First and foremost, we want to welcome our two newest members, Kimberly Rhodes, CMP, Senior Meeting and Event Manager at Experient Inc. and Mitch Divens, Director of Business Development, Markey’s Rental & Staging! We are so thrilled to have you as a part of GMC PCMA!
Now, join us in recognizing our members’ achievements and discover who has recently changed positions.
Members on the Move
Ellen Klesta – Market and Services Manager, DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau
DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau has named Ellen Klesta market and services manager. In this newly created position, Klesta will help bolster the organization’s efforts to identify and secure new and recurring meetings, conferences, and events for DuPage County. Klesta has more than two decades of hospitality sales and marketing experience. She most recently served as corporate sales manager for The Clubhouse Restaurant in Oak Brook, Illinois.
Melissa Holm – Creative Director, Steelcase Event Experiences
Steelcase Event Experiences has named Melissa Holm as its creative director. In this role, she will spearhead their design innovations in crafting participant experiences. Holm joins the Steelcase team from Gensler, where she worked for the last 15 years, most recently as the interior design director for its Phoenix office. There, she was responsible for leading several hospitality, retail, and senior living projects across the country.
BizBash’s Top 500 People in Events
Finally, a big congratulations to our GMC PCMA members who were named Top People in Events on BizBash’s Top 500 List
DESTINATION MANAGEMENT COMPANIES
Tony Lorenz, AlliedPRA, C.E.O., Chicago
EVENT EDUCATION
Carol McGury, SmithBucklin, E.V.P., Event & Education Services, Chicago
Janet Sperstad, Madison Area Technical College, Program Director, Meeting & Event Management Degree, Madison
EVENT INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP
Tonya Almond, PCMA, V.P. Knowledge & Experience Design, Chicago
Steve Bova, FICP – Financial Services and Insurance Professionals, Executive Director, Chicago
Sherrif Karamat, PCMA, President & C.E.O., Toronto
John “Jack” Patronski, GES—Global Experience Specialists, Executive V.P., Industry Development, Chicago
Deborah Sexton, FASAE, DLS & Associates, Chicago
PLANNERS—ASSOCIATIONS
Martin Balogh, American Bar Association, Associate Executive Director, Meetings & Travel Group, Chicago
Anthony Bernard, SAP Users’ Group, S.V.P. Operations, Chicago
Jared Cohen, American Academy of Pediatrics, Director, National Conference & Exhibition, Chicago
Mary Pat Heftman, National Restaurant Association, Executive Vice President, Convention & Strategic Alliances, Chicago
Karen J. Malone, HIMSS, V.P. Meetings, Chicago
Danielle L. Urbina, American Society of Anesthesiologists, Director of Meetings & Exhibits, Chicago
