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Shannon Burke, CMP
National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC)
Shannon has been involved with AMPs since 2009. She volunteered for the hospitality committee and was asked to become a co-chair. She later joined the AMPs Board and is now serving as Secretary. Shannon has been in the industry for 12 years and is currently the Assistant Director of Conference and Meetings for NACAC. Previously she was with the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the Northern Virginia Technology Council. Though her first role in the industry was working for a conference her lobbyist Aunt was organizing, Shannon worked when she was twelve years old. She has been a Certified Meeting Professional since 2007. Highlights of Shannon’s career include events featuring the Vice President of the United States and the Department of Defense Fire & Emergency Services Training Conference. She has worked on meetings from 10 – 15,000 and enjoys them all. Shannon is also involved in PCMA, on the Capital Chapter’s Communications Committee and on a National Conference Task Force for Expos and Tradeshows. She holds a B.A. from James Madison University in Media Arts and Design with a focus on Graphic Design and Advertising.
Helen Mesfin, CMP,
New Orleans Metropolitan CVB
Helen Mesfin, CMP is currently Manager of National Sales office for the New Orleans CVB in Washington DC since July 2008. In her role, her primary responsibility is to promote New Orleans as a premier meeting and convention destination by generating leads for the association market in Washington DC and Virginia. Helen has several years of experience in full service account management, direct sales and in various other positions in the hospitality industry. Prior to joining New Orleans, Helen held position with Destination as Convention Sales Manager handling the Association market based in DC and the Northeast region. Prior to that with Centerplate/NBSE the exclusive food and beverage provider for the Washington Convention Center as a Director of Catering Sales serving as part of a team to open a state-of-the-art convention center in the Nation's Capitol. Formerly Helen has also served as Sponsorship Committee Chair and Board nominating committee for the Capital Chapter of Professional Convention Managers Association (PCMA) as well as the National Membership Committee and Foundation Dinner Task Force. Besides her professional accomplishments Helen is a longtime resident of Washington DC with her husband and their two children.
Jill Oxendine-Medley, CHSE
Loews Annapolis Hotel
Jill is currently the Director of National Accounts with the Loews Annapolis Hotel. She is responsible for securing and developing business for her local hotel and the Loews Hotels brand in the Association, Non-Profit and Tour and Travel Markets. Jill has held several senior level sales positions in her fourteen years as an hospitality professional and has been instrumental in increasing revenues and developing marketing plans for all of the hotels she has represented. In 2011, she received her CHSE designation and has been a member of AMPs since 2006 and also currently a member of PCMA.
Karen Staples, CMP, CASE
Visit Spokane
Karen M. Staples, CMP, CASE is the Director of Sales for the DC office and the Eastern Region for Spokane Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau and has more than 19 years in sales, marketing and management experience in the hospitality and meetings industries. Staples, is responsible for the strategic management and execution of the sales efforts in the DC Market and East Coast key accounts. While her objective is to drive business opportunity to Spokane she also promotes the interest of the city of Spokane in the meetings & convention marketplaces by promoting the overall brand. In addition, she develops and maintains key relationships in the industry Staples previously served as 2009 Chairman of the CVBReps (a DC based association of satellite CVB offices) NESAE board member from 2007-2009, DMAI Mint Committee 2008-present, recipient of PCMA-Capital Chapter 2006 Hospitality Award, as well as a host of other committees. With over 11 years in Destination Marketing, Staples worked with various brands and independent resorts from 1990 until she moved into Destination Marketing in 1999 full time. Throughout her career, she has been responsible for playing an integral part of a team, managing staff, and working with budgets and goals. She was the first executive to be hired in Hartford, CT for pre-sale of that convention center complex and held that position for 9 years, including launching the DC office prior to joining Spokane CVB. Her professional involvement includes membership in Society of Government Meeting Professionals, ASAE, PCMA, American Society of Association Executives, AMPS and CVBReps. Staples also holds the designations of CMP and CASE. Karen’s career in hospitality was by chance. She started out when she was a Gerontology student and director of therapeutic services for brain injuries, dementia and Alzheimer’s unit; she ventured out to try some new work on the weekends to meet young people. She found a new love and years later accepted a management position at a World Class Resort Marina…and the rest is history!
Beth Bushman
Orlando CVB
Jennifer Howie
Noble House Hotels & Resorts
Jennifer Howie is currently the National Director, Group Sales for Noble House Hotels & Resorts. She is responsible for building and maintaining the Mid-Atlantic and Mid-West corporate client relationships as well as Association relationships Nationwide. She has held various senior level sales positions for both Independent and Branded Luxury Hotels and was the #1 top revenue producer, companywide, for her employer in 2009. A fifteen year hospitality professional, Jennifer has been instrumental in developing marketing plans, implementing aggressive sales efforts, and increasing revenues for all of the hotels she has represented. Jennifer has been involved with AMPs since 2004 and is also a member of PCMA, PMPI, ASAE, and Association Forum.
Laura Weaver
Society of American Florists
Laura Weaver, CMP is the Director of Meetings and Conventions for the Society of American Florists located in Alexandria, VA. She is responsible for program development and overall planning, logistics and implementation of SAF's meetings, conferences and annual convention. Laura has been in the meetings industry for over 18 years, and joined SAF in 2004. A certified meeting professional since 2001, Laura has worked for Consumer Bankers Association and Precision Metalforming Association. She has a BA in history from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pa. and is also a graduate of the Institute for Organizational Management. Laura is active in many Industry related organizations. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of Meeting Professionals (AMP’s), is the AMP’s Golf Tournament Co-Chair and is a member of the Professional Convention Management Association’s (PCMA) Convene Magazine Task Force.
Tom Dozier, CMP
National Auto Auction Association
Tom Dozier, CMP joined the National Auto Auction Association in 2009 after working at AIM Meetings & Events, Inc. for 8 years. He graduated in 2001 with a B.S. degree from Elon University in North Carolina, majoring in Sports and Leisure Management and minoring in Business Administration. Tom has been an active member of AMPS since 2003, previously serving on the AMPs Board, the Program Committee, and the Website Redesign Committee. Tom is a current member of ASAE and the HIP Network.
Maggie Kohne
Powell Khone Associates, LLC
Maggie Kohne is a principal of Powell Kohne Associates, LLC., a speaker bureau based in Fairfax and Springfield, VA. Powell Kohne Associates, LLC was founded in 2006 by Maggie Kohne & Blanche Powell. They provide assistance in booking speakers, celebrities and entertainers for corporate and association meetings. Maggie has been in the meeting industry for over 10 years.
Maggie was born in Australia and was an executive assistant at the Embassy of Australia in Washington, DC for 7 years. Her career has included interesting and challenging positions from the Australian Embassy to Head of Procurement for a Fortune 500 retail company branch. She is VP of Education for the Virginia Association of Meeting Planners and a past member of the board for the Maryland Society of Association Executives.
Maggie and her husband have a son and daughter and are recent grandparents. Maggie is a member of Beta Sigma Phi.
Tamela Blalock, CMP
Team San Jose
Tamela Blalock, MTA, CMP is the National Sales Manager for Team San Jose, representing the convention center and convention and visitors bureau of San Jose, California. She serves clients in the mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions. During the past 11 years, Tamela has worked in several Washington area institutions including the Central Intelligence Agency and the Washington Redskins. Prior to joining Team San Jose in 2010, Tamela served as the Assistant Director of Summer and Conference Housing for The George Washington University. She has a BS in marketing from Georgetown University and a MTA from The George Washington University. Tamela Blalock is also a very active member of PCMA, MPI, SGMP, and CVB Reps.
Annemarie Selvitelli
Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry
Annemarie Selvitelli is the Director, Education and Foundation Programs for the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry. In her current role, she is responsible for marketing and managing AWCI’s Doing It Right education programs in addition to managing and promoting both the Foundation’s fundraising activities and AWCI Cares program. Annemarie has been an active member of AMPs since 2003 and has served on the Community Service Committee, Investment Committee and the Public Relations Committee. She holds a B.S. degree in Health Wellness from Buffalo State College.
Kim Lord
Anaheim/Orange County CVB
Matt Evans
Hyatt Regency Crystal City
Ann Garvey, CMP
Puerto Rico Convention Bureau
Ann Garvey is a Director of Sales at the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau, representing the Puerto Rico Convention Center Pedro Rosselló. Based in Maryland, Ann works with the Washington, DC; Maryland; and states west of Kansas to promote Puerto Rico as a premier meeting destination and to bring groups to the largest and most technologically advanced convention facility in the Caribbean. A proven hospitality, meetings and conventions sales professional, Ann has worked with top DMOs including Visit Baltimore and Los Angeles's LA INC., as well as top hotel brand Hilton Hotels & Resorts selling to the group market. Active within the association meetings and conventions industry, Ann Garvey is a member of PCMA, MPI, IAEE and ASAE and is committed to serving the needs of AMPs and its members in her work as Committee Co-Chair.
Greg Brice
AVI-SPL
Greg Brice currently serves as Business Development Manager for AVI-SPL, the largest full-service audiovisual company in North America. Since joining AVI-SPL in 2008, Greg has been named Account Manager of the Quarter six times. His clients include Fortune 500 companies, associations, nonprofit organizations, producers, and independent meeting planners. Greg’s work ethic and attention to detail helps foster a symbiotic relationship with clients and allows him to exceed expectations on a daily basis. Greg graduated from Villanova University in 1992 with a degree in Communications. He has been a member of AMPs since 2009.
Steve Schieber
Windows Catering
Michelle Jones, CMP
Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater
In January 2011, Michelle W. Jones, CMP, became the DC Sales Manager for Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater after having been a meeting planner for nearly 20 years. Most recently, Michelle was a Director of Meetings for The Associated General Contractors of America in Arlington, Virginia.
Michelle began working for associations in 1991, and spent 10 years with the United States Energy Association. It was with USEA that she developed her interest in meeting planning. She then spent two years as a corporate planner with Quadel Consulting before returning to the association world, working for the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and the National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies (NAILBA). She also briefly worked for The Forum Group, a full service meeting planning firm.
Michelle earned the CMP designation in 2002, and is an active member of several industry groups including PCMA, AMPS, CVBReps and PMPI. She graduated from James Madison University in 1990, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Communications (PR Concentration) and French. Michelle lives in central Virginia with her husband and son.
Simone Burnette
District of Columbia Bar
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