Our 2025 President Reflects

We accomplished so much and positioned ourselves for even greater success in the years ahead. Our Education team delivered outstanding programs that provided members with meaningful opportunities for professional growth and self-reflection. The Special Events team hosted engaging Mix & Mingle networking events at new and exciting locations, and our signature annual events and of course, GMID, once again brought our industry together to connect, collaborate, and celebrate.

This year, we proudly launched a new initiative—the Spirit of Giving Campaign—which shined a light on several worthy organizations by raising awareness around human trafficking and donating much-needed funds to support their important missions. In addition, the Karen Altman Fund sponsored scholarships for both members and students to attend our educational programs, further reinforcing our chapter’s commitment to learning and professional development.

Our newly formed Student and University Relations department experienced significant growth and is actively partnering with local universities to increase student engagement and involvement in our chapter. We also welcomed an exceptional new administrative team to support and organize the chapter’s day-to-day operations. Meanwhile, our Leadership Development team successfully onboarded an outstanding Board of Directors for 2026, setting the stage for continued momentum and success.

Our Membership team continued to support and grow our chapter as a vibrant community of dedicated industry professionals. We also made meaningful strides in expanding chapter and industry collaboration, embracing the spirit of working together for the greater good of the industry we all love.

A huge shout-out to our incredible Sponsorship team, who worked tirelessly to secure and support sponsors for our programming. Our sponsors are truly the backbone of our ability to deliver high-quality events and opportunities for our members, and we are deeply grateful for each one of them.

Overall, this has been an incredible journey—personally, professionally, and for our chapter. 

I am deeply grateful to the 2025 Board of Directors, our dedicated volunteers, and our members. I look forward with great enthusiasm to our continued commitment in 2026 to the MPI South Florida Chapter, our members, and our industry.

Serving as your 2025 President has been one of the greatest honors of my professional journey, and I step into this next chapter with immense pride, gratitude, and confidence in the future of the MPI South Florida Chapter.

I invite you now to view this splendid recap of our moments of achievement, activities and awards throughout the year.

Enjoy!

Allison Gilchrest
2025 MPI South Florida Chapter President