Dream Vacations and Cruises Inc. honor female agents with OPAL Award for leadership and community service
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (March 8, 2017) – Leading home-based travel agencies Dream Vacations and Cruises Inc. ® celebrate Women’s History Month in March by honoring a female vacation specialist with the OPAL Award for Women. The company has named Dream Vacations Franchisee Lainey Melnick and Cruises Inc. Vacation Specialist Lori Foster the 2017 recipients of this prestigious award.
The OPAL Award recognizes a female franchise owner and independent vacation specialist who demonstrate Outstanding Performance And Leadership. The honoree is active in community and civic organizations, is among Dream Vacations and Cruises Inc.’s top selling agents and has exhibited strong business skills.
“This year’s nominations were the best we have ever seen and it is heartwarming to see that so many of our home-based travel agents are committed to serving their communities and inspiring others within our network,” said Debbie Fiorino, senior vice president of Dream Vacations and Cruises Inc. “Lainey and Lori truly exemplify the spirit of the OPAL Award and Women’s History Month.”
A resident of Austin, Texas, Melnick has been a Dream Vacations (previously CruiseOne) franchise owner since 2011. An outspoken advocate for Dream Vacations, she participates in numerous activities which demonstrate leadership while mentoring other franchisees, motivating them and sharing in each other’s success. Giving back is a cornerstone of Melnick’s personal and professional life; she leads by example with a commitment to public service. She volunteers with her children and also donates travel resources to a plethora of organizations primarily focusing on support of education and the arts. In recognition of Melnick’s dedicated efforts and contributions to the Austin community, U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett presented her with the True Blue Medallion Award at the Travis County Unity Celebration.
Foster has been a Cruises Inc. vacation specialist in San Clemente, Calif. for eight years and as a result of her teaching background, has made education her mission both within the Cruises Inc. network and in her community. She is active in both of her children’s schools in the classroom; library; PTA; and MAKO Foundation, which raises supplemental funds for the public elementary school which are allocated where the children need it most from purchasing computer labs to hiring instructional aides. She also oversees Mission Trips to Mexico benefiting Rancho Sordo Mudo in Valle de Guadalupe. As a Cub Scout Den Leader, Foster’s Den was the first in Orange County, Calif. to win the prestigious NOVA and Supernova Awards, which exposes Cub Scouts to science, technology, engineering and mathematics through fun activities.
Dream Vacations and Cruises Inc. is committed to being “Rich in Diversity” and empowers all owners, agents and employees to reach their highest potential by leveraging their broad range of talent, experiences, personalities, viewpoints and ideas to generate business growth. Dream Vacations cruise franchise was recently recognized by Franchise Business Review as a Top Franchise for Womenbased on feedback from 6,400 female franchisees representing 300 brands who were surveyed about leadership, training, marketing, and financial picture.
For more information on joining these award-winning agencies, please visit www.dreamvacationsfranchise.com to learn more about owning a Dream Vacations travel franchise, and visit www.sellcruises.com to learn more about the Cruises Inc. host agency.
About Dream Vacations, CruiseOne® and Cruises Inc.®
Dream Vacations, CruiseOne® and Cruises Inc.® are part of World Travel Holdings, the world’s largest cruise agency and award-winning leisure travel company. The Dream Vacations and CruiseOne franchise opportunities give entrepreneurs a choice in how they want to brand their travel business, and Cruises Inc. is an independent business opportunity. Both business models provide a work-from-home opportunity to those interested in selling all types of travel experiences whether it be a cruise, resort stay or land tour. With a mission of delivering a remarkable experience, travel agents with all three brands are given premium resources to plan and create a seamless vacation experience for the customer while offering the best value. For more information on Dream Vacations and CruiseOne, visit www.DreamVacationsFranchise.com, like the Facebook page www.facebook.com/DreamVacationsFranchise and follow on Twitter at @Dream_Franchise. For more information on Cruises Inc., visit www.SellCruises.com and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SellCruises.