PCMA Education Foundation to Honor Industry Leaders

Each spring, meetings industry professionals come together in Washington, D.C. to honor the lifetime achievements of prominent industry executives. This year, the PCMA Education Foundation will honor the accomplishments of three industry luminaries on April 2 at the Hilton Washington. The event features a not-to-be-missed Silent Auction to benefit the PCMA Education Foundation. Luxurious trips and other items are currently available for bid. For more information on the silent auction packages, to purchase tickets for the PCMA Education Foundation Dinner, or to learn more about foundation initiatives, visit www.pcma.org/foundation.

Meeting Professional Honoree
Debra Rosencrance, CMP, CAE
Vice President, Meetings and Exhibits
American Academy of Ophthalmology

Rosencrance has been the vice president of meetings and exhibits for the American Academy of Ophthalmology since 1997, and has been with the academy for more than two decades. In her current role, Rosencrance manages and supervises all aspects of the third largest medical meeting in the United States with 26,000-plus attendees. A dedicated and passionate PCMA member, Rosencrance served on the Board of Directors from 2001-2003 and has participated on numerous PCMA committees and task forces. She has also been extremely active within the Northern California Chapter and served a term as president in 1999.

Supplier Partner Honoree
Charles Ahlers, President
Anaheim/Orange County Visitor &
Convention Bureau

Named president of the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau in 1992, Ahlers has been a meetings industry leader for more than 35 years. His history with Anaheim dates back to the 1970s when he held the position of convention sales manager at the bureau for seven years. As president, he now oversees the bureau's convention and tourism marketing efforts and serves as its chief executive officer. A revered industry leader, Ahlers is known for mentoring countless professionals and providing thoughtful counsel. His service to PCMA includes a term on both the Board of Directors and the Education Foundation Board of Trustees.

Educator Honoree
Joan Eisenstodt
Chief Strategist
Eisenstodt Associates

Eisenstodt brings more than 30 years of experience to her role as a meetings industry educator. Her areas of expertise lie in facilitation and training, meetings program and delivery design, and contract negotiations. She founded Eisenstodt Associates, a Washington, D.C.-based conference consulting, facilitation, and training consultancy in 1981. Eisenstodt has been honored by MPI, PCMA, HSMAI, NSA, and IACC. She was inducted into the CIC Hall of Leaders in 2004. For more than 20 years, Eisenstodt has been an active member of PCMA, presenting at annual meetings and assisting in student programming. She is dedicated to adult learning within the meetings industry.

PCMA's 'Green' Legacy in Seattle

At the 52nd PCMA Annual Meeting, Jan. 13-16 in Seattle, the PCMA Education Foundation kicked off its Annual Individual Giving Campaign while also contributing to Seattle's greening efforts. For every $20 donated, the Education Foundation agreed to plant a tree in the Seattle area on the contributor's behalf. What's more, PCMA agreed to match the tree donation with up to 1,000 additional trees.

Through the Individual Giving campaign (which resulted in a contribution of 1,214 trees), the PCMA match of 1,000 trees, and the additional donation of the hundreds of trees used as décor throughout the meeting, PCMA was able to leave more than 3,000 trees behind in Seattle.

Now online at www.pcma.org

Check out the PCMA Live Learning Center - Much of the content from the PCMA Annual Meeting in Seattle can now be viewed online at the PCMA Live Learning Center. Visit www.pcma.org/education to review some of your favorite sessions, or find out what you missed.

New Tools and Resources at the PCMA Career Center - Whether you're in search of industry talent or looking to make a move of your own, the new and improved PCMA Career Center (on the new PCMA Web site) has the information and resources to help you navigate any kind of career change. For more information: go to www.pcma.org, and click on the "Careers" tab.

CHAPTER CORNER ON THE HEELS OF THE SUCCESSFUL AND highly attended PCMA Annual Meeting, PCMA chapters are charging into 2008 with a number of educational meetings and networking events already planned.

Here's what's on tap this month:

March 11: Greater Midwest Chapter March Education Program & St. Patrick's Day Reception

March 11: Gulf States Chapter March Networking and Educational Event

March 19: Greater Midwest Chapter Visit Milwaukee Showcase

March 27: Chesapeake Chapter Networking Happy Hour

To find out what's happening in your area, visit www.pcma.org/chapters.