04/10/2026
Last night at George Washington University I was given the honor of accepting this plaque in Casey’s memory, from the Masters of Tourism Administration program faculty. It was a night to honor a tourism legend, Dr. Don Hawkins, who founded this prestigious program, and impacted tourism on a global scale.
We heard from the Jamaican Minister of Tourism about how together he and Dr. Hawkins reshaped the tourism industry for and with the people of his island, to protect their culture and legitimize this industry as a true profession in Jamaica. 🇯🇲
Hearing these stories and seeing the culture at this School of Business took my breath away, and showed me what I believe to be the trajectory that Casey’s career was on. When I had the chance to speak and share a small piece of Casey’s story, I shared that we will are satisfied knowing that Casey too had an impact on the industry, even if on a smaller scale. But that the legacy that we are building with the Canevari Memorial Fund is really where I see his impact living strongly into the future. I shared our vision of turning this fund into a scholarship program for rising seniors that want to explore a career in tourism and hospitality. And it was met with great enthusiasm!
You can be sure that we have a supporter in GWU! It can be very exhausting both emotionally and physically to build this legacy in Casey’s honor, but nights like last night show us that it’s worth it. Casey believed in travel and tourism and what it does for the human soul. He believed in its power to connect us to each other!
