Leadership

The principal purpose of the Greater Midwest Chapter of the Professional Convention Management Association shall be to increase the effectiveness of meetings and conventions through member industry education and promotion of the value of the meetings industry in the Midwest Region.

The principal purpose of the Greater Midwest Chapter of the Professional Convention Management Association shall be to increase the effectiveness of meetings and conventions through member industry education and promotion of the value of the meetings industry in the Midwest Region.

Board of Directors

Kelly Jena, CMP, DES - President -

Meeting Manager
American Society for Dermatologic Surgery

Yolanda Simmons Battle - President-Elect -

Senior Manager
AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association)

Kristi Casale, CMP, DMCP - Immediate Past-President -

Vice President of Meetings and CE
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

Dawn Amaskane, CMP, CAE - Secretary -

Associate Vice President, Administrative Affairs
American Osteopathic Association

Tamara Jones - Treasurer -

Senior Director, Sales
Choose Chicago

Colleen Bagnasco, CAE, CMP - Director -

Vice President, Event Strategy & Industry Relations
Association Management Center

Joni Opperman - Director -

Assistant Managing Director, Association Group Sales
Hilton Worldwide Sales

Phillip Ridley, CMP - Director -

Meeting Operations Manager
Emergency Nurses Association

Bonnie Stetz - Director -

Director, Conference Experience Strategy
National Association of Realtors

Sherry Vale - Director -

Regional Director of Sales, Midwest
Visit Baltimore

Lindsay Williams, CMP - Director -

Senior Manager, Business Development
GES

Committee Leadership

Awards Committee:

Co-Chair, Toyin Alaka, National Commission on Correctional Health Care
Co-Chair, Angela Jonker, CMP, DES, MBA, Emergency Nurses Association

Community Services Committee

Co-Chair, Wendy Carranza, CMP, DES, American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society
Co-Chair, Melissa King, Hilton Columbus Downtown

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity Committee

Chair, Michael Deisting, CMP, DES, MongoDB
Co-Chair, Ronnette Phillips, Hilton Worldwide Sales

Member Engagement Committee

Co-Chair, Beth Hayson, MBA, CAE, CMP, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Co-Chair, Jenny Lynch, Visit Indy

Marketing Committee:

Co-Chair, Jeanne Pluemer, CMP, DES, ACSESS: the Alliance of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Science Societies
Co-Chair, Jen Salerno, CMP, DES, JTS Connect, LLC

Professional Development Committee

Co-Chair, Anthony Molino, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau
Co-Chair, Juliane Touhy, American Society of Plastic Surgeons

Sponsorship & Industry Relations Committee

Co-Chair, Adrienne Nudo,  Hawaiʻi Visitors & Convention Bureau
Co-Chair, Michelle Whitworth, CMP, DES, Association Management Center

Past Presidents

2022 Kristi Casale

2020 Rachael Riggs

2018 Murray Ryan

2016 Hilary Rosenthal

2014 Julie Mullins

2012 Katie Bender

2010 Scott Romane

2008 Paul Miller

2006 Andrea Field

2004 Lora Stanley

2002 Louise Polchelski

2000 Nancy Kay Olson

1998 Dick Barton

1996 Paul Jay

1994 Charles Watts

2021 Molly Witges

2019 Douglas Dvorak

2017 Sandy Reynolds

2015 Catherine Mills

2013 Colleen Donohoe

2011 David Almond

2009 Michael McCurry

2007 Teri Jarvie

2005 John Folks

2003 Teri Tonioli

2001 Laurie Fitzgerald

1999 Laurie Behncke

1997 Lisa Sykes

1995 Diane Dale

1993 Barbara Connell

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