Our Team
Get to know us!
Come on in and meet our team. Click on each person to learn more.

CYNTHIA ALFORD, DMCP
President
Signature Style: Get up. Dress up. Show up. And Never Give Up.
Favorite Quote: “If it is important, you will find a way. If it is not, you'll find an excuse.”
Least favorite word: No
Cynthia is the Co-Founder, President & Managing Director of Destination South. Since launching the company in 1995, Cynthia’s relentless drive to provide value for clients, her insatiable appetite to know their business, and her passion for working in partnership to deliver this vision has led to the successful growth of and acclaim for Destination South. Under her leadership, Destination South has garnered distinctive industry recognition with multiple Allie, Esprit and ADMEI Awards. Her passion and knowledge has led Cynthia to be a sought-after speaker and facilitator for hospitality industry associations nationwide.
With more than 30 years of experience, Cynthia now dedicates extensive time giving back to the industry through volunteerism and supporting non-profits. She‘s currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Atlanta Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. She has served on the board of ADMEI, as Chair of the DMC Network, and as President of MPI Georgia. She was awarded Chapter Leader of the Year, Meeting Planner of the Year, received the President’s Award, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame for her esteemed work. Additionally, she recently volunteered as Chairwoman for the “Man & Woman of the Year” Campaign for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Georgia, (raising an astonishing $749,000 in just 10 short weeks—$130,000 over goal).
Cynthia is a proud graduate of the University of Georgia and a self-proclaimed, #1 Georgia Bulldogs football fan! When not rooting on the Dawgs, you'll find her unwinding next to a body of water, reading a book and sipping wine in the company of her husband and two pups. You can also find her somersaulting out of an airplane (wearing a parachute of course), as she loves adventure and traveling (furthest trip—Vietnam; most life-changing—Alaska).


CYNTHIA ALFORD, DMCP
President
Signature Style: Get up. Dress up. Show up. And Never Give Up.
Favorite Quote: “If it is important, you will find a way. If it is not, you'll find an excuse.”
Least favorite word: No
Cynthia is the Co-Founder, President & Managing Director of Destination South. Since launching the company in 1995, Cynthia’s relentless drive to provide value for clients, her insatiable appetite to know their business, and her passion for working in partnership to deliver this vision has led to the successful growth of and acclaim for Destination South. Under her leadership, Destination South has garnered distinctive industry recognition with multiple Allie, Esprit and ADMEI Awards. Her passion and knowledge has led Cynthia to be a sought-after speaker and facilitator for hospitality industry associations nationwide.
With more than 30 years of experience, Cynthia now dedicates extensive time giving back to the industry through volunteerism and supporting non-profits. She‘s currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Atlanta Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. She has served on the board of ADMEI, as Chair of the DMC Network, and as President of MPI Georgia. She was awarded Chapter Leader of the Year, Meeting Planner of the Year, received the President’s Award, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame for her esteemed work. Additionally, she recently volunteered as Chairwoman for the “Man & Woman of the Year” Campaign for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Georgia, (raising an astonishing $749,000 in just 10 short weeks—$130,000 over goal).
Cynthia is a proud graduate of the University of Georgia and a self-proclaimed, #1 Georgia Bulldogs football fan! When not rooting on the Dawgs, you'll find her unwinding next to a body of water, reading a book and sipping wine in the company of her husband and two pups. You can also find her somersaulting out of an airplane (wearing a parachute of course), as she loves adventure and traveling (furthest trip—Vietnam; most life-changing—Alaska).
President,
Pandemic Compliance Advisor

LORRI McQUEARY
Vice President
Signature Style: Inspiration is everywhere. You just have to look!
Favorite Quote: “I like nonsense; it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.” Dr. Seuss
Dancing Queen Qualifications: Studied, competed in and taught multiple dance disciplines from the age of 3 to 32.
Lorri brings more than 15 years of event design, marketing and advertising experience to her role as Vice President. Under her leadership, Destination South has successfully launched a new brand identity, brought a wide range of award-winning innovative events to fruition, and earned industry kudos that include being named ADMEI Rising Star in 2005 and one of Occasions Magazine's 10 Most Influential Planners in Atlanta in 2010. It is her vision that has earned the company several Allie, Esprit and ADMEI awards for clients such as Microsoft, Starwood Hotels and Esomar. In addition to creative development, Lorri oversees the company’s strategic marketing, social media and public relations efforts.
Lorri has produced attention-getting events ranging from intimate gatherings to private concerts for 12,000. She has been a member of the International Special Event Society, Atlanta Chapter, since 2004, having served in both committee and director roles. In 2010, she was named to the executive board as Vice President of Communications and was honored with the President's Award in 2011. Most recently, Lorri served on the planning committee for Eventeract in 2014.
Lorri is the proud the mother of two children, whom she affectionately refers to as, "Thing One & Thing Two." Her other first love is the arts, books, movies and everything design-related.


LORRI McQUEARY
Vice President
Signature Style: Inspiration is everywhere. You just have to look!
Favorite Quote: “I like nonsense; it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.” Dr. Seuss
Dancing Queen Qualifications: Studied, competed in and taught multiple dance disciplines from the age of 3 to 32.
Lorri brings more than 15 years of event design, marketing and advertising experience to her role as Vice President. Under her leadership, Destination South has successfully launched a new brand identity, brought a wide range of award-winning innovative events to fruition, and earned industry kudos that include being named ADMEI Rising Star in 2005 and one of Occasions Magazine's 10 Most Influential Planners in Atlanta in 2010. It is her vision that has earned the company several Allie, Esprit and ADMEI awards for clients such as Microsoft, Starwood Hotels and Esomar. In addition to creative development, Lorri oversees the company’s strategic marketing, social media and public relations efforts.
Lorri has produced attention-getting events ranging from intimate gatherings to private concerts for 12,000. She has been a member of the International Special Event Society, Atlanta Chapter, since 2004, having served in both committee and director roles. In 2010, she was named to the executive board as Vice President of Communications and was honored with the President's Award in 2011. Most recently, Lorri served on the planning committee for Eventeract in 2014.
Lorri is the proud the mother of two children, whom she affectionately refers to as, "Thing One & Thing Two." Her other first love is the arts, books, movies and everything design-related.
Vice President,
Digital Event Strategist

KATE MACCOY, DMCP
Director of Operations + Programs
Signature Style: Stay positive, work hard, make it happen.
Favorite Quote: “Eat well; travel often."
“Always be a little kinder than necessary” – J. M. Barrie
Passion: Kate has a passion for travel and cuisine. Anytime those are combined it creates for a memorable experience in her eyes!
Did You Know?: Salt water runs through Kate's veins, having spent childhood summers crewing on her family's sailing yacht in the Caribbean where she learned not only about the beauty and majesty of nature but also the foundation of being a trusted member of a team, where actions... dedication... and responsibility are key to success in every aspect of life.
Kate was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. At the age of 10, Kate began to fall in love with the hospitality industry. It began with designing summer camps for kids, which eventually turned into college functions, then weddings and events for family and friends. Taking this passion to another level, she graduated from the University of South Carolina’s School of Hospitality Management with earning a degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management, specializing in Club Management.
Passionate about customer relations, communication, and creativity, Kate has a wealth of experience to draw from to create the perfect experience for her clients. She served as Corporate Sales Manager at the Denver, Corporate Recruiter at Georgia-Pacific, Wedding and Sales Manager at Middleton Place National Historic Landmark and as a Senior Program Manager at Absolutely Charleston Destination Management.
She and her husband, Grant, have two beautiful daughters and two handsome boys: Rivers, a hound found in a swamp during a hiking trip; and Max, a tabby rescued by the side of the highway. The MacCoy’s enjoy boating and fishing in the salt waters that surround Charleston... and the fresh water of Georgia's Lake Lanier. Kate has a passion for travel, cuisine, and the outdoors.


KATE MACCOY, DMCP
Director of Operations + Programs
Signature Style: Stay positive, work hard, make it happen.
Favorite Quote: “Eat well; travel often."
“Always be a little kinder than necessary” – J. M. Barrie
Passion: Kate has a passion for travel and cuisine. Anytime those are combined it creates for a memorable experience in her eyes!
Did You Know?: Salt water runs through Kate's veins, having spent childhood summers crewing on her family's sailing yacht in the Caribbean where she learned not only about the beauty and majesty of nature but also the foundation of being a trusted member of a team, where actions... dedication... and responsibility are key to success in every aspect of life.
Kate was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. At the age of 10, Kate began to fall in love with the hospitality industry. It began with designing summer camps for kids, which eventually turned into college functions, then weddings and events for family and friends. Taking this passion to another level, she graduated from the University of South Carolina’s School of Hospitality Management with earning a degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management, specializing in Club Management.
Passionate about customer relations, communication, and creativity, Kate has a wealth of experience to draw from to create the perfect experience for her clients. She served as Corporate Sales Manager at the Denver, Corporate Recruiter at Georgia-Pacific, Wedding and Sales Manager at Middleton Place National Historic Landmark and as a Senior Program Manager at Absolutely Charleston Destination Management.
She and her husband, Grant, have two beautiful daughters and two handsome boys: Rivers, a hound found in a swamp during a hiking trip; and Max, a tabby rescued by the side of the highway. The MacCoy’s enjoy boating and fishing in the salt waters that surround Charleston... and the fresh water of Georgia's Lake Lanier. Kate has a passion for travel, cuisine, and the outdoors.
Director of Operations + Programs,
Pandemic On-Site Protocol Certified

ERIN ALTMAN
Experience Design Manager
Signature Style: "Teamwork really does make the dream work". I love when a group of creative minds come together to collaborate on events because everyone is able to see things from a different perspective.
Favorite Quote: “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, LOVE of what you are doing.” - Pele
Passions: Food, Charleston, style, and design.
Born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, Erin loves everything that involves the Lowcountry. The water, the people, the restaurants, EVERYTHING.
Erin learned of her passions very early in life as she was invited at 12 years old to travel to Europe for about a month with a small group known as “People to People”. It was then that she truly embraced her independence, stepping out of her comfort zone, and speaking and meeting people from all over.
While working in restaurants in Charleston for over a decade in many different facets, she knew that she loved so many sides of the Hospitality industry. She then began working as a wedding planner for the last 4 years, and there her love for events grew even stronger. From the event timelines and logistical side of things, challenging herself every day and learning from a team, building and growing relationships with her vendors and her clients, and finally to the adrenaline rush on site to take a beautiful blank canvas and transform it into something indescribable was magical to her. She loves the “organized chaos” that surrounds events.
Erin joins our Coastal team as the Experience Design Manager. She is extremely excited to learn and grow in this area of the events world. She hopes to build relationships with clients, expand on relationships with vendors she has worked with in the past, as well as build new and long-lasting vendor relationships for the future.
In her free time, Erin enjoys spending time with her family including her son who has been wrapped around her finger since day one, cheering for Clemson Tiger football, and anything that involves Lowcountry eats and the Charleston Harbor.


ERIN ALTMAN
Experience Design Manager
Signature Style: "Teamwork really does make the dream work". I love when a group of creative minds come together to collaborate on events because everyone is able to see things from a different perspective.
Favorite Quote: “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, LOVE of what you are doing.” - Pele
Passions: Food, Charleston, style, and design.
Born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, Erin loves everything that involves the Lowcountry. The water, the people, the restaurants, EVERYTHING.
Erin learned of her passions very early in life as she was invited at 12 years old to travel to Europe for about a month with a small group known as “People to People”. It was then that she truly embraced her independence, stepping out of her comfort zone, and speaking and meeting people from all over.
While working in restaurants in Charleston for over a decade in many different facets, she knew that she loved so many sides of the Hospitality industry. She then began working as a wedding planner for the last 4 years, and there her love for events grew even stronger. From the event timelines and logistical side of things, challenging herself every day and learning from a team, building and growing relationships with her vendors and her clients, and finally to the adrenaline rush on site to take a beautiful blank canvas and transform it into something indescribable was magical to her. She loves the “organized chaos” that surrounds events.
Erin joins our Coastal team as the Experience Design Manager. She is extremely excited to learn and grow in this area of the events world. She hopes to build relationships with clients, expand on relationships with vendors she has worked with in the past, as well as build new and long-lasting vendor relationships for the future.
In her free time, Erin enjoys spending time with her family including her son who has been wrapped around her finger since day one, cheering for Clemson Tiger football, and anything that involves Lowcountry eats and the Charleston Harbor.
Experience Design Manager

Tim Barrett, CMP
Director of Global Meetings,
Pandemic Compliance Advisor
Virtual Event + Meeting Management Certified
Signature Style: Wake up each day with the mission to discover something new.
Favorite Quote: "You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try." Dolly Parton
Did You Know?: Tim wanted to be a radio DJ since elementary school and ultimately spent 10 years on the air.
No stranger to the events industry, Tim Barrett, CMP brings nearly two decades of experience to the Destination South Meetings + Events team where he serves as the Director of Meeting & Program Operations. With a vision for growth and passion for execution, Tim's focus is to work with the meeting and programs operations team to expand the ever-growing demand for meeting management services by providing creative solutions. Always one to break the boundaries of the ordinary, Tim is most inspired when collaborating with talented and dedicated professionals with the common goal of bringing someone's vision to life – often in greater ways than they imagined.
Tim maintains a very dynamic role in the meetings and events industry and currently serves as President for Meeting Professionals International, Georgia Chapter (MPI Georgia). He is also a long-time instructor for the University of Georgia Continuing Education program in Conference and Meeting Management, with a focus on special events and vendor management. He received the designation of Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) from the Events Industry Council (EIC) in 2005. He previously served on the board of the International Live Events Association (ILEA) Greater Atlanta Chapter. Prior to joining Destination South Meetings + Events, Tim's work has included venue and catering sales for Bold Catering & Design, catering and conference planning at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center, in addition to destination management production experience as well as meeting planning for the University of Georgia.
In his off time, Tim is a cookbook hoarder who enjoys trying new recipes and sharing with friends and family. He's also a political news junkie, has a DVR full of shows to watch, and is always guilty of spoiling his dog, Zoro, and counts their afternoon walk through midtown Atlanta as the highlight of his day.


Tim Barrett, CMP
Director of Global Meetings,
Pandemic Compliance Advisor
Virtual Event + Meeting Management Certified
Signature Style: Wake up each day with the mission to discover something new.
Favorite Quote: "You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try." Dolly Parton
Did You Know?: Tim wanted to be a radio DJ since elementary school and ultimately spent 10 years on the air.
No stranger to the events industry, Tim Barrett, CMP brings nearly two decades of experience to the Destination South Meetings + Events team where he serves as the Director of Meeting & Program Operations. With a vision for growth and passion for execution, Tim's focus is to work with the meeting and programs operations team to expand the ever-growing demand for meeting management services by providing creative solutions. Always one to break the boundaries of the ordinary, Tim is most inspired when collaborating with talented and dedicated professionals with the common goal of bringing someone's vision to life – often in greater ways than they imagined.
Tim maintains a very dynamic role in the meetings and events industry and currently serves as President for Meeting Professionals International, Georgia Chapter (MPI Georgia). He is also a long-time instructor for the University of Georgia Continuing Education program in Conference and Meeting Management, with a focus on special events and vendor management. He received the designation of Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) from the Events Industry Council (EIC) in 2005. He previously served on the board of the International Live Events Association (ILEA) Greater Atlanta Chapter. Prior to joining Destination South Meetings + Events, Tim's work has included venue and catering sales for Bold Catering & Design, catering and conference planning at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center, in addition to destination management production experience as well as meeting planning for the University of Georgia.
In his off time, Tim is a cookbook hoarder who enjoys trying new recipes and sharing with friends and family. He's also a political news junkie, has a DVR full of shows to watch, and is always guilty of spoiling his dog, Zoro, and counts their afternoon walk through midtown Atlanta as the highlight of his day.
Director of Global Meetings,
Pandemic Compliance Advisor,
VirtualEvent + Meeting Management Certified

TERRI FLEISHER
Director of Tours + Travel
Signature Style: See the world from a new perspective.
Favorite Quote: "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." Anne Frank
Passion that fuels her profession: Terri is our globetrotting Atlanta ambassador. Her passport includes stamps from Alaska, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, South America, England, Spain, France, China, Wales, Portugal, Denmark, Netherlands and Greece, just to name a few.
With more than 20 years of touring expertise and a love for exploration, Terri is responsible for creating one-of-a-kind tours for our clients. Through her relationships with local attractions, museums and hotspots, she develops compelling and entertaining experiences. But don’t take it from us—Terri regularly receives gracious accolades from attendees that can’t wait to tell her what an amazing time they’ve had: “You are an astounding, upbeat and intellectual lady. You made my experience not only entertaining, but educational as well. I cannot tell you how valuable it was to be exposed to Atlanta from an insider’s perspective. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!"


TERRI FLEISHER
Director of Tours + Travel
Signature Style: See the world from a new perspective.
Favorite Quote: "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." Anne Frank
Passion that fuels her profession: Terri is our globetrotting Atlanta ambassador. Her passport includes stamps from Alaska, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, South America, England, Spain, France, China, Wales, Portugal, Denmark, Netherlands and Greece, just to name a few.
With more than 20 years of touring expertise and a love for exploration, Terri is responsible for creating one-of-a-kind tours for our clients. Through her relationships with local attractions, museums and hotspots, she develops compelling and entertaining experiences. But don’t take it from us—Terri regularly receives gracious accolades from attendees that can’t wait to tell her what an amazing time they’ve had: “You are an astounding, upbeat and intellectual lady. You made my experience not only entertaining, but educational as well. I cannot tell you how valuable it was to be exposed to Atlanta from an insider’s perspective. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!"
Director of Tours + Travel

SHANNON JONES, CMP
Meetings + Events Manager
Bio coming soon.


SHANNON JONES, CMP
Meetings + Events Manager
Bio coming soon.
Meetings + Events Manager

JULIE JOHNSTON
Controller
Signature Style: Perfection takes passion.
Favorite Quote: "Be the leader you expect of others."
Did You Know? An athlete and competitor from a young age, Julie went on from playing peewee football to becoming a cheerleader for the University of Georgia.
As Controller for Destination South, Julie is responsible for managing the company’s financial operations and growth forecasting. She has more than 15 years of experience in accounting and finance as a small business owner and operator, which has propelled her in developing the tools to create strategic financial solutions that maximize efficiency.
Julie is a University of Georgia graduate with a degree in Finance & Accounting. She's passionate about keeping company expenses as low as possible and in line with revenue, in turn providing more value for our clients.
As strong as she is financially savvy, Julie is actively involved in women's tri-fitness. She also enjoys being active with her husband and two sons, who definitely keep her running!


JULIE JOHNSTON
Controller
Signature Style: Perfection takes passion.
Favorite Quote: "Be the leader you expect of others."
Did You Know? An athlete and competitor from a young age, Julie went on from playing peewee football to becoming a cheerleader for the University of Georgia.
As Controller for Destination South, Julie is responsible for managing the company’s financial operations and growth forecasting. She has more than 15 years of experience in accounting and finance as a small business owner and operator, which has propelled her in developing the tools to create strategic financial solutions that maximize efficiency.
Julie is a University of Georgia graduate with a degree in Finance & Accounting. She's passionate about keeping company expenses as low as possible and in line with revenue, in turn providing more value for our clients.
As strong as she is financially savvy, Julie is actively involved in women's tri-fitness. She also enjoys being active with her husband and two sons, who definitely keep her running!
Controller

TAYLOR LAWS, CMP, DMCP
Regional Director of Sales
Signature Style: Over prepare then go with the flow
Favorite Quote: “Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people - your family, friends, and coworkers, and even strangers you meet along the way." - Barbara Bush
Fun Fact: Taylor has a passion for wine and even spent a summer working at a winery in Oregon.
Taylor Levy was raised in Wichita Falls, Texas, but it did not take long for her to fall in love with the city of Atlanta. A graduate of Oklahoma State University, Taylor earned a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration, with minors in Spanish and Marketing. During her time at Oklahoma State, Taylor completed six internships throughout the U.S. that gave her dynamic and priceless experiences in the event industry.
Taylor moved to Atlanta to work at Hyatt Regency Atlanta where she gained invaluable hotel experience in both the events and sales departments. With hotel know-how under her belt, a passion for events, and a love for her new home-town, it was a natural progression for Taylor to move into destination management.
In her role as Account Manager, Taylor brings fresh inspiration and Atlanta expertise to the team, as she is always out and about, actively exploring and savoring the city. She will further expand the team’s award-winning Destination Management services as well as nurture Destination South’s relationships in the hotel market, which lies at the heart of our city’s unprecedented hospitality success.
Taylor’s vibrant personality and hospitality towards everyone she meets makes her the ideal Account Manager for the growing Destination South team.


TAYLOR LAWS, CMP, DMCP
Regional Director of Sales
Signature Style: Over prepare then go with the flow
Favorite Quote: “Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people - your family, friends, and coworkers, and even strangers you meet along the way." - Barbara Bush
Fun Fact: Taylor has a passion for wine and even spent a summer working at a winery in Oregon.
Taylor Levy was raised in Wichita Falls, Texas, but it did not take long for her to fall in love with the city of Atlanta. A graduate of Oklahoma State University, Taylor earned a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration, with minors in Spanish and Marketing. During her time at Oklahoma State, Taylor completed six internships throughout the U.S. that gave her dynamic and priceless experiences in the event industry.
Taylor moved to Atlanta to work at Hyatt Regency Atlanta where she gained invaluable hotel experience in both the events and sales departments. With hotel know-how under her belt, a passion for events, and a love for her new home-town, it was a natural progression for Taylor to move into destination management.
In her role as Account Manager, Taylor brings fresh inspiration and Atlanta expertise to the team, as she is always out and about, actively exploring and savoring the city. She will further expand the team’s award-winning Destination Management services as well as nurture Destination South’s relationships in the hotel market, which lies at the heart of our city’s unprecedented hospitality success.
Taylor’s vibrant personality and hospitality towards everyone she meets makes her the ideal Account Manager for the growing Destination South team.
Regional Director of Sales

KRISTINA RINDERLE, MBA
Experience Design Director
Signature Style: Be a go-giver as well as a go-getter.
Favorite Quote: “The mess is so often where the magic is.” – Leigh Standley
New Hobby: Kristina recently picked up fly fishing and is excited to learn the sport. She loves to spend as much time on the river as possible.
Kristina hails from a family of artists and is a third generation Atlanta native, so it’s no wonder that southern hospitality and a flair for crafting unforgettably creative events is in her DNA. With a degree in fine art as well as a master’s degree in business, Kristina brings to our clients the perfect balance of boundary pushing ideas and live experience strategies that get results.
Her first post-graduate foray into the world of hospitality was as an event coordinator at Camp Twin Lakes, a local non-profit, where she managed a variety of fundraising and donor cultivation events. In this time, she also gained “social skills” as assistant to Kristen Scott, an Atlanta wedding coordinator.
In 2015, Kristina joined the Bold Event Design team where she was able to enhance her event design and production skills as well as gain invaluable experience as project manager on special programs. During her tenure at Bold, Kristina assisted in winning three Allie Awards, a NACE Taste & Trends Award and two Modern Luxury Diamond Awards.
As Destination South’s new Experience Design Manager, Kristina will apply her passion for design aesthetics and creative problem solving to strategize and bring to life a wide variety of live event experiences for our clients.
On any given Saturday you can find Kristina at the dog park with her pup or somewhere along the Chattahoochee enjoying the river with her friends and family.


KRISTINA RINDERLE, MBA
Experience Design Director
Signature Style: Be a go-giver as well as a go-getter.
Favorite Quote: “The mess is so often where the magic is.” – Leigh Standley
New Hobby: Kristina recently picked up fly fishing and is excited to learn the sport. She loves to spend as much time on the river as possible.
Kristina hails from a family of artists and is a third generation Atlanta native, so it’s no wonder that southern hospitality and a flair for crafting unforgettably creative events is in her DNA. With a degree in fine art as well as a master’s degree in business, Kristina brings to our clients the perfect balance of boundary pushing ideas and live experience strategies that get results.
Her first post-graduate foray into the world of hospitality was as an event coordinator at Camp Twin Lakes, a local non-profit, where she managed a variety of fundraising and donor cultivation events. In this time, she also gained “social skills” as assistant to Kristen Scott, an Atlanta wedding coordinator.
In 2015, Kristina joined the Bold Event Design team where she was able to enhance her event design and production skills as well as gain invaluable experience as project manager on special programs. During her tenure at Bold, Kristina assisted in winning three Allie Awards, a NACE Taste & Trends Award and two Modern Luxury Diamond Awards.
As Destination South’s new Experience Design Manager, Kristina will apply her passion for design aesthetics and creative problem solving to strategize and bring to life a wide variety of live event experiences for our clients.
On any given Saturday you can find Kristina at the dog park with her pup or somewhere along the Chattahoochee enjoying the river with her friends and family.
Experience Design Director

ANGELA VAUGHN
Experience Marketing Manager
Signature Style: What you put out in the world comes back to you.
Favorite Quote: "Don't let your fear of what could happen make nothing happen." - Doe Zantamata
Angie is a seasoned, results-driven marketer. For 18 years, she’s helped brands like Beautyrest, Georgia Power, Equifax, and AIU achieve goals around awareness, engagement and sales. She’s well versed in both digital and traditional media and has a passion for data analytics.
At Destination South, she assists the Experience Design team in providing comprehensive event marketing strategies and solutions to deliver maximum recognition of our clients’ brand and messaging initiatives.


ANGELA VAUGHN
Experience Marketing Manager
Signature Style: What you put out in the world comes back to you.
Favorite Quote: "Don't let your fear of what could happen make nothing happen." - Doe Zantamata
Angie is a seasoned, results-driven marketer. For 18 years, she’s helped brands like Beautyrest, Georgia Power, Equifax, and AIU achieve goals around awareness, engagement and sales. She’s well versed in both digital and traditional media and has a passion for data analytics.
At Destination South, she assists the Experience Design team in providing comprehensive event marketing strategies and solutions to deliver maximum recognition of our clients’ brand and messaging initiatives.
Experience Marketing Manager

SARAH YARNELL
Director of Operations
Signature Style: "It's not my job" is not an acceptable answer. Always lend a helping hand!
Favorite Quote: "Happiness is letting go of what you think your life is supposed to look like and celebrating it for everything it is."
Passions: Yoga and live music. Yoga helps calm my mind and put things in perspective. Doesn't hurt that it's good for the body too!
Born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Sarah established Midtown Atlanta as her home four and a half years ago. Although she is a Tennessee girl at heart, she attended the University of South Carolina where she studied Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management. Go Gamecocks! This is where Sarah’s career and interest in the hospitality industry began.
Over the past decade, Sarah has held many different roles in the hospitality industry, including work as a wedding planner, an event manager at a museum, hotel catering sales, and most recently an event coordinator for a catering and design company! Each one of Sarah’s previous positions taught her something new and provided her the tools to further her career in hospitality which led her to Destination South.
With her unique skill set and expertise, Sarah joins our team as Program Operations Manager. Sarah is excited to learn more about a different side of the event industry as well as working and forming new relationships with clients. In her free time, Sarah enjoys doing yoga and spending time with her two-year-old niece, Charlotte!


SARAH YARNELL
Director of Operations
Signature Style: "It's not my job" is not an acceptable answer. Always lend a helping hand!
Favorite Quote: "Happiness is letting go of what you think your life is supposed to look like and celebrating it for everything it is."
Passions: Yoga and live music. Yoga helps calm my mind and put things in perspective. Doesn't hurt that it's good for the body too!
Born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Sarah established Midtown Atlanta as her home four and a half years ago. Although she is a Tennessee girl at heart, she attended the University of South Carolina where she studied Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management. Go Gamecocks! This is where Sarah’s career and interest in the hospitality industry began.
Over the past decade, Sarah has held many different roles in the hospitality industry, including work as a wedding planner, an event manager at a museum, hotel catering sales, and most recently an event coordinator for a catering and design company! Each one of Sarah’s previous positions taught her something new and provided her the tools to further her career in hospitality which led her to Destination South.
With her unique skill set and expertise, Sarah joins our team as Program Operations Manager. Sarah is excited to learn more about a different side of the event industry as well as working and forming new relationships with clients. In her free time, Sarah enjoys doing yoga and spending time with her two-year-old niece, Charlotte!
Director of Operations