PCMA announces proposed slate of 2018 board officers and directors

The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Nominating Committee met on 25 August, in Chicago, IL, to determine the final slate from the extraordinary nominee applications for the 2018 open board officer and director positions. After vigilant due diligence and deliberation, the committee offers the following slate of candidates for leadership positions on the 2018 PCMA Board of directors. According to the PCMA Bylaws, this official announcement of the proposed slate is to be sent to the membership by 1 October. The nominating process, according to the Bylaws (Article XII, Section 1(d)), allows for additional nominations for any officer or director position by members who submit a petition. The petition is required to be signed by five per cent of the members from the respective membership category appropriate to that position, and submitted to the President and CEO no later than the close of business November 1, 2017. If you are interested in submitting a petition, please contact Deborah Sexton, PCMA president and CEO, at +1 312 423 7264 or deborah.sexton@pcma.org for petition details and procedures. Unless there are additional petition nominations from the membership, the following officers and directors will be deemed elected and will take office immediately following the 62^nd PCMA annual meeting, Convening Leaders, in Nashville, TN. Convening Leaders takes place in 7-10 January, 2018 in Nashville, TN and will be held at the Music City Centre. 2018 PROPOSED SLATE OF NEW OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS   Chair: Claire Smith, CMP Vice president, sales & marketing Vancouver Convention Centre Term: 2018   Chair-Elect: Gregory A. O’Dell President & chief executive officer Events DC Term: 2018   Secretary-Treasurer: Stuart Ruff-Lyon, CMP, DES VP, events & education Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc. (RIMS) Term: 2018   Immediate Past Chair: Mary Pat Heftman Executive vice president, convention & strategic alliances National Restaurant Association Term: 2018   The following individuals will begin serving three-year terms (2018-2020):   Neil Brownlee Head of business events VisitScotland   Carolyn Pund, CMP, CMM Senior Manager, Global SMM & Event Business Operations Cisco Systems Inc.   Kathleen Ratcliffe President Explore St. Louis   Megan Tate, CMM, DES Vice president, meeting & events planning manager Wells Fargo Bank   Christine Trimmer Executive director International Society for Infectious Diseases   The following individuals are currently serving terms as Directors:   Tonya Almond, CMP Vice president, meetings & continuing education American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Term: 2016 – 2018   Tamela D. Blalock, MTA, CMP Executive director Section of Women’s Health of the American Physical Therapy Association Term: 2016 – 2018   Kerry Crockett, MBA, CMP, CAE, DES Associate Executive Director International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine Term: 2017 – 2019   Ben Hainsworth Executive director K.I.T. Group GmbH Term: 2016 – 2018   Leonard Hoops President & CEO Visit Indy Term: 2017 – 2019   Gary Murakami, GTP, GLP, CMP Director, global sales MGM Resorts International Term: 2016 – 2018   Weemin Ong, CMP Executive director Marina Bay Sands Term: 2017 – 2019   Janeé Pelletier VP of communications & events MdBio Foundation Term: 2017 – 2019   Kelly M. Ricker Executive vice president, events & education CompTIA Term: 2017 – 2019   Danielle Urbina, CMP Director of meetings and exhibits American Society of Anesthesiologists Term: 2017 – 2019   Carol C. Wallace President & CEO Carol Wallace & Associates Inc. Term: 2016 – 2018