Board of Directors

Andrea Cliff
Department of Medicine, University of Alberta

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Having many years of event planning on a volunteer basis, I decided to take my passion & make it a career. 

With a love for events, people & continuing professional development (PD), I noticed a void on campus & spearheaded the Campus Event and Meeting Planners (CEMP) Network. I recognized a need to network, share best practices, resources, PD learning’s & opportunities with fellow campus event & meeting planners. We now have over 130 titled & non-titled event & meeting planners as a part of the CEMP network. This was all inspired by my involvement with the MPI Edmonton Chapter.

The #YEG Chapter membership is an amazing group of event professionals.

The personal and professional relationships I have built have been invaluable!

Arlene Schilke, CMP
Timewise Event Management Inc. 

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I have an unbridled passion for the events industry and my membership with MPI over the past 8 years has fueled this fire.  Part of my commitment in joining the BOD for a second term is to help foster relationships amongst the members, both planners & supplier.

• I am a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
• I am a mother of 4, ages 7, 9, 11, 13
• I am Award Nominee for Alberta Women Entrepreneurs & a big supporter of women in business
• I love technology & gadgets, currently obsessed with anything Apple – and my Fitbit!
• I am a foreign film critic

Tina Tillapaugh, CMP
Fort Edmonton Park

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Event Management is truly a passion of mine.  The joy of interacting with guests and suppliers, the rush of adrenaline onsite, and the gratification of successfully completing an event.  These are the things that have kept me in the meeting and events industry since 2001.  I originally joined MPI in 2010 to access the education and career development offered, with the goal of earning my CMP designation (which I did in 2011).  I soon discovered that the people I have met and built relationships with along the way is another amazing benefit of being a member of MPI.  I stepped out of my comfort zone last year when I decided to join the Greater Edmonton Chapter Board of Directors and I'm definitely glad I that did.  The experience I have gained is invaluable and the people I have connected with will be lifelong friends.  I look forward to continuing to serve our members and contributing to MPI. 

Cindy Spears
Fort Edmonton Park

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I've always believed in the power of events, to make connections and impact in a community. I joined MPI to meet local event professionals and learn new trends and innovations. What I've found as a member is a close, supportive group of people who are all passionate about the industry. Building relationships with other planners and suppliers has provided me with amazing inspiration and efficiency for all my events. It didn't take long for me to volunteer with the board and start helping plan chapter events!

• Love road trips to the mountains
• Dedicated reader and always carrying a book with me
• Addicted to London Fogs.
  

Jeanette Petriko
Tanner Young Publishing Group

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As a new member of MPI as well as a new member of the BOD, I’m excited to learn more about this fabulous industry and to meet new people!

Now that my kids are pretty much grown, a new goal is to start travelling more. I like reading, going to movies, gardening and watching NFL football. Go Pats!

Cindy Wallace
Association of Alberta Registry Agents (AARA)

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Member Engagement Specialist at the Association of Alberta Registry Agents (AARA)

I originally joined MPI as a student through Mount Royal College. Mount Royal encouraged me to join MPI, as did my father-in-law, who was a member of MPI many years ago. He told me, “If you ever get a chance to join MPI, do it.” I did, and I am so glad about that decision. 

I love making new friends through MPI networking opportunities and using in my own events the new skills that I have learned at educational sessions. The MPI community is not competitive, but supportive. I can always bounce ideas and ask for expert advice from the people that I have met through MPI.

Other than my love of event planning, I also enjoy spending time with family and friends, hosting game nights, and attending concerts and expos. 

Pat Rodenburg, CMP
Integra Events

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I have been an MPI member since 2002, joining when I was working towards my CMP designation.  MPI has become a valuable resource in my role as an independent meeting planner. I often use the online resources for everything from contract best practices to sponsorship ideas.  Volunteering on the board has introduced me to new skills and amazing individuals and I value my role as a director.

• I have had my CMP designation since 2002
• I have operated my business, Integra Events, since 2009
• Quilting is a new passion for me
• I enjoy traveling and my job has taken me coast to coast across Canada, through the United States and into Europe.
• I have two granddaughters and love to spend time with them

Olivia Fata
Olivia Fata Assisting & Planning

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Planning has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I received my Special Event Management Certificate from NAIT in 2010 and believe that it’s given me the push I needed to start my own business in 2018; of course, along with the support of family, friends, and my incredible fiancé. I work full-time as an Administrative Assistant, which leaves my weekends free for planning events. Over the past year, I have been focused mainly on weddings and have perfected timeline management.

Fun Facts:

- I have a 6-year-old daughter.

- My favorite professional sport to watch is baseball (I'm a huge Cubs fan).

- I have 19 years of experience in the hospitality industry.

- I love books, especially biographies and thrillers.

Kristin Glass
Kristin Glass Events

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I am a passionate and driven individual that is OBSESSED with events and the event industry. Having joined MPI in the interests of building relationships with kindred souls, it was an easy jump to be part of the BOD.

• I am a fan of spending my time and hard-earned money on experiences, not things. You can often find me at concerts and events, playing sports, or off on some random traveling adventure.
• I come from a long line of entrepreneurs, so none of my friends or family were surprised when I started my own business a few years ago. I believe I was always destined to make my own way in the world.
• My favourite feeling is the one I get when I see all the pieces of an event coming together – which is exactly why this is my chosen career.

Cynthia Osepchuk
BUKSA Strategic Conference Services

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I joined MPI to get involved within the amazing network of colleagues that the meeting industry in Edmonton has to offer. I've stayed and been sitting on the board for 3 years because of all the amazing support I've received from the people I've met and because of the wonderful resources and educational opportunities MPI has to offer. The Edmonton group of MPI members feels like a little community that you can rely on whenever you need help, or just someone to lend an ear.

• Outdoor Enthusiast and Traveller 
• True love for list making and organization
• Bilingual in French
• Can often be found exploring the mountains