Ellen de Jonge was born and raised in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and came to Playa del Carmen in 2001. In the Netherlands, after a successful swimming career, she studied sports and became a swim teacher/coach, specializing in aqua fit sports. Through this course of study, she discovered her love for Yoga, which she has been studying for the past seven years. While studying yoga, Ellen worked at the world famous Tequila Barrel and there met many of the diverse residents of Playa del Carmen. She is now the proud owner of “Yoga by the Way” and is busy teaching, training new instructors and giving workshops. Ellen continues her study of yoga with the big masters and often participates in teacher trainings to keep on deepen her knowledge. She is also interested in the study of nutrition, Yoga science and therapy. Ellen was a volunteer for Taste of Playa 2009 and is pleased to join the Executive Committee as the Volunteer Chairperson for Taste of Playa 2010.

After graduating from University in Wolfsburg, Germany, Gabi dedicated herself to a gratifying but challenging career as a social worker, counseling and finding assistance for those in need  in her home country. Her attention to detail and creative abilities were perfected while organizing music festivals in her hometown. Looking to broaden her horizons, Gabi relocated to Playa del Carmen in 2001 where she co-owns a web based travel planning company and an online travel planner for Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya for the German tourist market www.mexiko-mexiko.de. Gabi works full-time as independent agent, specialized in Long Term Rentals and Property Management for Playa del Carmen. You can find lots of information on her website www.playa-rentals.com about living in and moving to Playa del Carmen. Gabi loves to spend her time with her Mexican and foreign friends from all over the world, enjoying the beauty of this small cosmopolitan town at the shores of the Caribbean. Her unique perspectives and organizational skills have made her a welcome addition to the Taste of Playa team, heading up the Graphics Executive Committee for the second year.

After 2 years of Majoring in Business and International Trade studies at the Tec.  De Monterrey Campus Guadalajara, Armando Elizalde moved from Jalisco to Quintana Roo in 1995, to live in paradise and work with tourism.  Upon arrival, he started a new career and venture in cave diving. Over the years, this eventually brought him to become an important part of the local leadership that created a 30+ strong professional divers’ association, for the purpose of protecting the reefs, cenotes and mangroves in the region.  Besides environmental activism and running a cavern diving tour operation, Armando writes an on-line magazine, a website publishing important news coverage of the State of Quintana Roo in English.  Armando has traveled around 13 countries and 3 continents, so he has been on both sides of the fence when it comes to tourism as a service provider and a partcipant in local services.  He also writes recipes and restaurant reviews to support the hundreds of eatries in the area.

Ellen de Jonge was born and raised in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and came to Playa del Carmen in 2001. In the Netherlands, after a successful swimming career, she studied sports and became a swim teacher/coach, specializing in aqua fit sports. Through this course of study, she discovered her love for Yoga, which she has been studying for the past seven years. While studying yoga, Ellen worked at the world famous Tequila Barrel and there met many of the diverse residents of Playa del Carmen. She is now the proud owner of “Yoga by the Way” and is busy teaching, training new instructors and giving workshops. Ellen continues her study of yoga with the big masters and often participates in teacher trainings to keep on deepen her knowledge. She is also interested in the study of nutrition, Yoga science and therapy. Ellen was a volunteer for Taste of Playa 2009 and is pleased to join the Executive Committee as the Volunteer Chairperson for Taste of Playa 2010.

After graduating from University in Wolfsburg, Germany, Gabi dedicated herself to a gratifying but challenging career as a social worker, counseling and finding assistance for those in need  in her home country. Her attention to detail and creative abilities were perfected while organizing music festivals in her hometown. Looking to broaden her horizons, Gabi relocated to Playa del Carmen in 2001 where she co-owns a web based travel planning company and an online travel planner for Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya for the German tourist market www.mexiko-mexiko.de. Gabi works full-time as independent agent, specialized in Long Term Rentals and Property Management for Playa del Carmen. You can find lots of information on her website www.playa-rentals.com about living in and moving to Playa del Carmen. Gabi loves to spend her time with her Mexican and foreign friends from all over the world, enjoying the beauty of this small cosmopolitan town at the shores of the Caribbean. Her unique perspectives and organizational skills have made her a welcome addition to the Taste of Playa team, heading up the Graphics Executive Committee for the second year.

After 2 years of Majoring in Business and International Trade studies at the Tec.  De Monterrey Campus Guadalajara, Armando Elizalde moved from Jalisco to Quintana Roo in 1995, to live in paradise and work with tourism.  Upon arrival, he started a new career and venture in cave diving. Over the years, this eventually brought him to become an important part of the local leadership that created a 30+ strong professional divers’ association, for the purpose of protecting the reefs, cenotes and mangroves in the region.  Besides environmental activism and running a cavern diving tour operation, Armando writes an on-line magazine, a website publishing important news coverage of the State of Quintana Roo in English.  Armando has traveled around 13 countries and 3 continents, so he has been on both sides of the fence when it comes to tourism as a service provider and a partcipant in local services.  He also writes recipes and restaurant reviews to support the hundreds of eatries in the area.

Born and raised in Evansville, Indiana, Sherry studied Interior Design, Graphics and Marketing at the University of Kentucky and competed in Championship level equestrian events. Upon graduation, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia to begin her own mail order company, Scintilla, representing designers and craftsmen of artisan lighting, home décor and jewelry, a creative career which helped polish her entrepreneurial acuity. Looking for a change of lifestyle, Sherry moved to Playa del Carmen in 2001 where she co-owns a web based travel planning company and works for One Stop Real Estate. Sherry is passionate about animals and dedicates herself to supporting local non-profits such as Coco’s Cat Rescue and the Peanut Pet Shelter. She is also the regional organizer for the annual V.I.D.A.S. clinic, an animal sterilization initiative offered free of charge to the residents of Playa del Carmen. Sherry’s commitment to the community combined with her expertise in design, marketing and retail make her a perfect fit to the lead the Marketplace Committee for Taste of Playa for another year