Meet The Team
We are a team of experienced and dedicated professionals, providing comprehensive travel solutions to our diverse clientele. With over two decades of experience in the travel and tourism industry, our knowledgeable team is proficient in understanding the needs and expectations of our participants. Our team strives to create the most efficient and enjoyable experience for you.
Group Leader
Arturo Vertiz
Arturo Vertiz knew from an early age that he wanted to work in the travel industry, focusing on learning English and French in school. Graduating with a degree in tourism and business administration, he worked in the hotel industry before founding his own travel agency. Arturo’s greatest honor was being chosen to manage the housing complex for athletes participating in the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara. As a Group Leader and a Mexican national, Arturo loves interacting with visitors in search of learning experiences.
Group Leader
Sylvia Sanchez
Born and raised in Guadalajara, Sylvia Sanchez was never far from the cultural milieu that defines her birthplace. She chose to pursue a degree in tourism and business administration at the University of Guadalajara. Sylvia worked for the Jalisco Department of Tourism before attending Cochise College in Arizona to pursue a degree in international business communications. After graduating, she began working with Road Scholar at Geronimo Educational Travel and Studies.
Group Leader
Beatriz Villegas
Mexican by birth, Beatriz has had the opportunity to live in several countries, enjoys and appreciates cultural diversity, speaks English and French, and is happy to share the great love she feels for her country. Her preparation as a cardiology nurse and experience in first aid has allowed her to have a great response capacity in various situations. Working for ten years as an aviation flight attendant, she developed a great attitude of service, always taking care of the safety and well-being of the people in her charge. Her interest is to form harmonious groups, always taking care of individual needs so that each of the participants lives a great experience and gets the best of their country.
Group Leader
Haydee de Hoyos
Originally from the northern state of Sonora, Haydee de Hoyos learned English through her interest in American television, especially “Sesame Street.” Her affinity for American culture led her to pursue a career in the travel industry with a degree in tourism and business form the University of Guadalajara. Haydee has worked for Geronimo for more than 20 years and served as a Group Leader on programs focusing on art, culture, history, the environment and Mexican cuisine, developing an encyclopedia of knowledge of all things Mexico.
Group Leader
Maria Teresa Peniche
Maria Teresa Peniche, who prefers to be known simply as “Teri,” is a highly regarded addition to Geronimo’s Road Scholar staff. Teri pursued a career in higher education, preparing school curriculums designed as well as teaching English in secondary education. After retiring, Teri’s vast knowledge of Mexico’s history and culture paved the way towards her becoming a Group Leader. Blessed with a caring disposition and a great desire to share her love of her country, Teri’s capacity for sharing her considerable knowledge is unrivaled.
Group Leader
Matt Brown
Matt Brown has been a birding enthusiast from a young age! In elementary school, Matt taught birding ID to his fellow classmates. He went on to study psychology at Syracuse University before moving to Arizona in 1998 to pursue his passion of bird watching and bird leader. Locally, Matt has worked for the Nature Conservancy, Patagonia Lake State Park, Road Scholar and local birding and butterfly festivals. Since 2002, Matt has owned the Patagonia Birding & Butterfly Company offering custom birding and butterfly programs.
Group Leader
Steve Marlatt
Steve has a bachelor’s in Wildlife Management and a master’s in Environmental Education. He first worked in a variety of positions in research, range and recreation for New Mexico Game and Fish, the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service. He then switched gears to work with another type of wildlife and spent the next 27 years teaching Middle School science! He recently retired so that he could spend more time hiking, backpacking, mountain biking and birding in his long-time home of Southeast Arizona.