July 16, 1959-November 28, 2021
Chris Wehking, PCMA’s 2014 Chairman of the Board of Directors and business events strategy executive with the American Society of Anesthesiologists, passed away Nov. 28 in St. Charles, Ill., following a long battle with cancer.
“Chris was well known throughout ASA and the events industry for his leadership, professionalism, warmth, and friendship,” says Paul Pomerantz, ASA CEO. “He started at ASA in 2010 and in his years with us transformed our meetings to be among the best in medicine. During his tenure, Chris also provided leadership to membership, industry relations and business development. He excelled at building relationships and was known for strengthening bonds with ASA’s state societies, sub-specialty organizations, and foundations as well as our sister societies internationally.”
Wehking was a leader in his profession, having served as the Professional Convention Management Association’s Chairman of the Board in 2014 and was the recipient of the 2019 PCMA Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award.
“Chris understood the unique power of meetings to bring people together, to share knowledge, to create memorable experiences, to build enduring relationships, and to energize organizations,” says Pomerantz. “He was a mentor to young professionals and colleagues, inspiring so many of us to see the magic in what he did.”
Before joining the medical specialty society events sector as director of meetings and exhibits at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Wehking worked for the American Hardware Manufacturers Association, where he served as director of meetings and expositions from 1990-2005. He spent five years at ASPS before joining ASA. He graduated from University of Wisconsin with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Hospitality in 1981.
Wehking is survived by his wife Shirley, and his daughters Lindsey and Madeline (pictured left). A celebration of his life was held Dec. 18 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in St. Charles, Illinois. His family requests donations in his memory to a memorial tree and bench at https://gofund.me/84bd41c5 or the Fox Valley Food for Health at https://gofund.me/6d539e31 or the Meetings Industry Fund at https://gofund.me/1389bd45.
This story originally appeared in the Jan./Feb./Mar. 2022 issue of Exhibit City News, p. 68. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/ecn_q1_2022.
