Earlier this year, the National Extension Tourism (NET) Design Team elected new officers, who will provide leadership and guidance to the all-volunteer organization, which serves a collaborative network of more than 800 educators, researchers, and technical experts interested in tourism and recreation.
North Carolina State University’s Ann Savage assumed the role of NET Chair, after serving a two-year term as NET’s Vice Chair. The Ohio State University’s Gwynn Stewart began her two-year term as Vice Chair. University of Kentucky’s Mercedes Fraser will serve a two-year term as Secretary. University of Minnesota Extension’s Xinyi Qian, who served as NET’s Chair since 2023, will preside as Past Chair for a two-year term.
“Over the next two years, we will continue to integrate research, education, and outreach in tourism and outdoor recreation with Extension and Sea Grant while continuing to build strong connections with national, regional, state, and local organizations, leaders, and stakeholders to support the well-being of communities across the country,” said NET Chair Ann Savage
The leadership transition formally took place during the awards banquet at the 2025 National Extension Tourism Conference held jointly with the Northeast Travel and Tourism Research Association (NETTRA) in Meredith, NH, last month, and the officers’ terms will end at the 2027 NET Conference, scheduled to take place Oct. 18-21, 2027, in the Jackson Hole Area of Wyoming. Learn more about the NET Design Team here.
From left to right: Ann Savage, Gwynn Stewart, Mercedes Fraser, and Xinyi QIan. Images provided by each person’s host institution.
