Kody Gear joins Preferred Travel of Naples as Managing Partner

Preferred Travel of Naples (PTN) is pleased to announce Kody Gear has joined the family-owned agency as Managing Partner.

A Florida native, Gear was born and raised in Melbourne, Florida. He attended the University of South Florida, where he met his future wife, Kristina Placeres Gear. After earning his bachelor’s degree in Finance nine years ago, he and Kristina moved to Naples.

Before joining Preferred Travel of Naples, Gear spent the last eight years working in various management positions for a large, heavy equipment rental company. Most recently, he was responsible for the comprehensive management of an assigned multimillion dollar equipment portfolio. His passion for travel led him to join the leadership team at Preferred Travel with his wife and her mother, Olga Placeres.

As Managing Partner, Mr. Gear wears many hats in the daily operations of the travel agency. His focus is to support the PTN travel advisors and work closely with suppliers.

“Kody is passionate about many things, but travel and family are the two at the top,” says Kristina Placeres Gear, PTN Managing Director. “He decided to make a career change when the opportunity for him to join an exciting industry presented itself with the bonus of working alongside me, his wife. The prospect for growth and reaching the next generation of travelers, in addition to Preferred Travel’s reputation in the local community and in the travel industry, made it a clear choice for him.”

Gear joined the team at Preferred Travel in April and has worked over the past few months to learn all things travel. He says that coming from a different industry, there was much to learn, but is taking every opportunity to assist and better understand the business.

“I’m proud to be a part of this incredible team,” says Mr. Gear. “They’ve welcomed me with open arms, and I look forward to continuing the Preferred Travel legacy that was created over 38 years ago. I am lucky to have a wonderful team of mentors guiding me as I navigate this new opportunity and I look forward to a bright future with Preferred Travel of Naples.”

The team agrees that Mr. Gear adds value by bringing a fresh perspective to the organization with his financial background, while also willingly rolling up his sleeves to support the team with anything they need. The shared goal of the leadership team is to see this organization grow and succeed well into the future and Mr. Gear says he is excited to be a part of that vision.

“We are extremely pleased to have Kody join the agency,” said Olga Placeres, Owner and President of Preferred Travel. “His business background and degree in finance add strength to our already well-run company, and he’s been part of our PTN family for the past decade but now, it’s official as he takes on his new leadership position.”

ABOUT PREFERRED TRAVEL OF NAPLES
With over 35 years of experience and a team of 60 travel advisors, Preferred Travel is well equipped and qualified to assist clients for domestic and international travel. Preferred Travel has two locations to serve their clients, Naples and Bonita Springs. Offices are located at 5811 Pelican Bay Boulevard, Suite 201 in Naples, and 3960 Via Del Rey in the Vanderbilt Office Park in Bonita Springs. Clients are welcome by appointment and walk in.

Founded in 1984, Preferred Travel of Naples, Inc. presents a team of knowledgeable and experienced travel advisors who provide worldwide travel services to clients. For information call (239) 261-1177, toll free 800-523-3716 or visit www.preferrednaples.com.