Contact Information and Committees
GANYC (Guides Association of New York City)
115 Broadway, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10006
General inquiries: info@ganyc.org
Phone: 855-57-GANYC
Committee Chairs and Emails:
Awards Committee: The GANYC Apple Awards are held once a year in March, in which those who know New York best honor the best of New York. While we have many volunteers who help out only on the day of the event, being a member of the committee does require some participation--attending meetings and contributing to the event as a whole. Sara Lyons is Chair. Awards@ganyc.org
Certification Committee: Tour Guide Certification classes offered periodically. These courses provide ongoing training for licensed guides, focused on skills and field work beyond just general knowledge. Michael Dillinger is Chair. Certification@GANYC.org
Education Committee: The Education Committee supports GANYC members in maintaining a high level of excellence and professionalism in tour guiding by creating and maintaining a continuing education program to advance guides knowledge of NYC and its environs and enhance tour guides' professional development. The curriculum includes Familiarization (FAM) Tours, guest lecturers, and a professional development program (PDP) of webinars. We achieve this by forming relationships with museums, cultural institutions, landmarks, iconic venues and attractions, and experts in their fields. Nina Mende is Chair. Education@ganyc.org
Ethics Committee is a standing committee that is called upon as needed. In the past it has established a Code of Ethical Standards for members, for Tour Operators who are Industry Partners and for Industry Partners in General. It meets as needed to review individual member issues concerning possible breaches of the Code of Ethical Standards and determine if further action is required. Susan Birnbaum is Chair. Ethics@GANYC.org
Government Relations Committee: This committee is the liaison between GANYC and local government offices and initiatives. Members work with the NYC City Council and others to advocate for our industry. Patrick Casey is Chair. GovernmentRelations@ganyc.org
Industry Relations Committee: Industry Relations oversees all our numerous industry partners, organizes events for monthly meetings and site inspections. Bob Gelber is Chair. IndustryRelations@ganyc.org
Insurance Committee: The Treasurer handles all matters related to insurance. insurance@ganyc.org
IT Committee maintains the official GANYC website www.ganyc.org. Members have access to private sections of the website including Members-only documents, digital library, Lands' End apparel, and job boards (both English and multi-lingual). All members are encouraged to make a profile page including lists of tours and services offered, as well as contact information for prospective clients. Members may also publish up to three tours each that can be searched on the website. Authorized users are able to post job announcements and requests for guides and services. Emma Guest-Consales, Ph.D. is Chair, Marc Landman is Emeritus Chair. IT@ganyc.org
Membership Committee: This committee is the public face of GANYC to our members. They recruit new members, track the progress of provisional members to full status, organize orientation sessions and networking events. Ann McDermott is Chair. Membership@ganyc.org
Multilingual Committee: Organize events for our many multilingual guides. Steve Clopper is Chair. MultilingualGuides@ganyc.org
Newsletter Committee: Newsletter Committee publishes a quarterly periodical of material submitted by GANYC members. Typical contributions include tour reviews, website reviews, personal updates, book reviews, any hard news, and generally anything that concerns tour guides here in New York City. We distribute this voice-of-tour-guides as a paper copy for those who wish to receive one - and we post a PDF on our private website for those who only wish to view it. We call it GuideLines. Dave Gardner is Chair. Newsletter@ganyc.org
Public Relations Committee: Public Relations Committee is to advance the stature and public face of the organization, so as to raise the profile of the NYC professional tourist guide and their role as ambassadors and educators for visitors to the city. To accomplish this the PR Committee will: Issue regular press releases of note and newsworthy information though a database of press contacts maintained by the Committee so that the broadest possible audience is reached. Produce and post regular GANYC messages and images with official GANYC press and social media outlets including website, X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and all other current and future platforms. Set guidelines for all GANYC public relations including publication copyrights, ethics and consistent representation to the public of GANYC. Jeremy Wilcox is Chair. PublicRelations@ganyc.org