Staff Profiles


One of Southwind’s distinguishing features is our people. Your Latin American journey begins the moment you search our website or call our office and does not end until you return from your adventure delighted, renewed and satisfied. Our home office personnel and local professional guides are committed to outstanding personal service, attention to detail, and providing an exceptional travel experience. To become a part of our team, please visit our Career Opportunities.

USA VIRTUAL Office Staff


Tom Damon, President and Adventure Travel Specialist

Recognized as a “Trusted Travel Expert” for Chile, Ecuador, Peru & Patagonia on the Wendy Perrin WOW List since 2014 and a “Top Travel Specialist” by Condé Nast Traveler magazine for the Galapagos Islands & Patagonia since 2005. Tom has a BA in Environmental Science from the University of Denver and an MS in Natural Resource Management & Administration from Antioch University. Prior to joining the SWA team in 1994, he worked on ecotourism and sustainable development projects in Costa Rica. Tom enjoys personalizing trips for families and discerning Southwind travelers, blending nature and cultural experiences with unique accommodations. In the Galápagos, he can recommend upscale cruise options and eco-hotels from multiple visits. In Peru, he can customize visits to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Machu Picchu, Cusco, Lake Titicaca and the Pacific coast as well as treks on the Inca Trail and in the Urubamba, Cordillera Blanca and Salcantay ranges. In Ecuador, Tom can provide advice about stays in Andean haciendas and cloud forest lodges while hiking, biking or horseback riding beneath snow-capped volcanoes and colorful market towns. In Chile and Argentina, he can recommend ways to blend adventure pursuits in Patagonia’s Torres del Paine and Los Glaciares National Parks with relaxation in the Lake District, the wine regions of Mendoza and Santiago, the Atacama Desert or Iguazu Falls. Ask Tom about his favorite spots to explore the vast Amazon Rainforest whether on a luxe riverboat cruise into Pacaya Samiria Reserve or expeditions into Manu Biosphere, Tambopata Reserve or Yasuni National Park. Tom’s roots are as a mountaineer atop summits in the Andes, Pyrenees, Cascades and Alaska. Closer to home, Tom, his wife Kelly and their two kids enjoy exploring the Colorado outdoors.

Leah Celler, Customer Service, Marketing and Sales

She was raised in Las Vegas, NV where she first fell in love with the travel/tourism industry. Leah began to show a deep enthusiasm in seeing and learning more about other cultures and environments, which lead her to Metropolitan University of Denver where she graduated with a degree in Hospitality and Tourism. She has combined her passion for travel and adventure by hiking, camping, ziplining and horseback riding in several places in the world. She has experience traveling to top destinations in Latin America- Costa Rica, Machu Picchu and Buenos Aires, in addition to destinations in Africa and Europe. Leah has worked during the past 5 years in various aspects of the travel industry including leisure travel, customer service, event coordination, voluntourism, cruises and more. She enjoys coordinating travel operations and offering clients personalized, high-end vacation options.

Suzie Shride, Co-founder and Advisor

An outdoor educator, Suzie enjoys sharing her passion for travel, native cultures and nature with others. Her journeys took her to five continents before she discovered her love for South America. She has explored remote regions of the Amazon including Bolivia’s Isiboro-Secure, Ecuador’s Jivaro territory, and Peru’s Manu & Tambopata reserves plus the upper Rio Negro River in Brazil, Venezuela & Colombia. She has hiked dozens of Andean routes including multiple trips along the Inca Trail, the Ausangate Circuit near Cusco and the Huayhuash and Blanca ranges outside of Huaraz. She’s trekked the Paine & Fitz Roy areas of Patagonia on several occasions, has photographed wildlife in Brazil’s Pantanal and Venezuela’s Llanos, and snorkeled with penguins and sea lions in the Galápagos. Now daughter Reyna accompanies her mom frequently on trips, making friends wherever she goes. Now a multi-award-winning author, Shride is sharing tales of her adventures with audiences around the world through the Lucy Dakota: Adventures of a Modern Explorer series.

Luis Felipa, Owner and Director of Operations

Selected as a “Top Travel Specialist since 2021” by Condé Nast Traveler magazine for Peru, Ecuador, Galápagos, Chile and Argentina. This Peruvian native is a former seasoned guide and mountaineer. He led trips throughout the Andes for a decade and counts 40 successful ascents on his resume, including Mt. Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Americas (22,834′). After eight years of studying business management and economics at two of Peru’s top universities, he combined this knowledge with his “hands-on” expertise in the field to develop one of the finest tour companies in the country, Trekperu. In 1990 he moved to the United States to co-found Southwind Adventures, drawing on his lifetime of extensive travel throughout South America. With over 40 years of experience, he carries out our mission of providing clients with superb upscale adventures to some of the planet’s most breathtaking destinations. An explorer by spirit, his travels have taken him from Coastlines up the Andes, down to the Amazon basin, and to many remote locations in between. He has scouted out the national parks, wildlife reserves, and eco-resorts in the Central American countries of Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, Guatemala, and Belize. Most recently, he has journeyed to Argentina’s Iguazu Falls, the wine country of Mendoza, the Northern province of Salta and Uruguay. His passions include nature & wildlife, conservation, native cultures, history and photography.