Thank you to the MPI Toronto 2021-2022 Board!

As a cycle closes, a new one begins. Here at MPI Toronto, we are very grateful to our 2021-2022 Board of Directors for their tireless work and efforts to continue strengthening our chapter and its role in the events industry. We asked them to give us their thoughts and insights on their experiences in the past year and here is what they had to say:

Christina Northcott CMP, CMM, DES
Position in the 2021-2022 Board: President

What is your most valued experience or learning from your position on the MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

It is challenging to limit this to one most valued experience in my years on the MPI Toronto Board of Directors. Some of the most valuable experiences have been the extensive network I have gained and therefore resources that help me with my role, as well as the leadership skills. It was a roller-coaster year, and I am incredibly proud of the Toronto Chapter’s achievements and ability to remain agile; to execute no matter the changing circumstances and deliver in whatever format was needed: from virtual, to hybrid, to in-person.

What is your proudest moment from our activities at the MPI Toronto Chapter this year?

The addition of the VP, Membership & DEI and Director, Membership and DEI was also a major accomplishment by the Board of Directors and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force. MPI Toronto Chapter is the first Canadian Chapter to create such position and one of few internationally

Do you have any advice for the incoming MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

• Remain agile.
• Don’t hesitate to ask for support or guidance early.
• Never forget that your contributions are extremely valued, you are making an impact and creating a community. 

Margaret Binns
Position in the 2021-2022 Board: Immediate Past-President

What is your most valued experience or learning from your position on the MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

When it comes to valued experiences, I must put the MPI Toronto Chapter at the very top of my list.  It is the “people” that make my volunteer experience worthwhile. Throughout my journey with MPI, I have made business connections and strong friendships that will last a lifetime. You can’t put a value on that because it’s priceless! In my leadership capacity and while serving on the Board of Directors, I gained new-found knowledge and experience at every turn. 

One of the greatest skills I attained was how to delegate effectively. As Chapter Past-President, and being employed full-time, my strong commitment to both my own association and the MPI Toronto Chapter meant that I had to juggle many responsibilities. Those commitments and a desire to always do my very best, led me to perfect my delegation skills. In the process, I also learned that delegating is not about giving up stuff, but rather it is about empowering others to do great things, and to reach their full potential. Being a witness to this was incredibly fulfilling and inspiring.

What is your proudest moment from our activities at the MPI Toronto Chapter this year?

I am most proud of the people that kept the Chapter running, despite all the difficulties we encountered the last few years. We delivered so much great content because of our passionate committee volunteers, our amazing Chairs, our committed Board of Directors, our extraordinary administration staff (FWA), and our loyal members. Without them there would be no MPI Toronto Chapter. I want to express my sincere gratitude to all of them for their devotion and sacrifices. They embody volunteerism and community, and I am so very proud for the opportunity to have served them all!!            

Do you have any advice for the incoming MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

My advice to anyone joining the MPI Toronto Chapter Board is to be fully engaged, be humble, be service-oriented, and make decisions that best serve the entire membership. Be present at every meeting and event because this is how and where you will learn the most - from others, and from those experiences. Come well prepared to meetings and participate fully in the discussions, but also listen to other viewpoints with an open mind, as great ideas come from differing opinions. Commit yourself fully and know that you are never alone. This is a “community” like no other I have encountered, and our members rely on each other, but also lean on each other for support and encouragement. Remember everyone around you wants you to succeed. Count on them to be there for you and for others in return.

Tami Adams
Position in the 2021-2022 Board: Vice President Communications (Communications/Marketing)

What is your most valued experience or learning from your position on the MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

Where does one start? I have learned so much over the years, from strategy to leadership, to mentorship to social media skills and understanding of a business. So many learnings have helped me prepare to be a business owner today.

What is your proudest moment from our activities at the MPI Toronto Chapter this year?

Getting through it all and being there for the membership, keeping them engaged while dealing with so much ourselves is for sure a proud moment!

Do you have any advice for the incoming MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

Always come from the heart, be authentic and genuine and be kind. Respect everyone equally and be a team player - speak up with your creative insights and ideas as it often sparks other ideas to run off it and turns into magic!

Tammy Bradley, CMP, VEMM (2022)
Position in the 2021-2022 Board: Vice President Education & Membership (Education/Membership)

What is your most valued experience or learning from your position on the MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

My most valued experience of being on the Board is the ability to really share my opinions and ideas on the growth of the Chapter. I have sat on the Board for over 9 years, and it is amazing to see how far the Chapter has evolved in that time.

What is your proudest moment from our activities at the MPI Toronto Chapter this year?

I am very proud of how our Chapter came together to support one another in a very challenging year.  Some members were still unemployed, the government created instability in our industry by opening, closing, opening and everyone was busier than ever. We found a way to help one another out by either picking up some additional volunteer responsibilities or even just forwarding job opportunities on our social media.

Do you have any advice for the incoming MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

Listen, observe, and ask questions. These would be my three biggest suggestions. It is important to really understand the discussions that take place and what the consequences of the decisions may be.  Good or bad.

Antonietta Tantalo
Position in the 2021-2022 Board: Vice President Finance (Special Events/ Strategic Partnerships)

What is your most valued experience or learning from your position on the MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

The most valuable thing I've gained from being on the MPI Toronto Chapter Board is the education that comes with it. I've had an opportunity to see how a board performs, the roles and responsibilities that come with it.

What is your proudest moment from our activities at the MPI Toronto Chapter this year?

My proudest MPI Toronto Chapter moment this year was getting the Peer-to-Peer Program up and running which was a proposal from one of last year's MPI Toronto Chapter Board members, Stephanie Rapko. It was so great to hear how our members connected with each other to share their expertise and learn from one another. The connections made are invaluable!

Do you have any advice for the incoming MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

My advice for incoming MPI Toronto Chapter Board members is to take a step back and just soak it all in. There's so much to learn that you can take away. The discussions, the thought leadership at the table, and creativity from all is remarkable.

Rachel Klar, CMP
Position in the 2021-2022 Board: Director, Communications

What is your most valued experience or learning from your position on the MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

My most valued experience from my position on the MPI Toronto Chapter Board this past year has been learning from the incredible committee of volunteers. Each brought forth their passions and were willing to share their knowledge with each other. Everyone showed a strong level of dedication and resilience through the past two years of the pandemic and the continuing contribution to MPI and giving back to the community was admirable. I was privileged to be a part of this diverse team and grow myself, both personally and professionally, through each interaction with them.

Do you have any advice for the incoming MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

Savour each moment and soak in the learnings from each other. Everyone on the board and committees are volunteering their time, energy and effort to making the MPI Toronto chapter an inclusive and impactful organization to help each other by networking and continuing their growth and development.

Emilia Kim, DES
Position in the 2021-2022 Board: Director, Education (PD/CMP)

What is your most valued experience or learning from your position on the MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

Working along with leaders of the events and meetings industry. We share knowledge and learn from one another. I am privileged to be working with many creative minds that have built such a strong community and I am inspired each time any MPI meetings are held. Thank you to all the volunteers who make magic possible.

What is your proudest moment from our activities at the MPI Toronto Chapter this year?

I am proud to have worked with Professional Development Committee and as a member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion taskforce, that has now become a committee. We can all admit the last couple years have taken us for a rocky ride! The silver lining that came out of the pandemic when great minds got together was incredibly influential. MPI Toronto Chapter now has an appointed V.P. of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Membership, along with the Director and a Chair to lead the future team. We’re only getting started!

Do you have any advice for the incoming MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

Always be open to learning. For me, it was finding my leadership style. This system will be different for everyone but acknowledging shortcomings and implementing a way to overcome them is imperative.

Leanne McCartney
Position in the 2021-2022 Board: Director, Marketing

What is your most valued experience or learning from your position on the MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

My most valued experience has been learning new skills. MPI has been such a positive and supportive community and has provided so many opportunities for growth.

What is your proudest moment from our activities at the MPI Toronto Chapter this year?

I have had several proud moments but was particularly impressed with the 2021 Holiday Gala event. Such a fantastic evening, and a room filled with amazing people.

Do you have any advice for the incoming MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

Be yourself, be vulnerable, be open to new ideas, and have fun!

Jennifer Pelletier, CMP
Position in the 2021-2022 Board: Director Membership (Membership/GMID/JN)

What is your most valued experience or learning from your position on the MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

I gained a much better understanding of our Chapter's role in the MPI Global ecosystem. This was also my first time participating on a board and I learned about the responsibilities that Board members have, individually and collectively. Being able to strategically support our volunteers and membership community was a great honour.

What is your proudest moment from our activities at the MPI Toronto Chapter this year?

Being able to support both GMID and Just Networking to host in person events felt like coming full circle for me. I started my role on the board at the beginning of the pandemic and was able to conclude it with not just one but two in-person events which were amazing. I worked with three amazing Chairs during both of my service years and that was the greatest honour of all.

Do you have any advice for the incoming MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

Don't be shy to speak up. You were chosen to be part of this board based on your experience and knowledge. It's so important to have a wide range of opinions and perspectives to make a positive and inclusive impact. Your fellow board members are your allies and lean on them whenever you need to. One of the best parts for me was knowing that I have this amazing group of people in my corner with the same goals and I could ask for their wisdom or support when needed it and give it back too.

Zaman Ishaad, CMP, CED, DES, CIS
Position in the 2021-2022 Board: Director Special Events (Awards Gala/Holiday Gala)

What is your most valued experience or learning from your position on the MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

My most valued experience from the board is thinking strategically and experimenting with new ideas. I oversaw the event design for the first ever hybrid event for the Chapter. It was a great learning opportunity to discover what worked well and what could be improved upon. I also gained new leadership skills by supporting two chairs!

Do you have any advice for the incoming MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

My advice would be to understand the different perspectives and to think about the different needs of our membership. The different perspectives allow us to service a diverse membership

Connie Cay-Santos, CMP, VEMM (2023)
Position in the 2021-2022 Board: Director Strategic Partnerships (Strategic Partnerships/Golf)

What is your most valued experience or learning from your position on the MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

My most valued experience is the feeling of belonging with the MPI Toronto Chapter. I've grown so much within the last three years, from being a member to being Chair, Director, and now VP of Communications and Strategic Partnerships. The biggest lesson learned through these years is that when I invest my time to support the activities in our chapter, the value I gain back in friendship, support, and professional development is tremendous.

What is your proudest moment from our activities at the MPI Toronto Chapter this year?

Being honoured with the Future Leader of the Year award this year at the MPI Awards Gala is one of my proudest moments. This is a privilege recognition nominated by my peers and selected by the awards selection committee among many brilliant leaders. It's also a beautiful reflection on my accomplishments and reward as an invested member of MPI Toronto.

Do you have any advice for the incoming MPI Toronto Chapter Board?

As a board member, you have a critical vote on the decisions we need to make on behalf of our chapter members. Schedule time to review the documents and ask questions to gain all the clarity and insight you need so that your vote can best represent your voice, your perspective, and your understanding of what the best choice for the chapter is.