ESPA Elects New President at Annual Conference

Suttle

The Event Service Professionals Association (ESPA) elected Denise Suttle, CMP, assistant director of convention services at the Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau, as president during ESPA’s Annual Conference, which was recently held at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers in Chicago.

Suttle has been at the Albuquerque CVB since moving to New Mexico from Oklahoma in 1991. At the CVB, she works with citywide conventions that utilize the Albuquerque Convention Center and multiple hotels, sporting events and hotel meetings of all kinds. A member of PCMA since 1996 and ESPA since 2000, she has served on the ESPA board of directors and is past chair of the marketing and communications committee, 2015 Annual Conference committee and code of ethics ad hoc committee.

“As ESPA’s new president, I look forward to working with my peers to continue the association’s mission of elevating the event and convention services profession,” said Suttle. “Event service professionals are key partners to meeting planners and a vital component to an event’s success, which is why ESPA will continue to offer valuable programs and professional development opportunities to help members achieve excellence in their careers.”

The ESPA officers for 2015 are Madonna Carr, CMP, of Meet Minneapolis, president-elect; Julie Pingston, CMP, CTA, of the Greater Lansing CVB, is past president; Paul Ruby, CMP, of Sheraton Dallas Hotel is first vice president, Kathy Denkenberger, CMP, of Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau, is second vice president, and Amy Cabe, Visit Spokane, is treasurer. New board of directors include Sissy Lawty, CMP, Travel Portland and Bryan Miller, MBA, CMP, Virginia Beach Convention Center.

The following ESPA members will continue to serve on the board of directors:

• Julie Brakenbury, Greater Raleigh CVB
• Zack Davis, CMP, Louisville CVB
• Jamie Huckleberry, David L. Lawrence Convention Center/SMG
• Joan Kremer, CMP, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
• Rebecca Moore, The Westin Indianapolis
• Carla Quercioli, Northern Kentucky CVB
• David Raymond, CMP, Westin Charlotte
• Gary Stauffer, Freeman
• Advisory Director (Ex-Officio), Vanessa Kane, CMP, CMM, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States
• Monica Simons, CMP, Intelligence & National Security Alliance (INSA)

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