilot, she spent her childhood traveling and enjoying all the free perks while living in Atlanta. Her husband, a graphic designer, also has the travel bug and they use every excuse to hit the open road. They currently live in Brooklyn, NY and are planning their next big trip to Scotland.

 

JENNIFER GUTERMAN Jennifer is a former intern and long-time contributor to FTF. She lives in Boston and loves to take her visitors for a walk on the Freedom Trail, as long as it's not TOO cold outside. Her favorite travel destinations are Ireland, Hong Kong, the Northwestern U.S., and any place that she can enjoy with friends and family.

 

KATHRYN KATES Oakville, Ontario-based Kathryn Kates has penned international travel articles, specializing in family holidays, for City Parent, Forever Young, Tourist, Canadian Jewish News, Skin Inc., Fifty Plus and Metro Toronto. Her travel reports have been heard on CFAX Radio broadcast from Victoria, British Columbia. Kathryn has also written for publications including the Toronto Star, Toronto Sun National Post, The Globe and Mail, The Hamilton Spectator, Family Delegate and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra's Performance Magazine. Kathryn served as editor-in-chief for Esthetics, The Magazine and is an award winning photographer; her photographs were featured by the Internet provider @Home.

 

NEAL M. KOTIN, M.D. Dr. Neal M. Kotin, a noted pediatrician in private practice in New York and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, lectures on Pediatric Pulmonology at Mt. Sinai Hospital and teaches courses in Pediatric Advanced Life Support for the American Heart Association. Dr. Kotin graduated with honors from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Albany Medical College.  In addition to studying at the National Institutes of Health, he did his residency in pediatrics at Baltimore's John Hopkins Hospital and a fellowship in pediatric pulmonary medicine at Mt. Sinai.  He maintains a private practise in New York City, where he resides with his wife and three children.

 

FELICITY LONG In addition to her work as a cruise specialist, Massachusetts-based journalist Felicity Long covers family travel topics as diverse as ski and spa to luxury and soft adventure. A 15-year veteran of the industry, Felicity travels extensively with her three children -- Cole, 14; Shane, 13, and Chloe, 12 -- researching children's programs, services and amenities in the U.S., the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico and Europe. Her work appears in consumer and trade magazines, newspapers, guide books and on-line. She is the recipient of the 2000 Cacique award and the 1997 Yo Leonardo award for travel writing.

 

GLEN LUZONG Glen Luzong specializes in digital art and design, and continues to pursue his interest in video editing and production. He enjoys spending time outdoors playing sports, and indoor watching movies or playing video games on his Nintendo Wii. His favorite travel spots include Las Vegas, California and Toronto, Canada.

 

JOHN MANTON John Manton, a founding partner of Family Travel Forum, has spent much of his long and successful career with multi-national corporations including travel related businesses. He has traveled extensively for both business and pleasure and now enjoys seeing the world through the eyes of his 14-year-old grandson and several grand nieces and nephews.

 

KYLE MCCARTHY Kyle McCarthy is a founding partner and the guiding light of Family Travel Forum. A noted travel writer and the author of three best selling travel guides, Kyle firmly believes that it is possible to have family vacations even in the most unlikely places. Along with her husband and son she looks forward to sharing her own experiences and hearing about those of other FTF members.

 

JENNIFER MOORE Jennifer Moore is completing her degree in writing from Sarah Lawrence College as an Editorial Assistant at Family Travel Forum. Originally from California, she loves to travel to tropical places; but has learned to tolerate the not-so-perfect weather after studying abroad for a year in rainy Ireland. While in Europe, Jennifer made it to a new country every month. Croatia was her favorite destination.

 

CAITLIN O'CONNELL Caitlin O'Connell is a Journalism major at NYU. She enjoys going to baseball games, playing the piano, reading The New Yorker, and of course, writing. She has already visited a few countries (her favorite travel destination is Florence), but she hopes to travel much more in the future.

 

ANN MARIE RESNICK Ann Marie Resnick, currently with Book of The Month Club, was the Vice President of Direct Marketing at Zany Brainy and before that, VP of Marketing at Children's Book-of-the-Month Club. Her years working with families make her uniquely qualified to report on the latest trends in books and software for parents and young learners. With two children of her own she is able to "test market" her recommendations before passing them onto FTF members.

 

JILLIAN RYAN Jillian Ryan, an aspiring writer, was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and is a recent college graduate from Adelphi University. She loves to travel (her favorite place is Florence, Italy, where she studied abroad for a 7 weeks in the summer of 2006) and she has a strong passion for literature, music, writing and most importantly having fun.

 

KALEEL SAKAKEENY Kaleel Sakakeeny is a regular contributor to the Boston Herald, and senior travel writer for both the Boston Parents Paper and Metro/Boston. As an on-air host for BusinessRadio 1060, he's returning to his roots as a radio journalist covering the Middle East and elsewhere for National Public Radio, the Christian Science Monitor and other publications. In the course of his travels, he walked the land carrying an open mike to produce "Audio Postcards," which aired on National Geographic Radio and won the Society of American Travel Writers' top award.  Kaleel, formerly a writer-producer for the Travel Channel, is glad to be associated with FamilyTravelForum.com.

 

LAURA SUTHERLAND Laura Sutherland is the author of five guidebooks on family travel covering the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, the United States, Europe, bargain travel, and ski vacations. Her latest guidebook for St. Martin's "Tropical Family Vacations" was published in October 1999. With her two children serving as "research assistants," she has traveled extensively throughout a number of continents, exploring the many attractions, ritzy resorts, budget motels, quirky mom and pop lodgings, and business hotels. She has been writing about family travel for several publications and websites for the last 14 years.

 

PAT AND CHRIS VANDENHEUVEL Husband and wife team Chris & Pat VandenHeuvel have been writing about travel for twelve years. Pat is an on-again, off-again marketing professional for one of the largest ad agencies in the country when she is not traveling. Chris is a public relations executive and Parrothead who travels extensively and has lived abroad. Their two kids love the smell of hotels and are convinced that their next trip must be to St. Bart's.  Smart kids.