The Motorcoach Council, an industry-wide initiative to promote public awareness about the availability, selection, usage and benefits of motorcoach transportation appointed six new members to its Board of Directors.

New members of the Board, inducted March 9, 2011, include Autumn Dipert-Brown of Dan Dipert Coaches (Texas); Elaine Fickett of H&L Charters Company, Inc. (Calif.); Tom McCaughey of Flagship Trailways (R.I.); Tom Morgan of Gray Line Tucson (Ariz.); Mike Costa of A Yankee Line (Mass.); and Shannon Kaser of Royal Excursion (Ind.).

These individuals were selected because of their strong leadership skills, commitment to the industry, innovation in marketing and proven track records with the consumer market, according to a statement released by the Motorcoach Council.

Motorcoach Council Chairman, Brian Annett of Annett Bus Lines (Fla.); Vice Chair Jack Wigley of All Aboard America (Ariz.); and Ron Bast of GO Riteway Transportation Group (Wis.) will additionally serve the Board through March 2012.

Peter Pantuso, President/CEO of American Bus Association, and Victor Parra, President/CEO of United Motorcoach Association have standing seats on the Motorcoach Council Board. Immediate Past Chairman, Todd Holland of Ramblin Express (CO), and Steve Klika of International Motorcoach Group (KS) serve as Ex-Officio members of the Board.

"We are extremely excited to have such a talented, savvy group of individuals and visionaries on this year's Board of Directors," said Heather Horton, Executive Director of the Motorcoach Council. "The addition of the new board members ensures the campaign will continue to benefit from a diversity of knowledge and opinions, and will help grow the depth and success of the Council's nationwide public awareness campaign.

Ryan Kelly, CEO of Terrapin Blue (Athens, Ga.) was named a valuable "Contributor To The Board" and has been invited to attend all meetings with the Council's Board of Directors to pursue funding, strategize and contribute ideas that foster the growth of the Get Motorcoachified campaign.

"The Motorcoach Council is very focused on innovation, PR, marketing and leveraging social media, and the Board feels Mr. Kelly's insights and experience will be valuable in helping to guide the direction of the campaign in the years ahead," added Horton.

Kelly and the Council's 13 Board Members will gather for the first time as a group for the Annual Board of Directors Meeting in Chicago, April 17 to 19, 2011.

"I'm excited about the two-day strategic planning session in Chicago," said Chairman Brian Annett. "In the past, the annual meeting produced things like our five-year Strategic Plan, the bus wrap campaign, and relationships with national PR firms such as Barton Gilanelli & Associates. We have a half dozen key projects on the agenda this year and will explore new ways to send a positive message to the consumer about bus and coach travel, and put our industry in a positive spotlight with the mainstream media," added Annett.