PCMA ANNOUNCES 2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND TRUSTEES SLATE FOR MEMBERSHIP APPROVAL

CHICAGO, IL (September 1, 2022) — Sherrif Karamat, CAE, PCMA and CEMA President and CEO today announced he has received the 2023 Board of Directors and Trustees Slate from Nominating Committee co-chairs Kirsten Olean, Immediate Past Chair, PCMA Board of Directors and Angie Ranalli, Immediate Past Chair, PCMA Foundation Board of Trustees.

The PCMA Board of Directors includes Directors and Trustees for PCMA and the PCMA Foundation who support the association’s mission to drive global economic and social transformation through business events.

Building upon and following the 2022 globally diverse Board of Directors and Trustees, Karamat is honored to recognize the 2023 Slate which includes the first next generation, faculty and CEMA Advisory Board members.

“We know that if we expect our industry to transform, we need to lead that transformation,” said Karamat. “PCMA is a global movement to connect people with purpose to ideas and opportunities. We remain committed to leading the PCMA organization through a customer-centric lens and we are focused on delivering what our audiences need to be successful.”

The following leaders will begin serving a one-year Executive Officer term (2023):

Chair: Desirée Knight, CAE, CMP, DES, Senior Director of Education & Meetings, American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association

Immediate Past Chair: Charles Starks, President and CEO, Music City Center

Upon PCMA membership approval, the following leaders will begin serving a one-year Executive Officer term (2023):

Chair-Elect: Leonard Hoops, President and CEO, Visit Indy

Secretary-Treasurer: Neil Brownlee, Head of Business Events, VisitScotland

The incoming CEMA Advisory Board Chair will begin serving a one-year Director and Trustee term (2023):

Colleen Bisconti, Vice President, Events and Experiences, IBM

Upon PCMA membership approval, the following leaders will begin serving a two-year Director and Trustee term (2023–2024):

Gregg Caren, President and CEO, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau

Dr. Amanda Cecil, PhD, CMP, Professor, Department of Tourism, Event & Sport Management, Indiana University

Shameka Jennings, MTA, CAE, CMP, DES, Principal and Chief Events Officer, Eventsnoire

Brian Landers, CDS, Senior Vice President / Team Director, ConferenceDirect

Lauren Parr, Senior Vice President, Meetings and Learning, American Geophysical Union

Stephen Rose, Senior Vice President, Communication Services, Siemens AG

Kathleen Warden, Director of Conference Sales, Scottish Event Campus

The following leaders are serving the final year of a two-year Director and Trustee term (2022–2023):

Fernando Fondevila, CEO, Promtur Panama

Veemal Gungadin, Founder and CEO, Gevme

Gladys O’Mahony, Vice President, Global Sales Organization, Caribbean & Latin America, Marriott International

Peter O’Neil, FASAE, CAE, CEO, ASIS International

Annalisa Baccara Ponchia, CMP, CMM, Director of Innovation & Customer Experience & Director of International Congress, AIM Group International

Chantal Sturk-Nadeau, Executive Director, Business Events, Destination Canada

Panos Tzivanidis, Director, Corporate Events & Services, International Olympic Committee

In addition, the President and CEO of PCMA and CEMA serves as a Director and Trustee:

Sherrif Karamat, CAE, President and CEO, PCMA and CEMA

The slate will be deemed confirmed by PCMA members at close of business September 30, 2022 @ 17:00 hours Chicago time.

Directors and Trustees will assume office immediately following PCMA’s Convening Leaders annual meeting January 8-11 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, OH.

For media inquiries from the Americas, APAC, EMEA, and requests for interviews with Sherrif Karamat, please contact: Meghan Risch, PCMA Chief of Staff, Vice President, Corporate Communications.