MPI Newsroom



MPI 2024 International Board of Directors and Foundation Global Board of Trustees

Dec 5, 2023
The MPI International Board of Directors (IBOD) is the governing body of MPI and is responsible for developing and leading the organization's strategic plans.
DALLAS, December 5, 2023 —Meeting Professionals International (MPI) announces its approved slate for the 2024 MPI International Board of Directors and the 2024 MPI Foundation Global Board of Trustees. 

The MPI International Board of Directors (IBOD) 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.  

“It has been an honor to review the qualified applications received this year and to lead the Board Development Committee through its deliberations. The many impressive candidates required a rigorous process to arrive at final selections,” said Bonnie Carlson, 2024 MPI Board Development Committee Chair and Immediate Past Chair of the Board of Directors. 

“I am confident that our slate of directors and trustees for the 2024 term will lead adeptly our community by leaning in to their expertise, rich experience, and business acumen. The newly appointed board members each contribute a depth of knowledge that will help drive the mission of MPI and the MPI Foundation. I am proud of the talent and skill fostered within the MPI community and I congratulate our new board members on their appointment,” said Paul Van Deventer, president and CEO of MPI. 

Board members will take office effective January 1, 2024, for the term from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024. 

Below is the full slate of the 2024 MPI International Board of Directors. 

2024 MPI International Board of Directors


MPI Chair of the Board 
Michelle Allgauer, CAE, CMM, CMP Fellow (term expiring in 2025)
Senior Vice President, Education & Engagement 
Financial Services Institute (FSI)
Washington, D.C. USA

Chair-Elect 
Rob Adams (term expiring in 2026)
CEO
Bishop-McCann
Kansas City, Missouri USA


Vice Chair – Finance 
Bobby Heard, CAE (term expiring 2024)
COO
American College of Emergency Physicians
Dallas, Texas USA

Immediate Past Chair 
Cleo Battle, CDME, CASE (Term expiring in 2024)
President & CEO
Louisville Tourism
Louisville, Kentucky USA

Board Members


Chair, MPI Foundation
Susie Townsend (term expires 2024)
Chief Destination Experience Officer
Visit Indy
Indianapolis, Indiana USA


Special 1-year terms 


Michel Wohlmuth
CEO 
Creatividad
México City, México

Rachel Andrews 
Head of Global Meetings & Events
Cvent
Denver, Colorado USA

Expiring in 2024


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

Expiring in 2025


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
President
Renditions Consulting
Las Vegas, Nevada USA

Jim Russell
Executive Vice President, Client Relationships
Freeman
Dallas, Texas USA

Expiring in 2026


Robbert Weddepohl
Group Venue Director
Stage Entertainment 
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Scott Beck 
President & CEO 
San Francisco Travel
San Francisco, California USA

Steve Kinsley
President
Kinsley Meetings 
Littleton, Colorado USA 

Luis Lamar 
Vice President of Group Sales 
MGM Resorts International 

Las Vegas, Nevada USA

 

MPI Foundation 2024 Global Board of Trustees

Meeting Professionals International Foundation is pleased to announce the approved slate for the 2024 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. 

“I look forward to working with this esteemed group of industry leaders in 2024. Together, we will advance the mission of the MPI Foundation through sound governance and strategic development,” shared Rachel Benedick, MPI Chief Revenue Officer.

Trustees will take office effective January 1, 2024, for the term from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024.

Below is the full slate of the 2024 MPI Foundation Global Board of Trustees.

 

2024 MPI Foundation Global Board of Trustees

The slate of officers (Executive Committee) includes:

 

Chair

Susie Townsend (term expiring in 2025)

Chief Destination Experience Officer

Visit Indy

Indianapolis, Indiana USA

 

Chair-Elect

Rebecca DeLuca, CMP (term expiring in 2026)

Vice President of Destination Sales

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority

Las Vegas, Nevada USA

 

Immediate Past Chair

Jennifer Beatty, DES, HMCC (term expiring in 2024)

Director of Partnerships

Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC)

Ottawa, Ontario Canada

 

Vice Chair – Programs

Valeria Serrano, PCS

CEO

CTA Event Designer & DMC

Cancun, Mexico

 

Vice Chair – Business Development

Richard Allchild, CMP

Head of Sales

IMEX Group

Brighton, United Kingdom

 

Vice Chair – Finance

Antonio Ducceschi, CMM, CHBA

Chief Commercial Officer

Starhotels Group

Florence, Italy

 

Vice Chair – Chapters

Darlene Kelly-Stewart

Owner

Stonehouse Sales & Marketing Services

Richmond, Ontario Canada

 

 

Board Members

 

Expiring in 2024

Rich Reasons

President

Simpleview Inc.

Boulder, Colorado USA

 

Darren Green

Chief Sales Officer

Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board

Los Angeles, California USA

 

Ernest Stovall

Vice President of Sales, Catering and Conference Services

MGM Resorts

Las Vegas, Nevada USA

 

Joey Nevin

Vice President

Giants Enterprises

San Francisco, California USA

 

Sarah Soliman, DES

President & CEO

Soliman Productions, Inc.

Orlando, Florida USA

 

Karin Davis

Vice President of Sales

The Venetian Resort

Las Vegas, Nevada USA

 

Expiring in 2025

John Ehlenfeldt, CDME, CMP

DEI Consulting & Strategy

Long Beach, California USA

 

Angie Ahrens, CMP Fellow, CMM

Director, Global Events
MRI Software

Atlanta, Georgia USA

 

Dr. Krzysztof Celuch, CMM, CITE, CIS, HMCC, CED

Rector/Professor

Vistula School of Hospitality

Warsaw, Poland

 

Brad Dean

CEO

Discover Puerto Rico

San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

Kimberly Napolitano, CASE

Executive Director, Industry Relations, and Intermediary Group Sales

Hilton Worldwide

McLean, Virginia USA

 

Gary Murakami, CMP, CMM, DES

Vice President of Sales and Industry Relations

Teneo Hospitality Group

San Francisco, California USA

 

Expiring in 2026

Brent Hill

Vice President, Global Sales

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Orange Park, Florida USA

 

Joe Marcy, CMP, CITP, CMM

Senior Business Development Executive

See Monterey

Manhattan Beach, California USA

 

Telesa Via

Head of Sales

IHG Hotels & Resorts

Washington D.C., USA

 

Alice Harrington-Caravello

Vice President, Account Sales & National Group Sales

Marriott International

Bethesda, Maryland USA

 

Heather Dow, CPhT, CAE, CPC(HC), HPDE, HMCC

Senior Manager

Events & Management Plus, Inc.

Kingston, Ontario Canada

 

Brian Crumby, CED

Director of Sales – Key Accounts & Strategic Partnerships

Caesars Entertainment

Houston, Texas USA

 

MPI Foundation

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