North America

Jacqueline Sybrandy-Held

Jacqueline Sybrandy-Held – Regional Manager

North America

“The island vibe, its people, culture, food and its total feel. I live where everyone wants to vacation.”

Jacqueline Sybrandy-Held will oversees the development and implementation of sales and branding efforts for the CTB within the North American market. In her role she is responsible for growth in tourism arrivals, management of the region’s team and provision of (statistical) management information.

Keenly qualified for the role, Sybrandy-Held has worked within the island’s tourism space since 2008 when she began her career at Floris Suite Hotel. Since then, she has worked at various hotels in Curaçao across departments including reservations, convention services, events, sales and marketing and most recently, as general manager at Blue Bay Hotel and Services. Prior to that she was Director of Sales & Marketing at Baoase Luxury Resort.

While she was born and raised in the Netherlands, her grandfather comes from Curacao. She has been living on the island for more than 15 years and call Curaçao her true home.

Contact details:

E-mail: jheld@curacao.com
Phone: +599 9 461-8200

Kadesha Salome – Trade Coordinator

North America

It’s never a dull moment in Curaçao! There is always somewhere to go or something new to discover

Kadesha Jordan- Salomé is a Curaçao native residing in Florida who joined the North America team in 2017. As a trade coordinator, she is responsible for the administration & coordination of sales & trade activities in the United States and Canada. In collaboration with the rest of the team, she ensures that Curaçao is well-represented at consumer and trade events.

She worked part-time for the Curaçao Tourist Board as a survey taker at the airport while attending college. Interacting with the departing visitors and listening to their experiences, how they enjoyed their time on the island, the food, and the culture is what sparked her interest in tourism. She is very grateful for the opportunity to be part of CTB’s team again and enjoys sharing information about the Curaçao with others.

Contact details:

E-mail: ksalome@curacao.com 
Phone: (929) 222-2872 ext 1001

Vivian Chambers – Trade Representative Curaçao via The Muse Collection

North America

“The rich cultural history and the diversity of the island truly makes the island a unique gem in the Caribbean.”

Vivian Chambers started her career with JP Morgan Chase after graduating with a degree in finance. Here she worked with high net worth individuals and their families advising them on financial investments and acquisitions.

She soon discovered that her passion lay in the hospitality industry, and shortly after joined The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. where she was responsible for Event Marketing & Management on a global platform. Vivian was instrumental in maintaining the LHW brand and creating market awareness for their portfolio of hotels.

After a hiatus, which she took when her daughter was born, she rejoined the industry as a luxury sales consultant for LXR Resorts – Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts. And launched The Muse Collection in 2017.

Contact details:

E-mail: vchambers@muse-collection.com

Chandra Smouse – Trade Representative Curaçao via Dynamic Marketing Services

North America

“My favorite thing about Curacao is to uncover the unknown secluded eating spots outside Willemstad, open in the weekends.”

Born in Curacao and now in the USA, Chandra Smouse has traveled extensively throughout North America, Europe, and the Caribbean. Having studied Hotel Management in Puerto Rico, she was drawn to the many facets of the tourism business. Beginning in the airline industry, she was unexpectedly offered a position at the Curacao Tourist Board in Miami, where she launched her 25+ year career.

Her travels have educated her about diverse cultures, but she is still an island girl at heart. She has lived and worked on five islands, she is a foodie and loves Caribbean cuisine. With an enthusiastic “can do” attitude, Chandra is dedicated and collaborates effortlessly with her peers across various divisions of tourism organizations.

Her most significant interest and accomplishments are cultivating travel advisors across the industry about her island. In addition, she maintains a passion for educating others about the unique history, culture, and the undiscovered visual arts of Curacao.

Contact details:

E-mail: csmouse@curacao.com 
Phone: +1 800 328 7222

Maura Zhang – Mice Representative Curaçao via Synergy Connect

North America

“The authenticity, diversity and the nature of the destination! In Curaçao, I feel that I can really get immersed in the environment, the culture and experience its true essence like a local.’”

Maura Domínguez-Zhang is a Caribbean born travel industry leader with 25 years experience in companies such as The Ritz-Carlton, Kimpton, Biltmore, Noble House & Benchmark, where she earned Chairman’s Club, Platinum Club, Attitude & Determination Awards.

Maura is co-founder and managing partner at Synergy-Connect, currently representing the Curaçao Tourist Board in the North American market, among other destinations. Maura has a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management from Florida Int’l University, has earned both CIS & CITP, is past President of SITE FL & Caribbean and speaker at SITE Global Conferences.

She is also a Positive Impact ambassador for sustainability, health and wellness in events and moonlights as a certified yoga instructor. She resides in sunny South Florida with her husband and fur baby and loves to share her passions of travel and wellness with her industry, family and friends.

Contact details:

E-mail: maura@synergy-connect