Barbara Bridges, CMP - May 2020

By Diana Balakirov

She has been an on-and-off member of MPI THCC since 2011, drawing on the organization’s support to help her through the most rewarding and the equally as challenging of times. Now, among her extended family of meeting and event professionals, Barbara -- our volunteer of the month -- continues to gain newfound strength from a global community united by resilience.

Barbara’s experience in hotel sales, CVB sales and meeting planning has spanned over a decade, beginning with her move to San Antonio, Texas in 2006. After working at Marriott International’s regional sales office, she became a national sales manager for the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau. Striving to grow professionally, Barbara pursued further avenues, earning her CMP in 2013; becoming an event planning specialist at Andeavor (now Marathon Petroleum) in 2018; switching industries to work as an event manager for a startup dental company; and eventually finding her way back to hospitality as a group sales manager at The Westin Riverwalk hotel earlier this year.

Throughout professional ups and downs, unexpected layoffs and moments of career uncertainties, Barbara continued focusing on what matters most: meaningful relationships. Thanks to MPI THCC’s continuing education offerings, team-building activities and volunteer opportunities -- including the community outreach and TEC committees with which she was directly involved -- difficult situations were made bearable. 

Now, even as she awaits to return to work with her hotel family, Barbara looks forward to seeing hotels reopen, meetings resume and a new normal to begin. Until then, she and her husband, Andy, have three dogs, a cat, gardening and plenty of baking to keep them busy at home.