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CALTRAVEL / MEMBER SPOTLIGHT / AUGUST 2023
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An Interview with Dr. Mechelle Best, Dean of the College of Health & Human Development at California State University Northridge
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BY SHANNON BROOKS, PRINCIPAL AT FORWØRD
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A published author and cultural heritage and sustainable tourism expert with global experience, Dr. Mechelle Best has an outsize influence on California’s travel industry. She directly shapes the next generation of hospitality professionals as the Dean of the College of Health and Human Development at California State University Northridge, a role she was recently appointed to permanently after more than two years as Interim Dean.
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Dr. Best is very involved with CalTravel's advocacy and education programs as well. She chairs the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Accessibility Committee and is a co-chair of the Scholarship Committee. She also serves on the Nominating and Sustainability Committees.
Dr. Best graduated with honors from the University of West Indies with a B.S. in Hotel Management and an M.S. in Natural Resource Management and holds a Ph.D. in Tourism (Fulbright and Organization of American States Scholar) from the University of Florida.
In this Member Spotlight, Dr. Best shares hospitality industry insights gleaned throughout her career, from working as an environmental and conservation manager in the Caribbean to rising through the ranks of academia.
How did you come to specialize in cultural-heritage tourism and sustainable tourism?
I am from the Caribbean where cultural-heritage and sustainability are critical areas in a broad context, not just tourism. However, given the region’s tourism dependence, the fragility of our natural resources, and concerns over cultural-heritage assets, I thought it was important for me to focus on those areas.
What types of clients and projects do you serve through your tourism and environmental management consultancy?
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I serve clients such as hotels, attractions, tourism boards, and education councils. I do less consulting now than I’ve done in the past, but my work includes tourism education in secondary schools along with environmental assessments in hotels and attractions, environmental management system development and implementation, and training on environmental management for staff and managers.
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What inspired you to pursue a career in academia?
I wanted the freedom to work in tourism, do research, and build awareness about the importance of sustainability-centered practices in tourism. A career in academia was the optimal way for me to accomplish these concurrently.
What does your recent promotion mean to you?
Being confirmed as the permanent Dean means I can work with my team to plan more strategically and for the mid- to long-term for our academic departments, institutes, and centers. Within the hospitality/travel/tourism context, I oversee the Department of Recreation & Tourism Management (RTM, my home department), the Center for Recreation and Tourism, and the CSUN Aquatic Center at Castaic Lake. The potential for what our students can accomplish in these areas is vast and I’m excited to work with the RTM department chair and center directors to help develop future industry leaders who are innovative and insightful.
What types of jobs are your students most drawn to in the travel and tourism sector?
Event planning and management, customer service, food and beverage management, and entertainment.
Has anything notable changed in educators’ and students’ approach to tourism during the course of your 15-year tenure at Cal State University Northridge?
We’ve long recognized the importance of practical experiences for our students, whether through volunteering, practicums, or internships. I think one of the key improvements has been to encourage students to participate in more networking opportunities beyond these.
What advice would you offer young professionals considering a career in travel/hospitality?
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Go for it! Travel and hospitality are so vast that opportunities abound in both traditional and non-traditional areas. I like to say that skills learned within any discipline can be applied in our industry, from STEM to art and psychology, to history and healthcare. Unique career paths can be charted.
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What career accomplishment(s) are you most proud of?
I’m proud of having taken hotels from little or no awareness/understanding of “greening” tourism (environmental management) to certification against international standards. I co-authored the book Contemporary Caribbean Tourism: Concepts and Cases. And I’m proud of attaining a position in which, despite being in academia, I (1) continue to make valuable contributions to the tourism industry in California and internationally and (2) use my tourism industry experience to be an insightful and purposeful servant leader in academia.
What’s something you can share about yourself that might surprise people?
As much as I’ve traveled and love to travel, I haven’t yet visited Paris, one of the most iconic cities in the world.
Where are you most looking forward to traveling to this summer?
Home to Barbados!
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Have a suggestion for a future Member Spotlight? Submit it to barb@caltravel.org
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By Shannon Brooks, Principal at FORWØRD
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