IAEE Washington DC Chapter
Chapter Leader Bios

Susan Bennett, CASE, CEM Chair A graduate of the University of Maryland, Susan joined Experient (formerly Galaxy Information Services) in 1993, serving as Sr. Project Coordinator before becoming Director of National Accounts in 1997. During her tenure as Director of National Accounts, Susan managed one of six operational teams. In 2001, Susan joined Experient’s national sales force as Vice President of Sales. In 2006, Susan was promoted to Vice President Sales and Account Management overseeing a team of Strategic Account Managers responsible for over 60 accounts. Susan is a member of various professional industry associations nationally and locally, including the Professional Convention Management Association, Meeting Professionals International, and the International Association for Exhibition and Events. Susan earned her Certified Association Sales Executive (CASE) designation in December 2004 and Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM) designation in December 2007. She has served on the IAEE DC Chapter Board as Director of Special Events and Director of Programs.

Derek Brinkman Treasurer Derek joined Destination DC (previously the Washington, DC Convention & Tourism Corporation) in April 2005 as a National Sales Manager. Destination DC serves as the lead organization to successfully manage and market Washington, DC as a premier global convention, tourism and special events destination, with a special emphasis on the arts, cultural and historical communities. Derek’s primary responsibility is selling Washington DC and the Walter E. Washington Convention Center as a destination and host facility for association annual meetings. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University Derek has been working in the Hospitality Industry since 1996. Derek moved to the Washington DC area in 1998 and worked for a marketing research company in Bethesda. From there Derek joined Wyndham Hotels and Resorts and worked in both a Convention Services and sales capacity before joining Destination DC. Derek has been a member of IAEE since 2005. Before joining the board in 2009 Derek was a member of the newly formed MOD Squad assisting in member outreach. Derek is married and has two beautiful children, Logan and Taylor.

Amy Durkin, CEM Vice Chair Amy Durkin, CEM, is currently the Advertising and Exhibits Sales Manager at the Council for Exceptional Children. Prior to joining CEC, she worked for a medical association as Manager of Meetings and Exhibits. She also previously worked as a consultant at the National Defense Industrial Association where she managed the operations for a variety of DoD - related events. Ms. Durkin’s experience also includes working on large shows such as the World Wide Food Expo and ConExpo/ConAgg. A native of Richmond, VA, she received her B.A. in Communications from Radford University. Ms. Durkin has been a member of IAEE since 2004 and recently received her CEM certification in September 2008. She also served on the program committee for the DC Chapter of IAEE in 2008 and was the recipient of the Volunteer of the First Quarter Award in 2008.

Paula Herz, CEM Director, Education Programs Paula Herz, CEM has been in the convention/trade show industry for 17 years, starting her career at the National Science Teachers Association as an Exhibits Manager. After over four years, she left to work for Freeman as an Account Executive moving up to National Sales Manager before she left in 2008. Currently, she works for Shepard Exposition Services as a National Sales Manager based here in D.C. She is a current Board Member of the DC Chapter of IAEE, and is a Member of PCMA, ASAE and MPI.

Kelly E. Kilga, CEM Immediate Past Chair Kelly has been the Director of Operations at the Graphic Arts Show Company since 2004 and is responsible for all show logistics for the GRAPH EXPO and PRINT events as well as all support to the printing industry suppliers who exhibit at these TSW 200 trade shows. A graduate of Georgetown University, Kelly is fluent in German and speaks Italian and French. After working for the German company, Giesecke & Devrient, responsible for trade show marketing as an exhibitor at 12+ shows per year, Kelly joined CardTech/SecurTech as Marketing Manager, then Exhibit Sales Manager, finally moving into the Director of Operations position for three annual events in the smart card/biometric industry. Upon joining the National Association of Convenience Stores as Director of Meetings and Conventions in 2001, Kelly was responsible for the management of all meeting planning and trade show logistics for the NACS Show, NACStech, and numerous board and committee meetings. A member of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) since October 1999 and the IAEE DC Chapter since October 2001, Kelly has been serving on the IAEE DC Chapter Board since January of 2004. She is also a member of MATSO, Major American Trade Show Organizers.

Amy Ladd Director, Sponsorship/Advertising Amy Ladd, based in Washington D.C., is an account executive for Convention Data Services (CDS). For over two decades, Convention Data Services has been providing state-of-the-art registration, database management and exhibitor lead retrieval services to the tradeshow industry, serving the needs of businesses and non-profit associations. Amy manages many of CDS's Washington D.C. accounts providing her clients with innovative registration and exhibitor service solutions. Prior to joining the CDS team in 2004, Amy specialized in facilitating virtual teams and producing online conferences and events. Her experience includes client and public relations, sales, marketing, business development, and event management. She has served on planning committees for national and regional conferences, designed and facilitated organizational retreats, and led courses on Managing Virtual Teams and Communities. Her works have been published in Organization Development Journals and in a book, Knowledge Networks: Innovation Through Communities of Practice.

Andrew Ortale Director, Membership Andrew Ortale started with The Expo Group in 2007 as Vice President, National Sales managing the general contractor’s Washington D.C.-area office. Prior to his current position, Ortale served as Vice President of Client and Industry Relations for J. Spargo & Associates in Fairfax, VA. Ortale has been immersed in the tradeshow industry since joining Brede Exposition Services as an account executive in 1997. In addition Ortale has previously served as National Sales Director for the Greater Pittsburgh Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and Senior National Sales Executive for the Orlando Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

DeVonne Parks, CEM Director, Marketing DeVonne is responsible for the INFO-EXPO exhibit hall at the SLA Annual Conference. Her work includes exhibit sales, inquiries, assistance in sponsorship sales, facilitation of the Exhibitor Advisory Council—and marketing, coordinating, and promoting the INFO-EXPO hall. DeVonne also serves as a liaison to the all SLA conference planning committees each year. Before joining SLA, she worked as a conference planner/exhibit manager, overseeing 50 plus conferences a year throughout America for the federal government. Prior to that, she worked at Smith Bucklin & Associates coordinating several annual meetings for different associations. DeVonne has been a member of IAEE, the International Association of Exhibitions and Events since 2004, from which she received her certification in exhibition management in 2006. DeVonne is also a member of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), and received a certificate in the business of meetings from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). She received a bachelor’s degree in business communications technology from Cedarville University. DeVonne is married to Kevin, and her hobbies include exercising, traveling and baking.

Cathryn I. Wanders, CEM Secretary Cathryn began working for The Optical Society of America in 2000 in Exhibit/Sponsorship Sales but moved to Operations in 2001. She is now an Exhibit Manager for a TSW200 show (OFC/NFOEC), and many other conferences and topical meetings ranging in size from 5-250 exhibitors. Prior to joining OSA, she was the Exhibits & Advertising Sales Coordinator and Executive Education Administrator with the Association for Financial Professionals (previously the Treasury Management Association.) She attended the University of Montana (Missoula) and the University of Maryland as a Performing Arts Scholar studying music education with an emphasis in voice. Upon completion of her student teaching requirement she began working for a temporary agency who placed her with an association in their marketing department, giving her exposure to the trade show industry for the first time. Cathryn has been a member of IAEE since 1997 and earned her CEM in 2004. Before joining the board in 2008 Cathryn was an active volunteer assisting with photography during the luncheons and other events. A professional soprano, she is involved with several choirs in the DC area as a soloists. In her spare time she enjoys watching pandas, reading and independent movies.