(Pictured above L-R (top row): Stacey Kashubeck, Paul Coulter, Jim Kelley, (bottom row) Karen Cooper, Gordon Stake and Kimberley Gishler)
Celebrating 31 years of service to the events industry, the Corporate Event Marketing Association announces its 2021 new Board of Directors. The new board brings both practical event live-to-digital pivot experience and fresh thinking to CEMA’s growth and innovation initiatives. Under its direction, CEMA will embrace and employ multiple event platforms and channels to create industry-leading educational and professional networking events, and groundbreaking study tours.
The 2021 CEMA Board members comprise senior event marketing executives from marquee brands:
- Chairwoman: Stacey Kashubeck, Senior Director Strategic Events, Salesforce
- Vice Chairman/Chairman Elect: Paul Coulter, Director of Group Sales, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin
- Immediate Past Chairwoman: Karen Cooper, Senior Manager, Event Strategy, Poly
- Secretary: Jim Kelley, Vice President, Marketing & Industry Relation, Fern
- Treasurer: Gordon Stake, Managing Partner, Event Marketing Partners
Newly elected Board Members at Large:
- Amy Walter, Head of Field Marketing & Event Strategy, Atlassian
- Karen Galatis, Senior Director, Corporate Event Marketing, Oracle
- Julie Lynch, Head of Global Events, F5
Board Members completing the second year of their two-year term:
- Colleen Bisconti, VP Global Conferences & Events, IBM
- Jessica Colmenares, Director of Sales, Hilton Worldwide
- Sherri Ferren, SVP Client Success, George P. Johnson
- Maria Grasso, Vice President of Citywide Sales & Convention Services, Philadelphia CVB
- Billi Little, Independent Consultant
- Sara Straw, Senior Manager Event Strategy, Sage
- Dick Wheeler, President, ProGlobal Events/ ProExhibits
“The CEMA board has guided our association through myriad shifts and disruptions in the industry through the years, and the 2020 Board was instrumental in our successful pivot to digital experiences this year,” says Kimberley Gishler (pictured left), president and CEO of CEMA. “Our new board is already embracing our 2021 challenge to deliver unique, high-impact experiences to our members in the evolving multichannel event landscape.” 
The CEMA Board’s Executive Committee incoming Secretary Jim Kelley (pictured right) adds, “This is an exciting time for CEMA and its members as we join with PCMA to bring together the best of the industry’s event marketers and business event professionals. The combined energy of both organizations will move each forward and upward in new ways while benefiting the members of both organizations.”
A voice for the industry, the Corporate Event Marketing Association is the eminent community for senior event executives, association peers and industry partners. CEMA promotes professional networking opportunities, facilitates peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and drives industry standards. Through strong relationships with strategic partners, CEMA fosters both finding innovative solutions to business issues and continuous focus on members career growth. For more info, visit www.cemaonline.com
