Steven (Steve) D. Loucks is a longtime travel industry advocate, writer and spokesperson, having served in various capacities as a public relations and communications strategist and practitioner, as well as a former elected official. An avid traveler, Loucks has not only traveled extensively in all 50 states, but he has enjoyed experiencing the unique peoples and cultures in more than 80 countries on every inhabited continent.Throughout his 25 years in the travel industry, Loucks has been featured for his travel expertise by a wide range of major news organizations, including ABC’s “Good Morning America” and “20/20,” Associated Press, BBC, CNBC, CNN, Condé Nast Traveler, FOX News, National Public Radio, NBC Nightly News, New York Times, “Rudy Maxa’s World,” Travel + Leisure, Travel Weekly, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, among others.
Until May 2017, Loucks served as the Chief Communications Officer for Travel Leaders Group (TLG), contributing to its growth from $5 billion in annual sales at its inception to more than $22 billion today. During his tenure with the travel agency company, he oversaw all levels of internal and external strategic communications, including those devoted to employees, franchisees, members and news media. Loucks also focusing on crisis and change communications, including the 2008 transition from Carlson Leisure Group (CLG) into what is today known as TLG. Loucks not only shepherded more than 150 Magellan Award-winning entries submitted by the various brands under the TLG umbrella, but he and his team were recognized themselves with a Magellan Award for their innovative media training educational program. Travel professionals have come to know Loucks from his perennial duties as emcee for several agent conventions.
Prior to joining CLG in 1999, Loucks served for five years as the Director of Communications for the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), the trade association representing the travel agency industry. He has since chaired ASTA’s public relations committee in a volunteer capacity. Loucks came to ASTA from Ruder-Finn Global Public Affairs, where he led the first post-war travel media tour of Croatia in 1993; the Rebuild Dubrovnik Fund, which was supported by ASTA, was a pro bono account of Ruder-Finn’s.
Loucks joined Ruder-Finn after completing his second of two terms as an elected Wisconsin State Representative. Representing a suburban Milwaukee district, Loucks was first elected in 1988, handily defeating his general election opponent. He served on several legislative committees, including the State Assembly’s Transportation Committee.
Immediately after graduating from Marquette University (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science, Loucks joined the Washington DC staff of then U.S. Senator Robert W. Kasten, Jr., ultimately assuming the role of Legislative Assistant handling the senator’s assignments on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and Senate Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee.
In addition to his love and advocacy for travel, Loucks is also a champion of the arts and is an active supporter of Steppenwolf Theatre (Chicago, Illinois).
