NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, HEDNA, the Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association, is announcing four newly elected members to the Association's Board of Directors. The new Board Members were welcomed at HEDNA's December Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The new HEDNA Board members are:

• Melanie Ryan of Orbitz Worldwide - President
• Keith Cotton of Hotel Business Solutions - Board Member at Large
• Philippe Garnier of Hilton International - Board Member at Large
• Louise Meyer of VFM Leonardo - Board Member at Large

Continuing on the HEDNA Board are:

• Linda Kent - Vice President
• Keith Harrison of Travelport GDS - Treasurer
• Edward Perry of WORLDHOTELS- Secretary
• Sarah Fowler of Pegasus Solutions - Board Member at Large
• Nancy Little of Intercontinental Hotels Group - Board Member at Large
• Puneet Mahindroo of Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces - Board Member at Large
• Duane Overgaard of Sabre Travel Network - Board Member at Large
• Pam Streeter of Interstate Hotels and Resorts - Board Member at Large
• Alison Velez of Wyndham Hotel Group - Board Member at Large

"I am privileged and honored to have been elected by the Board of Directors to serve as HEDNA's president for the next two years," said Orbitz Worldwide's Ryan. "I look forward to our association's continued success, and to working with the Board and HEDNA's membership to continue the advancement of electronic distribution within the hospitality industry."

Tiffany Topcik will move into the immediate Past President's role, serving on the Board for one year to help ensure a seamless transition. Ryan, in collaboration with the Board, expressed gratitude toward Topcik for generously serving as HEDNA's President for the past three years.

The Board would also like to recognize Brian Hill of Hyatt Hotels and Resorts for his dedicated service as a Board Member at Large for the past two years.

Here are the biographies of HEDNA's President and newest Board members:

• Melanie Ryan is the Senior Director of Global Strategic Accounts at Orbitz Worldwide, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, where she leads a large portfolio of accounts on behalf of Orbitz brands including Orbitz.com, Cheaptickets.com, ebookers.com, HotelClub.com, Asiahotels.com, Ratestogo.com, and Away.com. Melanie provides strategic leadership and oversees supplier partnerships across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Melanie joined Orbitz Worldwide in 2004 and has 12 years of extensive industry experience. She has held various positions in ecommerce, revenue management, sales and marketing and operations. Prior to joining Orbitz Worldwide, Melanie was on the lodging side of the industry developing ecommerce strategies for Sunburst Hospitality. Melanie has served on the HEDNA Board of Directors since 2006.
  
  
• Keith Cotton is Vice President, Supplier Solutions for Hotel Booking Solutions, Inc. (HBSi). A founding Board member of HEDNA, he has more than 25 years in the industry. Keith has spent the majority of his career in electronic distribution roles with Holiday Inn and Pegasus. Prior to joining HBSi, Keith held position with ReservHotel and AltiusPAR.
  
  
• Philippe Garnier is Senior Director, Distribution Sales with Hilton Hotels' International Division. Philippe oversees Hilton's business with GDS, third party online distributors, and works to standardize sales contracts. A five-year veteran with Hilton, Philippe has also working as a management consultant with KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
  
  
• Louise Meyer is Vice President, Hotels for VFM Leonardo, Inc. Louise has over 20 years of experience and leadership in the hospitality and travel industry and has key roles within the hotel, travel and distribution industries, including responsibility for the hotel business line at Galileo International and varied roles at Sabre. Louise also has held positions at American Airlines, Borden Foods, and Federated Department Stores.