Cynthia Neu McCluskey is the Travel Coordinator and co-founder of the . She's a former newspaper and television reporter, TV news anchor and bureau chief based in El Paso, TX; Washington, DC; and Moscow, Russia for 33 years prior to creating this new concept for fitness cruises. She enjoys buying exotic jewelry from around the world when she cruises.

Cynthia reported for the El Paso Times for 10 years. She also wrote radio editorials for Fred Hervey in El Paso during the '70s and 80s. Fred Hervey was founder and creator of the Circle K Corporation. By the late 80s, before CNN existed, Cynthia planned with El Paso's NBC TV News anchor Peter Heinline to one day establish a television news bureau in Washington, D.C. that would satellite news reports back to TV stations out west covering issues important to America's western cities. When Cynthia also became a local CBS TV News anchor they convinced Mr. Hervey to establish Sun World Satellite TV News in Washington, D.C. Within 10 years their independently owned and operated TV news bureau on Capital Hill broadcast daily reports back to 365 ABC, NBC and CBS TV affiliates across the Southwest. Peter Heinlein later joined the Voice Of America. By 1990 Cynthia was on her way to the Soviet Union to open a second TV News bureau in Moscow as a result of President Reagan's "People To People" exchange. It sent back TV reports via satellite on Soviet matters affecting western cities in the USA. Oil and military issues were major news stories in Russia then too. President Mikhail Gorbachav's Soviet government permitted Ms. Neu to report from Moscow because Mr. Hervey's business, the Sun World Corporation, agreed to print in English, and distribute in the USA, the first ever Soviet free-press newspaper. That new, brave, underground weekly newspaper published in Moscow was named Nezavisamaya Gazetta or Independent Newspaper. It advocated Russia be democratic and independent and have free press, free speech and free enterprise throughout the country.

It became world famous in 1991 as...."the first media ever to rally Russians to bring down Communism," reported the Wall Street Journal Aug. 21, 1991 on its front page. That 26 inch news story described the "late night heroic deeds led by Russia's only Independent Newspaper." When military tanks rolled into Moscow after midnight Aug. 19, 1991, determined to destroy free press in Russia, Nezavisamaya Gazetta was the only media working courageously that night to print and distribute itself throughout the city until dawn calling for Russians to stand up and defeat Communism. It is still being published every week in Moscow. While working with the newspaper in Moscow, trying to help it develop advertising, Cynthia learned about the cruise industry. It was when 600 workers at GasProm in Siberia asked her to organize cruises for them. She did. Then, upon returning to the USA, she met Jim Seeley who was a travel agent teaching water aerobics. Together they created the concept of fitness cruises calling it the "Jim taught me about water aerobics and travel agencies," says Cynthia. "I showed him how we could promote our new idea for fitness cruises using the media. The rest is history. Every day we say our prayers of thanks. Jim and I cannot believe how lucky we are!"

Cynthia is a 1975 graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso where she attended on journalism scholarships and grants. She was married to the late Ron McCluskey, an El Paso attorney, who also served as Chief of Staff in Washington, D.C. to the late Congresswoman Gladys Noon Spellman of Maryland. Ron and Cynthia's son, Patrick McCluskey, lives in Austin, TX with his wife Shannon and their three children: Bryan, Grace and Paula.

Shortly after creating the Cynthia became certified by Aquatic Alliance International (AAI). Today she is also certified by the Arthritis Foundation and is a Red Cross Certified Water Safety Instructor who teaches preschool children how to swim. Spring Hill, where Cynthia teaches, was named Best RECenter in the nation in 2006. That same year the Fairfax County Park Authority was named America's Best Park Authority. was named by Royal Caribbean's its #1 Business Partner in the Mid-Atlantic states of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C. in 2007. And in 2008 Cynthia was named Top Aquatics Instructor at Spring Hill RECenter in McLean, VA.

Jim Seeley, who is Program Director and co-founder of the , is also a certified water fitness instructor and pool guard trainer in Fairfax County, VA where he's been employed more than 20 years. He specializes in water aerobics, yoga and tai chi. Jim's been certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), Aerobics Fitness Association of America (AFAA), Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA), American Aerobics Association International (AAAI), the Arthritis Foundation and the American Red Cross. He's taught fitness classes in all 9 Fairfax County Recreation Centers in Virginia.

"My exercise philosophy comes from a song I heard as a child," says Jim. " 'A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down.' We've been blessed with club members who agree with this philosophy. We strive to make all our exercise cruises fun and they are!" As the travel club has grown it's added even more fun activities...such as ball room dancing. Jim is now certified to teach his popular Ballroom Dance Classes too on all his cruises. Zumba was also added to the cruises by an instructor from Maryland who began teaching the classes on board ship in 2010.

As Program Director for , Jim created a bank of 200 certified water exercise teachers who take their own students on fitness cruises. is today a registered trade mark with more than 3,500 club members nationwide. Just as the travel club has grown and gained in popularity, so has Jim. For 5 years he's actively promoted the Ms. Virginia Senior America Pageant. In 2009 and 2010 he was invited by pageant officials to serve as its Master of Ceremonies. Click here to watch a slide show of pictures from a Ms. Virginia Senior America Pageant. "Incredible," is how Jim describes the pageant's participants. "Marvelous and incredible," he says. "The most beautiful thing about all of them is how they smile. And I love a woman who smiles!"

Jim is a 1986 graduate of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. He is fluent in Spanish, having worked 7 years in customer service for American Airlines in Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Miami. Jim is single, but keeps very busy with his parents, 10 brothers and sisters and their families. In 2005 he began producing and hosting a new TV show he created for Cox Cable TV in Fairfax County. His bi-weekly show is "Forever Young." Guests are members of the , as well as other popular retirees in the Washington, DC metro area, who promote good health and social activities for active seniors. His TV show is a top rated program in both Fairfax and Arlington Counties in Virginia and in Montgomery County in Maryland.

During the past 13 years, while escorting fitness cruises, Jim has become an expert on the design and history of cruise ships. He knows all the deck plans and layouts of each ship the travel club boards. He shares his knowledge with guests by taking them on walking tours on each ship the first day a new cruise begins. "This makes it easier for our guests to find their way around," he says. "No other travel agency adds this touch. It's part of our promise to take you on a cruise with us and not just send you on a trip somewhere by yourself."

Jim and Cynthia are the co-founders of Ventures in Travel, (DBA) doing business as the . Ventures in Travel is a subsidiary of Ventures in Video, Inc., in Falls Church, VA where the company has been in business more than 30 years. It is owned and operated by Michael Williams of McLean, VA. Chief Accounting Officer for both companies is Rick Bynaker, CPA, also of McLean. The club's Fitness Host Coordinator is Barb Batson of Nashville, TN. Webmaster is Evan Hambrick. Innovative Projects, Inc., in Fairfax, VA is the club's ad agency where Bonnie Burroughs serves as top designer. Andrea Dickerson of Annandale; Virginia Shrout of McLean and Matt Hilferty of Herndon, VA are Assistant Travel Coordinators.

Fairfax County Park Authority, for which both Jim Seeley and Cynthia Neu McCluskey teach, was named Best Park Authority in the nation in 2006. Their travel club was named by Royal Caribbean in 2007 as its #1 Business Partner in the mid-Atlantic states of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C. The award winning was given this honor above 104 other travel agencies on the East Coast.

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