Welcome to our office staff page! Here you can find out the "dirt" on all of the staff located at our Orange County, California Headquarters! And although we have two divisions (Value sells Tours & Cruises & Renaissance sells consolidated air tickets ) we all live in the same little "yellow submarine" and are one big happy family! (except when were arguing, yelling or tearing each others eyes out - like in any big family!)"

The last time we updated this page was 1995 – we were a company on the upswing – young and ambitious and full of hope – and we wanted to convey the spirit within our office at the time…a spirit of fun, excitement, and youthful energy…(see archives for that story!)…

"Well, it is now 10 years later…some of our cherished people have gone on to newer and better things…some of us have grown older, if not wiser together…and it was time to update this page – so here it goes - 10 years later! And still as “crazy as ever”

Samo Toplak
CEO/Product Development

2005: Still here, and like good wine – aging well (what else can we say – he’s the boss!?)! Everyone still calls him “Poppa” and he is still the same loud sales oriented obnoxious one…but now, we like to think he has mellowed out somewhat…as the lines on his face may show right? (NOT!) Since the last time we updated this page…his kids have grown to 16 and 12 respectively…his dog is 11 years old…and his wife and he will be celebrating 20 years of marriage March 18 this year (someone give the woman a medal!)

Samo’s special note to all: “WOW… at 46 I really AM old (as my kids would say) But then again, after all the chaos in our business - 1999 Bombing of Yugoslavia, 2001 Sept 11… - 2003 Iraq + SARS…2004 Avian flu…you name it…we have survived it all! So…I am absolutely delighted that we are still here and would like to thank all of YOU for your continued support, especially all of our office friends and OLD TIME TRAVEL PARTNERS - who have withered the good and the bad with us! As Spock would say…“MAY YOU ALL LIVE LONG AND PROSPER!”

1995: As a former executive of Yugotours, an internationally renown specialist in Eastern Europe, Russia and beyond, Samo has over 20 years experience?.so don’t let this old picture fool you! He speaks English, Serbian, Slovenian and by now quite a bit of Russian! Being the "loudest" of our bunch, he acts as the top honcho and "bad guy" - although he's really a pussycat! Affectionately referred to as "Daddy" our little family, he handles sales, marketing, product development and - signs our pay checks! Which is why we have to love him...! Speaks English, Serbian and Slovenian.

James Pierce
President/COO

2005: Since our last update 10 years ago, Jimbo finally tied the knot and on January 13, 2004 became a proud Poppa himself! Jeffrey is now 1 year old and is “smart like his Daddy and pretty like his Mommy”… and we could not wish a better man a better future! You GO Jimmy! Samo and Jim met on September 18, 1984 and 21 years later they are still together – best friends and partners - Wow…someone should write a book about this!

1995: With over 20 years in the business with various international airlines and Eastern European tour operators - Uncle Jimmy at age 4???? is the grandpa in our office?. He recently completed his 3 year studying Chinese (now he knows 12 words!) , a great quality in our crazy business! Jimmy oversees the overall company operations, reservations, airline relations and anything else for that matter... including signing our pay checks when Samo's not around! Gotta love him too! Fluent in English, dabbles in German (knows 7 words) and is studying Chinese... (12 words...).

Boryana Vicheva
Accounting Manager

Berengere (Frerot) Cole
Reservations/Documents

2007: Summer of 2006 she married a US citizen, so it looks like she'll be staying in the country and continuing to send your tickets. Yeah! Mrs. Cole is a lot easier to pronounce.

2005: Following in Diana’s footsteps, we went looking for another Intern – and low and behold here came Berengere – a product of Viva La France - who spent a year in the US as a Foreign Exchange Student! We are glad to have her! Not only does she speak French (important for our Indo China Programs) but she is well organized in terms of mailing and handling all of our office requirements! Berengere is the first on the phones and we are truly glad to have this girl even for a year!

Corinna Vargas
Reservations Manager

Scott Dafferner
WebMaster and Design Guru

2005: Holy cow! Scott is still here! We met in 1883 working for others… and then, when Jim & Samo started our company (1992) – Scott founded One Touch Design – a company specializing in brochures, web design and similar! Its amazing to see that Scott is still with us, sharing our offices as an independent designer, but still handling all of our company letterhead, web, advertising and brochure requirements after almost 15 years! Now married with 3 delightful daughters… But jeepers…you really make us feel oooollllddd!

1995: Scott is our webmaster (uuu..!), brochure designer, marketing guru and overall artist and image maker! While he works as our in house consultant under his own company "OneTouch Design" - he has been with us since our inception and has designed every single piece of collateral from letterhead, company logo's, ad pieces and designed over 56 brochures over tha past decade (has it been that long already?)? - and now our web pages! So, if you have any comments and suggestions on how to improve our web site - send the good ones to us at cruise@valuecruises.net - but send all the bad ones directly to him at sdafferner@valuecruises.net! Fluent in English, English and 3 word of Russian!

Tania Kopitar
Web Internet Marketing Manager

Sonja Metuleva
Reservations Agent

2005: “Makedonsko Devojce” – This gorgeous Macedonian gal is the newest addition to our Renaissance Travel Staff. A recent arrival to the US, her family won a Green Card Lottery and decided to take the plunge. As technology engineers, both her and her husband and 2 kids found out that the US could be a difficult place to make a living in their prescribed jobs – but thankfully for us – Sonja is not only a whiz at computers but is also a wonderful and gentle soul which our clients are coming to appreciate…and as Reservations Agent is the first person you will talk to when buying an airline ticket.

HELEN GUO
Cruise Director

Helen is our Chinese "angel" - at least that's what the tons of complimentary letters from our Yangtze passengers call her! Based in Beijing she is our Senior Cruise and Tour Director for our China programs. While she spends most of the year march through November hopping from one tour to another in China, we love to bring her over during the off months of November through February…not only because of her smile and Chinese expertise mind you…but she makes the absolute best egg rolls you have ever tasted (among other Chinese delights!)…hmmm…all this food talk…must be lunch time…signing off!

Sergei Ginzburg
Senior Cruise Director

2005: Sergei is our one of our oldest and most popular Cruise Directors. Not only has he guided Russian, Ukrainian and 6 Country European Cruises, he has developed our original Tips on Travel and since winning his own Green Card Lottery, has established a most successful school of English in his home town of Nizhni Novgorod and has started his newest successful venture of importing used cars from the US to Russia. A Man of all Seasons we use Sergei frequently, as our Cruise Director Emeritus!

1995: Originally from Nizhny Novgorod in Russia - but today a man of the world - Sergei is our Senior Cruise Director in charge of our cruise staff, excursions and services on board our Russian vessels. While spending his summers aboard the MS "Furmanov" - since winning his "green card" in last year's lottery (talk about lucky!) - he now prefers to spend his winters at our sunny and warm Southern California offices! So, whatever minuscule questions you have about cruising the Russian or Ukrainian waterways - call on him from November through May 15 - after that you'll have to buy one of our cruises to see him! Fluent in English, Russian and can flirt in French!

Dusan L. Kuljic
Cruise Director - Europe

2005: AH the Legendary DUUUSHHHAAANNN! Our resident Don Juan, Dushan was a member of our US Reservation staff from 1995 – 1997… until he decided to move back to Belgrade, Yugoslavia where he has since married and just become a new Father! Since we started sailings between Vienna and Bucharest (1998) and we needed a good Cruise Director – who better than Dule! Dushan today, is our Cruise Director (along with Vojin – see below) for all of our Southern European Cruise Programs. Totally charming, gregarious, and effervescent, anyone who meets him – loves him!

Sheila Ji Lan
Senior Guide & Cruise Director - China

2005: This amazing gal has been our Senior Guide and Cruise Director in China for most of the past 7 years! Petite in size she is a “giant” among Tour Directors regardless of weather escorting groups of 20 or 200! She is so popular with our clients that many return to China requesting only dates where she is guaranteed to escort! We have received so many complimentary letters about her over the years – that we had to purchase a separate filing cabinet just to store Sheila’s fan mail! Absolutely the greatest! “XIE XIE “ SHEILA!

Olga Yemelyanova
Senior Cruise Director - Russia

Galia Saufulina
Senior Cruise Director - Russia

Svetlana Samotenko
Russian Guide

Luba Brezinsuaka
Russian Guide