Joseph Small – President and Proprietor

As a high school student, Joe traveled to Chicago each business day in the summer to work at the family business. Through the years he has worked in almost every department from the early days in the mail room, to operations, marketing and sales.

He began to travel internationally while a teen-ager. His first experience was to the island of Bermuda. This was soon followed by the typical back-packers trip through Europe staying in youth hostels and traveling on a EurRail pass.—a great way to get a taste of the many diverse cultures of Europe. He got the travel bug.

After five semesters at Indiana University, Joe switched to Columbia College in Chicago so he could work part time at the company during the school year and full-time during the summer. Summers were great, because he had the pleasure of working as an assistant Travel Director, meeting great travelers and learning the ins and outs of being a tour leader from the best and most experienced travel leaders in the world. He also had the good fortune to see more of the world traveling to Europe, Asia and the South Pacific.

Joe graduated from Columbia College in 1980 and continued his studies at the University of Illinois, receiving a Master of Fine Arts degree in April of 1983.

Professionally, he is most proud to have served as the founding president of the Alumni Campus Abroad division, a product that transformed the alumni travel industry. He served for many years on the Advisory Council for the Educational Travel Conference and is now Chair of the Emeritus Council. He also served on the University of Illinois Chicago, Campus Alumni Advisory Board for six years.

Personally, Joe has been married for more than 30 years and has three sons. In his spare time, he likes to read and write poetry and bang on the guitar in the most melodious manner he can muster. He is also on the Food Bank Committee and Chair of the Membership Committee at his church.

Brian Small – Executive Vice President and Proprietor

Like Joe and Rick, Brian had an early start in the world of travel. Not surprisingly, he also traveled to Bermuda as a young teen and worked away his summers at the offices of AHI Travel. Brian is a southpaw and was blessed with a combination of speed and wildness that made him a feared high school pitcher. Rather than pursue a promising baseball career, Brian opted instead to go to Indiana University and the Kelly School of Business, where he graduated in 1980 with a Marketing degree.

Even as a youth Brian had a keen sense of business. To earn money while a college student, Brian started his own company—Collegiate Sandwiches. He served up these delectable treats to hungry football and basketball fans and sold many hundreds of them. This entrepreneurial spirit is with him to this day. Instead, after graduation, he gave up the world of sandwiches to follow his heart into the world of travel.

Through the years, Brian has played many roles at AHI including Travel Director, Sales and Operations. Brian was President of AHI Incentives, which specialized in motivational travel for dealer and sales networks. This successful enterprise was sold in 1990 and Brian moved into alumni sales. A few years later, Brian took over management of all Travel Planning and Operations, a role he continues to play to this day.

Brian's professional passion and personal passion are one and the same—travel. When he is home, he enjoys jogging, music and loves to spend time with his wife and his family.

Rick Small – Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Proprietor

Rick’s travel career, and his love of travel, started with Bermuda as well. He, like Brian and Joe, first learned his way around the Mail Room working summers at AHI Travel.

St. Bede Academy in central Illinois was Rick’s choice for high school, where he excelled in his studies. He was accepted into Indiana University’s Honors program and received his Bachelors Degree in Political Science in 1975. Rick extended his stay at Indiana University and received a Juris Doctor Degree in 1978.

Following graduation, Rick began his career as an attorney for a law firm in northwest Indiana. After moving to Indianapolis, he became a founding and managing partner of a law firm that specialized in public sector labor negotiations and School Law.

Through the years, Rick participated on many of AHI Travel’s programs. At family gatherings there was always time to playfully pressure Rick to get on board and join the family business. Finally, in 1990 he succumbed and joined the enterprise.

Since then, Rick’s travels have taken him all around the globe. He enjoys planning programs and traveling to new places. Rick practices meditation and has a passion for music. He is married with two sons.