DALLAS, December 2, 2022 —Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is pleased to announce the approved slate for the 2023 MPI International Board of Directors and the 2023 MPI Foundation Global Board of Trustees.
The MPI International Board of Directors is the governing body of MPI and is responsible for developing and leading the organization's strategic plans. It oversees the financial integrity of the organization and monitors performance against achievement of strategy and long-term vision.
The MPI Foundation Global Board of Trustees (GBOT) is the governing body of the MPI Foundation, leading the organization’s strategic planning and fundraising efforts.
“On behalf of the Board Development Committee, we were impressed by the qualified applications received and the thorough discussion we had to arrive to these slates,” said Stephen Revetria, 2023 MPI Board Development Committee Chair and Immediate Past Chair of the Board of Directors.
“I was very pleased by the level of interest and quality of candidates who raised their hand to serve on MPI’s International Board. As the new slate of directors joins our two very strong boards, they will bring additional thought leadership and experience that will make a difference at the leadership level across the MPI Community. Their perspectives and contributions will be accretive to the work of our boards in advancing MPI and the
global meeting and event community,” said Paul Van Deventer, president and CEO of MPI.
Board members will take office effective January 1, 2023, for the term from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023.
Below is the full slate of the 2023 MPI International Board of Directors.
Cleo Battle, CDME, CASE (Term expiring in 2024) President & CEO
Louisville Tourism Louisville, Kentucky USA
Nominees for Officer Positions
Michelle Allgauer, CAE, CMM, CMP Fellow (Term expiring in 2025) Senior Vice President, Education & Engagement
Financial Services Institute (FSI) Washington, D.C. USA
Rob Adams (Term expiring in 2023) CEO
Bishop-McCann
Kansas City, Missouri USA
Bonnie Carlson, CDME (Term expiring in 2023) President & CEO
Bloomington Convention and Visitors Bureau Bloomington, Minnesota USA
Board Members
Chair, MPI Foundation Jennifer Beatty, DES, HMCC Director, Partnerships
Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Julie Coker President & CEO
San Diego Tourism Authority San Diego, California USA
Tammy Routh
Senior Vice President – Global Sales Marriott International
Chicago, Illinois USA
Michel Wohlmuth CEO
Creatividad
México City, México
Special 1-year terms Robbert Weddepohl Group Venue Director Stage Entertainment Amsterdam, Netherlands
Genaya Cameron, CMM
Senior Director, Event Operations Halifax Convention Centre Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Expiring in 2024 Michael Guerriero Business Consultant
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Bobby Heard, CAE COO
American College of Emergency Physicians Dallas, Texas USA
Lisa Messina Chief Sales Officer
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Las Vegas, Nevada USA
Chris Meyer CEO
George P. Johnson
San Francisco, California USA
Charles Bello, CDS
Senior Vice President/Team Director ConferenceDirect
San Francisco, California, USA
Gerilyn Horan
Vice President, Group Sales & Strategic Accounts Hilton Worldwide
New York, New York, USA
Dzidra Junior, CMP
Vice President of Business Development YMCA of the Rockies
Estes Park, Colorado, USA
Jim Russell
Executive Vice President, Client Relationships Freeman
Dallas, Texas, USA
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is the largest meeting and event industry association worldwide. The organization provides innovative and relevant education, networking opportunities and business exchanges, and acts as a prominent voice for the promotion and growth of the industry. MPI has a global community of 60,000 meeting and event professionals including more than 17,000 engaged members and its Plan Your Meetings audience. It has more than 70 chapters and clubs in 75 countries. “When we meet, we change the world.” www.mpi.org
Meeting Professionals International Foundation is pleased to announce the approved slate for the 2023 MPI Foundation Global Board of Trustees.
The Global Board of Trustees is the governing body of the MPI Foundation, with responsibility for Foundation governance, strategic planning, financial oversight, and the raising and distribution of funds.
“We are very fortunate to have such talent and passion to help raise funds and sustain the meetings and events industry,” shared Kevin Kirby, MPI Foundation Executive Director.
Trustees will take office effective January 1, 2023, for the term from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023.
Below is the full slate of the 2023 MPI Foundation Global Board of Trustees.
The slate of officers (Executive Committee) includes:
Jennifer Beatty, DES, HMCC Director, Partnerships
Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) Ottawa, Ontario Canada (previously elected)
Susie Townsend
Chief Destination Experience Officer Visit Indy
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Gary Schirmacher, CMP
Senior Consultant, Talent Acquisition Maritz Global Events
Erie, Colorado USA
Gina Samci
Senior Director, Global Accounts Marriott International
Lincoln, Nebraska USA
Julie Krüger
Senior Business Development Director – Global Freeman
Dallas, Texas, USA
Vice Chair – Finance David Kliman, CMM President
The Kliman Group, Inc.
Tucson, Arizona, USA
Vice Chair – Chapters Sarah Soliman, DES President & CEO Soliman Productions, Inc. Orlando, Florida, USA
Angie Ahrens, CMP, CMM Director, Global Events MRI Software
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Richard Allchild, CMP Head of Sales
IMEX Group
Brighton, United Kingdom
Dr. Krzysztof Celuch, CMM, CITE, CIS, HMCC, CED Vice – Rector/Professor
Vistula School of Hospitality Warsaw, Poland
Brad Dean CEO
Discover Puerto Rico San Juan, Puerto Rico
Rebecca DeLuca, CMP
Director of Key Accounts & Strategic Partnerships Caesars Entertainment
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Antonio Ducceschi, CMM, CHBA Chief Commercial Officer
Starhotels Group Florence, Italy
John Ehlenfeldt, CDME, CMP Executive Director/CEO
Visit Dana Point
Dana Point, California, USA
Darren Green Chief Sales Officer
Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board Los Angeles, California, USA
Brent Hill
Vice President, Sales and Marketing Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Orange Park, Florida, USA
Darlene Kelly-Stewart Owner
Stonehouse Sales & Marketing Services Richmond, Ontario, Canada
Joe Marcy, CMP, CITP
Business Development Executive
Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau Manhattan Beach, California USA
Gary Murakami, GTP, GLP, CMP, CMM, DES Vice President of Sales and Industry Relations Teneo Hospitality Group
San Francisco, California, USA
Kimberly Napolitano, CASE
Executive Director, Industry Relations, and Intermediary Group Sales Hilton Worldwide
McLean, Virginia, USA
Joey Nevin Vice President
Giants Enterprises
San Francisco, California, USA
Rich Reasons President Simpleview Inc.
Tucson, Arizona, USA
Valeria Serrano Suzan, PCS CEO
CTA Event Designer & DMC Cancun, Mexico
Ernest Stovall
Vice President of Sales
Mandalay Resort & Casino and Delano | Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
The MPI Foundation is a non-profit organization that fuels the advancement of MPI members by providing them professional development and career opportunities through grants and scholarships. The MPI Foundation also propels the meeting and event industry forward by funding innovative research and pan-industry initiatives that support the strategic plan of MPI. www.mpi.org/foundation
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