When Jan was a newspaper editor years ago, she got invited on a trip to Turks & Caicos (Via a letter. Remember those?), and that trip launched her travel writing career. Fast forward many passport stamps, plane rides and hotel rooms later and she is now thrilled to be editor-in-chief of The Travel 100.
She has several years of editorial and social media experience at magazines and newspapers and was formerly managing editor at Travelgirl magazine. Her corporate work includes the writing and editing of columns, eNewsletters, magazines, blogs and books for a variety of clients.
Her travel writing also appears in Fodor’s Travel, Orbitz, national magazines, her Girl on the Go site and on “Belinda Skelton’s Atlanta Living” website for the nationally syndicated radio show, where Jan makes guest appearances as a travel expert. She is a native of Atlanta, a graduate of Westminster and the University of Virginia. Jan is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers and the Greater Atlanta Automotive Media Association.
Chris Schroder
Founder and publisher of The 100 Companies and The Atlanta 100, Chris previously founded PR firm SPR Atlanta in 2002, before selling it in November 2017. Prior to that, he worked at six Southeastern daily newspapers, serving as creative director, promotions director, reporter and editor – winning awards for his reporting and print advertisement design. He established his own chain of Atlanta neighborhood newspapers in 1994, selling them to real estate developer Tom Cousins in 2002.
A fifth-generation Atlantan, Chris is a graduate of Westminster and the University of Virginia and the creator of Moments on SaportaReport.com where he was a founding member. He serves on various community boards and advisory committees when he’s not riding his bike, attending music festivals, traveling the country meeting potential PR firm members or visiting with children, his granddaughter, family and friends.
Sam Bojarski
Memorable Travel Moment:
Visiting Citadelle Laferriere, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and “fortress in the clouds.” Many Caribbean people label it the eighth wonder of the world.
Bucket List:
Alaska, particularly Ketchikan and Denali National Park. I’d also like to visit all of the U.S. National Parks in my lifetime.
As an editor, Sam does fact-checking and editing for The 100 Companies eNewsletters. Prior to joining the team, Sam worked at WordWrite Communications, a strategic marketing and communications firm based in his hometown of Pittsburgh.
Sam attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he wrote for both The Pitt News and Pitt Magazine. He also helped the university communications staff draft speeches for Chancellor Patrick Gallagher.
He currently resides in Pittsburgh’s East End.
Chris Butsch
Chris Butsch is an author, speaker, meditation instructor and “Millennial Happiness Expert.” In 2015, Chris left a career in IT project management to study happiness full time. He has written three books: The Millennial’s Guide to Making Happiness Volumes I & II and ASAP Happiness: 25 Ways to Build a Happier Life (in the Next 5 Minutes). He also writes the Cars columns for The Atlanta 100 and Georgia Followers.
A native of Atlanta, Chris graduated from Westminster in 2009 and Vanderbilt in 2012 with a degree he designed in Engineering Management and Entrepreneurship. In college, he hosted a heavy metal radio show under the now-ironic moniker DJ RAGE.
Leah Steinberg
Leah Steinberg works as an editor for The 100 Companies, checking content for the various eNewsletters. Prior to joining The 100 Companies, Leah worked in higher education, non-profit fundraising, public relations and print media.
A Denver native, Leah graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Colorado. She also holds a master’s degree in Educational Psychology and Research from the University of Kansas. In her free time, Leah enjoys hiking, cooking and spending time with her family.
Savanna Garde
Memorable Travel Moments:
Climbing the Great Wall of China during a snow shower
Drinking wine from a baby bottle at Le Refuge des Fondus in Paris
Bucket List:
A trip to Israel
Swimming with the pigs in the Bahamas
As Content and Distribution Coordinator for The 100 Companies, Savanna assists with editing, production, and distribution of the various eNewsletters. Prior to joining the team, Savanna worked in account management and logistics for an international contract manufacturer. She also previously worked part-time for Schroder Public Relations after completing an internship with the firm a couple years earlier.
Savanna received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Georgia State University. She gained writing and editing experience interning for Gov. Nathan Deal’s communications office, as well as through her contributions to the shopping portion of The Atlanta 100 in its early stages.
Savanna was born and raised in Atlanta, where she currently resides. In her free time, she enjoys planning trips, cooking and exploring new restaurants in Atlanta.
Shane Swor
Memorable Travel Moment: Watching a theatrical performance of a Mayan ritual in Cozumel, Mexico.
Bucket list: Visit Domaine de la Romanee Conti
New to traveling, Shane is on a quest to experience culture across the world through food and beverage. Over the past 10 years, he has studied tea, coffee, wine and spirits through various channels, and currently works with over 300 meat and seafood suppliers across the world. He is also on the leadership team with the Millennials Chamber of Commerce as the VP of Events.
When he is not working, Shane enjoys hosting small- to medium-scale parties, crafting new cocktails and exploring new wines.
Lisa Truesdale
Memorable Travel Moment: Watching the Little Blue Penguins—the world’s smallest penguins—come ashore and scurry up to their burrows at dusk after a day of fishing, at Pilots Beach on the Otago Peninsula, New Zealand.
Bucket List: It’s still a pretty long list, despite my recent travels: Iceland, Denmark, Bermuda, Venice, The Terracotta Army, Puerto Rico, and making it to all 50 states (six to go!).
Lisa moved to Colorado from Chicago when she was just 12 years old. She has been a full-time freelance writer and editor for more than 20 years and recently began concentrating on travel and tourism. She also writes about food and drink, wellness, and health and fitness for dozens of local, regional, national and international publications. As recent empty-nesters, Lisa and her husband, Jack, like to travel as often as possible, often returning to their favorite destination, Hawaii. In her spare time, Lisa loves to cook and was “this close” to competing on an episode of “Chopped.”
Mary Charlebois
Mary Charlebois is a freelance journalist, photographer, videographer and editor. Her home base is on the wild, remote, and fragile Mendocino Coast.
Her travels include domestic and international destinations, with a recent focus on California and British Columbia. August 2019 includes a 30-day exploration of Malta.
Mary crafts stories about cities, micro-towns, farms and ranches. She covers libations at gold-medal wineries, distilleries, posh lounges and dive-bars. Art and culture from driftwood beach sculptures to fine art museums are favorite story topics.
A lifelong traveler, Mary’s Nomadic mother often handed her the map and asked her to choose the destination and route. Her mom nicknamed her Mary Go.
Leandra Beabout
Memorable Travel Moments: Sleeping in a cave hotel in the Cappadocia region of Turkey
Eating dinner in complete blackness at Tenebris, the Balkans’ first ‘Dining in the Dark’ restaurant
Drive the entirety of Route 66
Stay in a sustainable safari camp in Namibia’s Damaraland
Leandra Beabout is an Indiana-based travel journalist and content writer who contributes to publications such as The Travel 100, Fodor’s Travel, and The Everygirl. Since her childhood as an American expat, she has enjoyed a serious case of wanderlust. A part-time digital nomad, Leandra enjoys slow travel, taking ample time to explore a destination’s food, wine, trails, and language. She’s also an avid road-tripper, with a firm belief that the open road is the best way to explore new places both near and far.
