ATLANTA — Carol Ann Riley, owner at Carol Ann Riley Inc., has earned certification as a travel marketing professional after completing the three-year program of the Southeast Tourism Society Marketing College.

Riley was one of 47 new TMPs recognized at the STS spring meeting in Atlanta. STS Marketing College started in 1992, and 749 people have earned TMP certification.

The STS Marketing College is a professional development program that for one week each summer turns the facilities of North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega, Ga., into a laboratory to teach tourism marketing.

Instructors are working professionals in the travel industry such as convention and visitors bureau executives, public relations practitioners, sales and marketing consultants and research experts.

Course topics include special events marketing, media relations, tourism advertising, vacation research, crisis management, heritage tourism and community/rural tourism. After the classroom work, students also must complete a project that relates to their employment.