Andrea Elizondo, CMP, CMM - August 2020

By Diana Balakirov

From Anchorage to Austin and everywhere in-between, Andrea Elizondo, CMP, CMM, has made many a move and forded plenty of streams in her life. Now, as a seasoned meetings and conferences director, she is embracing her latest achievement -- a volunteer of the month award.

Andrea began her career in 2001. Initially an accountant for the Association of Texas Professional Educators, she unexpectedly found herself stepping into the shoes of an event planner. Despite having no previous experience in the industry, Andrea quickly learned the ropes; uncharted territory eventually turned into a long-term journey with endless learning opportunities.

A membership at MPI THCC was a natural fit for Andrea. Since joining over 15 years ago, she has served as a volunteer on committees ranging from education, registration and scholarships to Texas Education Conference (TEC) and Southwest Showcase. In recent years, Andrea has held two board of directors posts and continues to receive member recognition for her ongoing commitment to the chapter.

Andrea’s spare time is usually reserved for family, which includes a step-daughter -- now a senior at Texas State University -- and a four-year-old son. When it’s safe to meet and travel again, Andrea hopes to return to Alaska, where she was born and spent many summers as a child, and attend concerts with her husband, a true heavy metal fan who has accompanied her to performances given by the likes of Alice in Chains, Tool, Def Leppard and Nine Inch Nails.