Our Experts

Rita Goldman, CTC

Rita Goldman is a  ‘CTC’ ; Certified Travel Counselor (often referred to as the Master’s Degree of the travel industry). She specializes in worldwide independent itineraries and enjoys helping her clients find that special destination, resort, hotel, or villa that will make each trip memorable. Rita also specializes in all cruise lines, Mexico, Hawaii and Europe. Whether it is a quick weekend get away or the trip of a lifetime to some exotic destination, Rita’s clients know they can depend on her destination knowledge, attention to detail, and commitment to making each trip a wonderful experience.

Sheryl Graddon

Sheryl is a Washington native and has been in the travel industry full time since 1986. She got the “travel bug” at an early age because her mother was an airline employee, which started her love of anything travel related. Sheryl’s expertise is widespread with personal travel to all corners of the globe. Including: Hawaii, Europe, Mediterranean, Tahiti, Asia, New Zealand, the Baltic & more. Sheryl has cruised on all major cruise lines on over 70 cruises. She is a certified Disney, Hawaii & Cruise Specialist along with having earned her Virtuoso Accreditation. If your travel dreams include private around the world jet travel, family travel, or cruising, Sheryl is able to plan the perfect get-away for 1-100 or more.

Charlene Igou

Charlene Igou brings 25 years of experience to her work as a corporate reservations advisor for Stellar Travel. Charlene started her career in the travel business in an office support role, and is now one of our most experienced international corporate agents. She has broad experience working with both domestic and international travel itineraries, and has served as a corporate on-site reservations manager. Working frequently with group and incentive travel requests, Charlene is a diligent trouble shooter. She expertly manages the relationships between suppliers and customers, as well as handling quality control of corporate reservations.

Denise Larson

A travel industry veteran, Denise Larson says that ‘travel is not just my job, it’s my passion. I enjoy encouraging my clients to try new and unique destinations.’ Denise has experienced many destinations first hand, including China, Tahiti, Mexico, Hawaii, the Caribbean, Disney resorts and cruises. She has completed extensive Spain travel and training to receive Virtuoso Spain Specialist designation. Denise has traveled the world with her husband and children and knows what it takes to make family vacations an exciting experience they will never forget.

 

Kari Mollan-Valley

In the travel industry since 1991, Kari has endless enthusiasm for honeymoons, family vacations and anything Disney (she has been to every Disney park in the world except Hong Kong). Her specialties include all-inclusive resorts, cruises (she has been on over 20 cruises), and anything sun, sand and sea. Her international travel includes visits to Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Mexico, the Caribbean, Honduras, Fiji, Australia, Kenya, Asia and Europe. Living by the Jimmy Buffet quote “changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes”, Kari is always ready to leave for another fun-filled adventure.

Kay Steck 

Kay Steck is a native of Kirkland, WA. A graduate of the Travel Institute in Seattle, she has worked in the travel industry since 1983. Kay’s broad experience in the corporate travel business includes deep understanding and practice at the management level in incentive and group travel; account and expense management; and operations management. Kay has served her corporate clients as an onsite and reservations center agent and manager, and she has worked extensively with destinations management organizations, convention and visitors bureaus. Kay’s background also includes VIP and executive travel management responsibilities.

Tim Thirkield

Tim Thirkield transitioned from a career in legal services to a career as a travel agent in June of 1999. Originally a leisure agent specializing in international itineraries, Tim quickly gravitated to the complicated, demanding and rapid-fire corporate side of the business, where he brings his passion for travel and professional service to bear on complex domestic and international itineraries. Tim’s attention to detail, speedy response time and deep understanding of the logistics of travel are an enormous asset to his VIP, executive and professional services clients.

Susan Bluhm

Susan Bluhm, Co-President and Co-Owner of Stellar Travel, is responsible for managing Human Resources, Marketing and Client Services at Stellar Travel. Susan also held positions in multi-state training, consulting and division management with P&L responsibility for a $15 million corporate travel department; and in regional sales for a worldwide car rental company. Susan was named “Business Owner of the Year – 1995” by the Washington and Oregon chapters of the International Franchise Association”. She was a nominee of the Seattle Chapter of the Executive Women Golf Association for “Businesswoman of the Year 2006”. Golf is one of Susan’s passions and she is a certified Golf Tourism Specialist, consulting with select clients for their worldwide golf vacations. With her husband Ron, she has played on courses in China, Egypt, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Mexico, and throughout the U.S.

Randy Kramer

Randy Kramer, Co-President and Co-Owner of Stellar Travel, hails from Fargo, North Dakota. He started his career in the travel industry at Cascade Airways. In 1983, seeking business opportunities, Randy purchased a small travel agency in Redmond, WA. Travel Source quickly built a loyal corporate and vacation following. In 2003, Randy and Susan Bluhm purchased Stellar Travel in Bellevue. Randy shares executive responsibilities with Susan and together they have grown the company into the 9th largest travel agency in the Puget Sound region. 

Pam Anderson

Pam spent her first years in travel as both a flight attendant and a reservation agent for two major airlines. Her background includes thirty years travel consulting experience and ten years owning a local Eastside travel agency. Faraway travel adventures have led her to Australia (one of her favorite places), New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti, Africa, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Korea, Mexico, Canada, countless visits to islands of Hawaii and over a dozen cruises (so far). Pam is an enthusiastic travel advisor and she enjoys making her client's travel dreams come true. 

Leslie Beeh

With over 15 years of travel experience Leslie specializes in worldwide vacations and luxury cruising. Earning the distinctive title of Virtuoso Australia Specialist, she has traveled extensively in the South Pacific including Australia, Fiji, Tahiti, and New Zealand. As Virtuoso Voyager Club hosts Leslie and her husband accompany Virtuoso guests on Voyager Club designated cruises. Leslie enjoys planning wedding and honeymoon arrangements for Europe, Hawaii, Mexico and the South Pacific to ensure memories of a lifetime.

Ellen Rubinfeld

Ellen’s love of adventure led her to a career in the travel industry. Since 2001, she has specialized in high-end, customized trips for discerning clientele and their families. Ellen’s areas of expertise include Asia, Africa and Europe. She has traveled the world extensively with her husband and children including such far off places as India, Africa, SE Asia, China, Central & South America, Europe and the South Pacific. She enjoys planning “off the beaten path” experiences for her clients and is well known for her destination knowledge. Whether it’s hiking in Bhutan, visiting a local Masai village in Kenya, or learning to make pizza in Rome, Ellen’s goal is to make each trip a memorable experience.

Cindy Stedman

Cindy says after nearly 40 years in the travel industry she has “the best job ever” helping her clients plan honeymoons, getaways, adventure trips and worldwide custom itineraries. Her experience includes corporate travel, group and incentive trips, managing a 24/7 emergency travel center and teaching in a travel school. Cindy’s adventures have taken her to Sweden, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Hong Kong, Fiji, Hawaii, the Caribbean and throughout the U.S. Also, Cindy and her husband enjoy cruising. She says she loves to introduce her clients to new places and unforgettable memories, and with her Virtuoso affiliation, “the sky is the limit”!