Leadership & Governance
International Board of Directors
2023 Officers
Chair
Cleo Battle, CDME, CASE
(Term expires in 2024)
President & CEO
Louisville Tourism
Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Chair-Elect
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
Rob Adams
(Term expires 2023)
CEO
Bishop-McCann
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Immediate Past Chair
Bonnie Carlson, CDME
(Term expires in 2023)
President & CEO
Bloomington Convention and Visitors Bureau
Bloomington, Minnesota, 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 2023
Julie Coker
President & CEO
San Diego Tourism Authority
San Diego, California, USA
Tammy Routh
Senior Vice President – Global Sales
Marriott International
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Michel Wohlmuth
CEO
Creatividad
Mexico City, Mexico
Chair MPI Foundation
Jennifer Beatty, DES, HMCC
Director of Partnerships
Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Robbert Weddepohl
Group Venue Director
Stage Entertainment B.V.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Genaya Cameron, CMM
Senior Director, Event Operations
Halifax Convention Centre
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Board of Directors - Terms Expiring 2024
Bobby Heard, CAE
COO
American College of Emergency Physicians
Irving, Texas, USA
Lisa Messina
Chief Sales Officer
LVCVA
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Chris Meyer
CEO
George P. Johnson
San Francisco, California, USA
Board of Directors - Terms Expiring 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
Vice President of Business Development
YMCA of the Rockies
Estes Park, Colorado, USA
Jim Russell
Executive Vice President, Client Relationships
Freeman
Dallas, Texas, USA
Emeritus
Legal Counsel - Emeritus
Jonathan T. Howe, Esq.
President/Senior Partner
Howe & Hutton, Ltd.
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Global Board of Trustees
2023 Executive Committee
Chair
Jennifer Beatty, DES, HMCC
Director of Partnerships
Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Immediate Past Chair
Gary Schirmacher, CMP
Senior Consultant, Talent Acquisition
Maritz Global Events
Erie, Colorado, USA
Chair-Elect
Susie Townsend
Chief Destination Experience Officer
Visit Indy
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Vice Chair - Business Development
Julie Krueger
Business Development Director – International
The Freeman Company
Dallas, Texas, USA
Vice-Chair - Chapters
Sarah Soliman, DES
President & CEO
Soliman Productions, Inc.
Orlando, Florida, USA
Vice-Chair - Programs
Gina Samci
Senior Director, Global Accounts
Marriott International
Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
Vice-Chair - Finance
David Kliman, CMM
President
The Kliman Group, Inc.
Tucson, Arizona, USA
Terms Expiring 2023
Richard Allchild, CMP
Head of Sales
IMEX Group
Brighton, UK
Antonio Ducceschi CMM, CHBA - EMEA Council Chair
Chief Commercial Officer
Collezione Starhotels
Florence, Italy
Joe Marcy, CMP
Business Development Executive
Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Manhattan Beach, CA, USA
Brent Hill
Vice President, Sales and Marketing
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Orange Park, Florida, USA
Terms Expiring 2024
Rebecca DeLuca, CMP - US Council Chair
Director of Key Accounts & Strategic Partnerships
Caesars Entertainment
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Darren Green
Senior Vice President, Sales
Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board
Los Angeles, California, USA
Joey Nevin
Vice-President
Giants Enterprises
San Francisco, California, USA
Rich Reasons
President
Simpleview Inc.
Tucson, Arizona, USA
Ernest Stovall
Vice President of Sales
Mandalay Resort & Casino and Delano | Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Valeria Serrano Suzan, PCS - Latin American Council Chair
Managing Director
CTA Event Designer & DMC
Cancun, Mexico
John Ehlenfeldt, CDME, CMP
DEI Consulting/Industry Leader
Long Beach, California, USA
Terms Expiring 2025
Angie Ahrens, CMP, CMM
Director, Global Events
MRI Software
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Dr. Krzysztof Celuch, CMM, CITE, CIS, HMCC, CED
Vice-Rector / Professor
Vistula School of Hospitality
Warsaw, Poland
Brad Dean
CEO
Discover Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Darlene Kelly-Stewart - Canada Council Chair
Owner
Stonehouse Sales & Marketing Services
Richmond, Ontario, Canada
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
Executive Leadership
Paul Van Deventer
President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Michael Crumrine
Chief Administrative Officer
Drew Holmgreen, CED
Chief Brand Officer
Michael Guerriero
Interim Chief Finance Officer
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Rachel Benedick
Chief Revenue Officer
Diane Hawkins, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Executive Vice President Volunteer Engagement
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.