Agent Biographies
Jacky Keith
Jacky started traveling at the age of 12, flying alone for the first time from the UK to Paris to visit her pen pal. No such thing as “unaccompanied minor” in those days! Thus began the life of travel to – at last count – over 100 countries. She joined Esplanade in 1965 when it occupied offices on Charles Street, near the famous Esplanade on the banks of the Charles River.
Jill Potash
Jill started working with her sister, Jacky, at Esplanade Tours in the early 1980’s as Marketing Director. Jacky’s love for Africa is contagious and Jill soon moved into selling that area. Managing the Africa Department for the past 15 years has given Jill the opportunity to travel in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia. Her latest visit was last summer when she and her husband took 8 of his students to South Africa including a side trip to Victoria Falls.
Cruising is also a favorite with visits to the Spice Islands of Indonesia, Tahiti & the South Pacific, West Indies and inland barging in France & the UK.
When Jill isn’t in the office she is working from home in northern Vermont with Sam, a husky mix and Dakota, their 4 year old colt. Deer herds are abundant and with lots of maple trees on the property spring is a busy time of year spent sugaring.
Kit Schultze
Kit joined Esplanade Tours in 2006 as Manager of the Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific Department. She has traveled extensively throughout
She had the good fortune to grow up in a family that believed in home-education and in learning from people and experiences as well as from books. Kit caught the travel bug very early in life traveling with her parents around the United States racing harness racehorses and on numerous trips to Mexico. It was these early years that instilled in her an interest in different people and cultures and a love for travel she has not outgrown. Prior to joining Esplanade, Kit ran her own business during the summer months and in the off-seasons she traveled around the world.
Kit has been fortunate enough to travel to 46
Amanda Fellows
Amanda is definitely a product of her environment. As a child of parents who were heavily engaged in travel, she started traveling abroad at the young age of 6 months and has already visited over 30 countries. Born and raised in Brazil Amanda feels right at home managing Esplanade’s South America department. Returning home on a yearly basis gives Amanda the chance to keep current with this ever-changing region and exciting new touring options.
As Esplanade specializes in international travel, Amanda’s passion for foreign languages and cultures are a perfect fit. Fluent in Portuguese, she has also studied German, French and Chinese and is on a never-ending quest towards proficiency in Spanish. When she is not exploring the world herself or helping clients on their journeys, Amanda is an avid reader, sports fan, photographer and cook.
Ksusha Sheynina
Ksusha has always been fascinated by world travel. Born and raised in the small country of Latvia in northern Europe, she was fortunate enough to have parents who loved bringing her along on their summer vacations all around Europe. Ksusha moved to Boston at age 11 and went on to receive her Bachelors Degree from New York University. As a student, she jumped at the opportunity to fulfill her dream of studying abroad in Paris and got a little taste of the Parisian lifestyle during her semester overseas.
Fluent in Russian and French, Ksusha’s desire to travel the world has taken her to 20 countries. With her strong desire to explore the world even further she is sure that managing the Visa Service department at Esplanade Tours will give her that opportunity.
Harvey Soolman
When he is not involved with more exciting ventures, Harvey finds time for bookkeeping and accounting and has been at Esplanade since 2006. Harvey's creative side has written 3 full length stage plays, of which 2 have been produced, and a few short one-act plays. He recently completed his first (as yet unpublished) novel, "Learn to Duck, Newark Phelps", about a rookie private investigator who gets in way over his head. A sequel is already in the works.
He is very active in the Boston baseball scene where he manages Towne Club in the top-rated amateur Boston Park League and umpires extensively in high school, youth and adult leagues in the area. He published the Baseball Rules Index used by Major League Baseball and Professional Umpire Development schools.
He travels with an eye on history and enjoys seeing places and things more than lying in the sun. Harvey was in heaven to sit by himself in the bleachers of Chicago's Wrigley Field on a cold winter's afternoon, and his favorite local escape is Halibut Point in Rockport, MA, where it feels like the end of the earth to sit on the large, flat rocks at the ocean's edge.
Sharon Blodgett
Sharon has worked in the travel industry for 32 years, and has been Esplanade’s West Coast Sales Representative for the past 12 years. Among her favorite destinations are Greece, where she has made 21 trips and Africa, where she has gone on safari 13 times.
In addition to designing itineraries for individual clients wishing to travel in Africa and Greece, Sharon leads one of our scheduled safaris each year.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information regarding one of Sharon’s scheduled tours to Africa or Greece.