Leadership & Governance
International Board of Directors
2025 Officers
Chair
Rob Adams
(Term expires 2026)
CEO
Bishop-McCann
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Chair-Elect
Jim Russell
(Term Expires 2027)
Executive Vice President, Client Relationships
Freeman
Dallas, Texas, USA
Immediate Past Chair
Michelle Allgauer, CAE, CMM, CMP Fellow
(Term expires 2025)
Senior Vice President, Education & Engagement
Financial Services Institute (FSI)
Washington D.C., USA
Vice Chair - Finance
Lisa Messina
(Term Expires 2025)
Chief Sales Officer
Visit Orlando
Orlando, FL USA
Ex-Officio
Ex-Officio
Paul Van Deventer
President and CEO
Meeting Professionals International
Dallas, Texas, USA
Legal Counsel
Artoush Varshosaz
Legal Cousel
Partner, K&L Gates LLP
Dallas, Texas, USA
Board of Directors - Terms Expiring 2025
Charles Bello, CDS
Senior Vice President
ConferenceDirect
San Francisco, California, USA
Gerilyn Horan
Vice President, Group Sales & Strategic Accounts
Hilton Worldwide
New York, New York, USA
Dzidra Junior, CMP
Director Regional Sales
Boyd Gaming
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Bobby Heard, CAE
Chief Operating Officer
American College of Emergency Physicians
Irving, Texas, USA
Michel Wohlmuth
CEO
Creatividad
Mexico City, Mexico
Immediate Past Chair
Susie Townsend
Chief Destination Experience Officer
Visit Indy
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Board of Directors - Terms Expiring 2026
Robbert Weddepohl
Group Venue Director
Stage Entertainment B.V.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Scott Beck
Strategic Advisor – Innovation and Development
JLL
Global Tourism Advisory Group
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Luis Lamar
Vice President Sales, Group Operations
MGM Resorts International
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Steve Kinsley
President
Kinsley Meetings
Littleton, Colorado, USA
Board of Directors - Terms Expiring 2027
Fiona Bruder
Global Chief Executive Officer
George P. Johnson
Pleasantville, New York, USA
Thijs Peters
Co-Founder
Conventus Consultants
MICE DAILY
Den Bosch, The Netherlands
Corey Tuttle, CMM, HMCC
Senior Director, Strategic Meetings & Events, Marketing Operations
Gilead Sciences
San Francisco, California, USA
James Jessie
Chief Sales Officer
Travel Portland
Portland, Oregon, USA
Emeritus
Legal Counsel - Emeritus
Jonathan T. Howe, Esq.
President/Senior Partner
Howe & Hutton, Ltd.
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Global Board of Trustees
2025 Executive Committee
Chair
Rebecca DeLuca, CMP
Vice President of Destination Sales
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Chair-Elect
Richard Allchild, CMP
Head of Sales North America
IMEX Group
Brighton, UK
Immediate Past Chair, GBOT
Susie Townsend
Chief Destination Experience Officer
Visit Indy
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Vice Chair - Finance
Antonio Ducceschi CMM, CHBA
Chief Commercial Officer
Starhotels Group
Florence, Italy
Vice-Chair Programs
Valeria Serrano, PCS
CEO
CTA Event Designer & DMC
Cancun, Mexico
Vice-Chair Chapters
Darlene Kelly-Stewart
Owner
Stonehouse Sales & Marketing Services
Richmond, Ontario, Canada
Vice Chair Business Development
Julie Krueger
Vice President Business Development Global
Freeman
Dallas, Texas, USA
Terms Expiring 2025
Angie Ahrens, CMP Fellow, CMM
Head of Global Events
Intuit Mailchimp
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Dr. Krzysztof Celuch, CMM, CITE, CIS, HMCC, CED
Rector / Professor
Vistula School of Hospitality
Warsaw, Poland
Brad Dean
President
Explore St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri, 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
John Ehlenfeldt, CDME, CMP
Regional Director of Sales
Business Events Montreal
Long Beach, California, USA
Term Expiring 2026
Joe Marcy, CMP-Fellow, CITP, CMM
Director, Group Business Development
See Monterey
Manhattan Beach, CA, USA
Brent Hill
Vice President, Global Sales
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Orange Park, Florida, USA
Telesa Via
Vice President, Luxury and Lifestyle Sales
Associated Luxury Hotels International
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
Term Expiring 2027
Karin Davis
Vice President of Sales
The Venetian Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada USA
Darren Temple
Chief Growth Officer
The Expo Group
Dallas, Texas, United States
Jackie "JJ" Wills
SVP, Marketing Programs and Business Development
Conference Direct
Long Beach, California, United States
Megan Archambeault
Vice President of Sales
MGM Grand/MGM Resorts
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Nicole Newman
Vice President
SearchWide Global
Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Rich Reasons
Consultant / Former President
Simpleview Inc.
Boulder, Colorado, USA
Executive Leadership
Paul Van Deventer
President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Michael Crumrine
Chief Administrative Officer
Rachel Benedick
Chief Revenue Officer
Tim Boobar
Chief Finance Officer
Kevin Kirby
Executive Director, MPI Foundation
Structure
The governing body of MPI is the International Board of Directors. The International Board is responsible for reviewing and approving the organization's strategic plans. It oversees financial integrity and monitors performance against achievement
of strategy and long-term vision. The current MPI International Board of Directors will remain in office until through the end of the calendar year.
Each year, MPI members in good standing are eligible to submit an application to serve on
the MPI International Board of Directors. The call for applications open July 1st each year. By November 1st, the Board Development Committee shall submit a slate of one (1) candidate for each vacancy on the MPI International Board of Directors and each
office of MPI. See the complete volunteer timeline.