20 Planners Receive CMM Accreditation

DALLAS and ALEXANDRIA, VA — Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), recently presented the Certificate in Meeting Management (CMM) to 20 meeting and travel professionals including Shannon Valeriote, CMP, Scotiabank Convention Centre, Holland Landing, Ontario.

This class participated in the program held May 6 to 9 in Las Vegas at the Aria Resort & Casino, and the 20 recipients bring the total number of CMM holders to 1,148 worldwide.

“Since its inception three decades ago, the CMM program continues to attract some of the most talented professionals within both the meeting and event and travel industries,” said Paul Van Deventer, president and CEO of MPI. “We congratulate these leaders for this astounding achievement.”

In addition to Valeriote, the following 20 professionals now have their CMM designation:

• Carrie Adamson, CMP, Bridgepoint Education, San Diego, Calif.
• Cerena Cantrell, American Association of Physics Teachers, College Park, Md.
• Matt Ceule, H&R Block, Kansas City, Mo.
• James R. Davis, GPJ, Rockland, Mass.
• Tina M. Garcia, SWVS, McKinney, Texas
• Kimberly Hutcherson, TravelSolutions by Campbell, McKinney, Texas
• Beri Kockaya, CMP, Society of Petroleum Engineers, London, U.K.
• Mariles Krok, CMP, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, Los Angeles, Calif.
•  Anna Link, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Florham, NJ
• Deborah K. Lowery, CMP, USS Midway Museum, San Diego, Calif.
• Cindy Lupkey, Women’s Tennis Association, Saint Petersburg, Fla.
• Sarah Neis, CMP, True Value, Chicago; Cheryl Payne, CMP, Meeting Sites Resource, Las Vegas
• Melissa Perry, Ball State University, Indianapolis, Ind.; Tara Salvatelli, Zurvita, Houston, Texas
• Pat Schneider, CMP, Florida Venture Forum, Tampa, Fla.
• Julie Seyler, Wells Fargo Bank, Irvine, Calif.
• Jill Stark CCTE, CGMP, Lawrence Berkeley Lab, Berkeley, Calif.
• Deanne Figueras, CA/NV Credit Union Leagues, Ontario, Calif.

MPI and GBTA are currently accepting applications for the upcoming CMM Reno/Tahoe Program scheduled for Dec. 1 to 4 at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, in Incline Village, Nev.

The application deadline is Nov. 1 and registration is limited to 50 participants.