Samantha Hogenson Bray,
Owner & Executive Director

Meet Samantha. She grew up in Ethel, where she was an active member of the Ethel Ridge Runners 4-H Club, attended what’s now the Ethel Community Church, and spent her summers swimming at Ethel Lake. Samantha’s ties to Recess Inn run deep—her grandparents, father, and even great-grandparents went to school in the building, and her grandparents worked there. As a middle schooler, she even made a clay model of the inn, which now sits proudly in the kitchen, reminding her of her lifelong dream to be its steward.
 

Her career in tourism has been meaningful, connecting back to her love for small communities and sustainable travel. Samantha earned her bachelor’s degree at Missouri State University, followed by a Master’s in Tourism Administration with a focus on sustainable destination management from The George Washington University. She’s a true trailblazer in geotourism, having led projects in places from rural Michigan to the Caribbean and even Ethiopia, where she worked on cultural-heritage tourism. As the former managing director of the nonprofit Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), Samantha has helped guide global tourism projects, consulting on topics from climate action to community-based tourism.
 

Now, she’s pursuing a PhD in Geography at the University of Waterloo, where she’s focusing on destination stewardship—finding ways to balance tourism with the well-being of local places and people. Samantha’s work emphasizes sustainable destination management, impact tourism, placemaking, and sustainable economic, environmental, and social solutions for destinations and businesses alike.
 

Samantha lives in Parkville, Missouri, with her husband, Michael, and their son, Jordan, and they make it back to Ethel every chance they get!