The Secretariat

Based in Providence, Rhode Islands, USA, the IAATO Secretariat provides the administrative and operational functions of the association. The address for the IAATO Secretariat is:

[Mailing address]
IAATO
11 S. Angell St., #302 Providence, Rhode Island, 02906 USA

[Street address: do not use for mailing purposes]
179 Wayland Avenue Providence, Rhode Island, 02906 USA

Telephone/Fax:
Phone: 1-401-272-2152   Fax: 1-401-272-2154

 

Steve Wellmeier

Administrative Director

Steve is responsible for managing all administrative aspects of the Association, including financial, membership and Bylaws issues, compliance and dispute resolution, as well as media and internet communications.

Prior to joining IAATO in 2008, Steve was vice president of marketing and sales for Elegant Cruises & Tours. During his four-year tenure there, he was active on IAATO issues, and was chair of the membership committee. Following the events of September 11, 2001, Steve assisted in the World Trade Center recovery effort as a public affairs liaison for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Empire State Development Corporation.

His affinity for the small-ship cruise industry dates back to the early 1980s when he was one of the first employees of Clipper Cruise Line, responsible for marketing and public relations. During that time, he helped introduce small ship cruising along the U.S. East Coast and Virgin Islands to the educational travel market. He went on to become vice president of marketing at INTRAV & Clipper Cruise Line during the 1990s and was responsible for launching inaugural campaigns for the Clipper Adventurer and Clipper Odyssey to the Antarctic, Arctic, South Pacific, Amazon River and Russian Far East.

Dr. Kim Crosbie

Operations Director

Kim has been working in the polar regions since 1991, initially as a research student at the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, UK, completing a M.Phil. on environmental protection in the Canadian Arctic before joining the Institute's Antarctic program, spending three seasons, two as leader, at a small temporary field camp in Antarctic Peninsula researching wildlife / human interactions for her Ph.D. Her work has led to several publications and presentations at international symposia. On completing her academic work Kim worked full-time leading expeditions to both the Arctic and the Antarctic, primarily onboard expedition cruise vessels.

Kim joined IAATO in 2005 and in her current position manages all operational and programmatic aspects of the Association, including seasonal preparation, day-to-day support and documentation, best practices and policy. She coordinates the efforts of many of the Association’s committees and working groups, and directs IAATO’s efforts with the Antarctic Treaty Parties and other government bodies relevant to Antarctic tourism, including the International Maritime Organization. Kim also 
coordinates the organization’s strategic planning process, including tourism growth management strategies.

Claudia Holgate

Environmental Operations Assistant

Claudia Holgate has 15 years experience working in the environmental field, including working as a
Program Manager on an international water project for the United Nations and Greening the World Summit on Sustainable Development. She also has experience working at all levels of government and ten years running an independent environmental consultancy. She has spent three years in academia lecturing climatology and environmental management at Monash University, where she is still an Adjunct Research Associate in the School of Geosciences. Claudia has a deep attachment to the Antarctic and has been working on expedition cruise ships, primarily in the Polar Regions, for the past five years.

Claudia holds an MSc in geography and environmental science and a graduate certificate in higher education, and has published in the fields of ecology, education and climate change. In her spare time, Claudia works as a critical care paramedic, teaches courses in emergency medicine and is the Vice President of the Johannesburg Branch of Soroptimist International, a professional women's service organization.

Laura Goldstein

IAATO Office Manager

Laura started with IAATO in September 2010, coming from the Potter League for Animals where she served as a development specialist. She was co-owner of a travel agency in Newport, Rhode Island for 15 years, and assists with her husband's fundraising consultancy. In her position as IAATO Office Manager, Laura handles bookkeeping and financial transactions, payroll and taxes, the collection of post-visit site reports and End of Season reports, and database and website maintenance.