Shining Star - Katelyn Ruggeri

We are excited to announce that our April Shining Star is Katelyn DeNap Ruggeri! Katelyn grew up in Southern Illinois and says her love of meeting planning began while studying National Security in Washington, D.C. at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. She began coordinating/planning social and educational events for the Sigur Center for Asian Studies. They hosted several events each academic year, bringing together students, artists, professors, policy makers, and international speakers. Although Katelyn had planned on building a career in National Security, she found herself far more passionate and excited to plan and execute events. So, Katelyn moved back home and had the fortunate opportunity to network with local St. Louis planners, join MPI, and meet her current team at Intalere! 

Katelyn has spent the last year and a half as Intalere’s Meeting Coordinator. She assists with the planning of their local, regional, and national meetings, from internal/staff-only meetings to events catered to their customers and partners. Katelyn says the best part of her job is the collaboration with her team. “We each encourage and exchange new ideas to develop and elevate our strategy and meeting experience. By far, the best part of planning is seeing everything come together as an enjoyable and unique experience for your attendees.”

Katelyn has been a member of the St. Louis MPI Chapter for a year and a half as well! Since joining, she has volunteered on the Membership Committee as the Recruitment Chair. She also assisted with speaker research for the EduCon Committee. Finally, She worked on securing auction items for the annual Trivia event for the Special Events Committee. Katelyn plans to continue to volunteer for the Education Committee, and work on researching and securing the educational content for EduCon - her favorite event! Katelyn said, “As a community, we succeed when we support and encourage each other. As a member of MPI St. Louis, I always strive to find the “yes” and willingly accept all opportunities where I can offer assistance and service. At one point, I was simultaneously working for three committees because I was eager to not only get involved, but also support the various goals of our chapter. When serving on a committee, look for ways your individual skill-set may contribute to the group’s success. While I was tasked with gathering auction items for our Trivia Night, I also took on writing trivia questions because that is where my nerdy-self shines.”

Katelyn will celebrate her 2-year wedding anniversary to her husband, Jeff, this May. In her spare time, she loves spending time with family, whether it is a game night-in or spending the day going to art galleries and wineries. Where the opportunity exists, Katelyn likes to donate her time and skills to help coordinate local fundraisers or camps for groups supporting children and families impacted by life threatening illnesses. She annually volunteers for the Southern Illinois Chapter of Make-A-Wish, and Camp HIS KIDS, hosted by the HIS KIDS Cancer Support Group.

When asked what she finds to be the biggest benefit of her MPI membership, Katelyn said, “The biggest benefit is having access to this incredible community of professionals. While many professional organizations serve simply as a line on your resume, MPI St. Louis is truly about membership. We invest in each other’s success and continue to build connections to create a stronger meetings industry in the St. Louis area.”

Katelyn - Thank you so much for sharing your time and talents with the St. Louis MPI Chapter!