Richard Cassidy
Flight & Hotel Coordinator - Domestic Operations, NC Office
I’m the witty one that will say off the wall things to make people laugh. Though frustrating for some, it’s a great addition to those serious meetings!
When I Joined ETA & What I Love About Working Here
Professional Background
Richard’s journey to ETA began all the way back in college when he double majored in Vocal Performance and English at Appalachian State University. He either wanted to be a professional musician or write about the performing arts. During his time singing at Walt Disney World, he was bitten by the hospitality/travel industry bug, and was able to step away from singing to spend time working with the Groups & Conventions department at Disney! This provided opportunity to travel to Disneyland in California, Disneyland Paris, and Aulani, the Disney Vacation Club Resort in Hawaii!
An expected need to relocate back to his hometown to take care of a terminally ill parent, Richard was roped in by a friend to begin teaching at a local school where he taught Language Arts (English), and eventually transitioned to teaching Band & Choir! When a new hotel was scheduled to open in the next town over, Richard found a summer job as a front desk clerk, which quickly turned into a year round part time position, which came in handy during those dark times that we called the pandemic. This allowed Richard to learn other roles within other departments of the hotel including Sales & Marketing, Housekeeping, Food & Beverage, and Managerial positions.
Most recently spending time as a Group Sales Manager for Marriott, Richard got to interact with many different Groups, which allows him to understand that though similar, each of our groups have nuances that set them apart from one another. One size rarely fits all, and at ETA we strive to tailor each experience to be the best for that group!
Fun Facts About Richard
Interesting Facts
I am a classically trained opera singer and tuba player and I despise clowns or anything clown related.
Favorite Place Traveled:
I am going to say Spain in general, because though I spent some time studying in Argentina, the culture and even the language in Spain is vastly different than what I encountered in Argentina, and even more so than the Latin American culture that I grew up around.
Favorite subject to study in school:
Having been a shy kid growing up, band/music was the thing I could excel in. It was music that helped bring me out of my shell!
Most Recent Passport Stamp:
Spain.
Most unexpected moment while traveling:
A few years ago, my mom (who is a retired nurse) and I were traveling back from visiting family in Dallas when there was a passenger a few rows ahead of us that experienced a medical emergency and stopped breathing. I helped my mother perform CPR on the passenger so that the flight crew could attend to the passengers and relay information to the Captain.
Window seat or aisle seat?
Window because planes make me sleep and I can rest my head on the bulkhead!
Dream destination (not yet visited):
Japan, Australia/New Zealand, Iceland.
Go-to travel snack:
Chocolate, because why not? Everyone knows chocolate makes everything better! 😉
One thing I hope students gain from traveling:
I hope they use their five senses to fully immerse themselves into the destination, while also using them to experience the culture around them and how it relates to their everyday lives!
