Team

  • Nancy J. Wilson, CMP, Principal
    Nancy has over 25 years of experience in the management of seminars, conferences, and symposiums for a diverse array of clients including non-profit organizations, corporations, and government agencies.

    Founding the firm in 1994, Nancy has a strong background in coordinating logistically complex meetings for the scientific, health care, and high tech communities. With the firm's focus on developing programs and strategies for green meetings, Nancy ensures environmental practices are incorporated in every meeting.

    She was recognized as one of "The 25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry" by Meeting News Magazine 2003. Nancy is a Past President of Meeting Professionals International - Oregon Chapter, was twice awarded Planner of the Year and is co-founder of the Green Meeting Industry Council.

  • Amy Spatrisano, CMP, Principal
    Amy has over 20 years experience in the meetings and hospitality industry. She has been instrumental in working with venues, vendors and planners throughout the industry to better understand the business case of green meetings.

    She continues to be involved in the industry recently spearheading and serving as chair of the Convention Industry Council's Green Meeting Task Force. Currently, she is a former member of the Small Business Advisory Council in Portland and co-founder of the Green Meeting Industry Council.

    She has been awarded both the Meeting Professionals International (MPI)-Oregon Chapter Supplier and Planner of Year, chaired the MPI International Chapter Leadership Committee and been a member of the MPI Board of Directors.

  • Mary Cameron, Project Manager
    Mary has over 20 years of experience developing, planning, coordinating, and executing local, regional, and national conferences and events of all sizes (10 to 10,000 attendees) and types, including corporate, customer and public events. With excellent management and leadership skills, including coordinating and managing teams, clients, volunteers, and vendors, she has a track record of delivering outstanding meetings and events that consistently exceed expectations.

    Mary served 5 years on the Board of Directors for Meeting Professionals International, Oregon Chapter, and was awarded Planner of the Year for 1995.

  • Britta Ehnebuske, Registration and Speaker Assistant
    Britta came to Meeting Strategies Worldwide from Austin, Texas as a recent graduate of Southwestern University, a small, private liberal-arts school. There, she earned her degree in Communications, with a concentration on interpersonal relationships. Previously, she held a year-long internship at South by Southwest, a highly attended showcase and networking conference for musicians, filmmakers, and the technology industry, where she worked in the backbone of the event, Volunteer Coordination. In addition, she has worked as a Public Affairs intern with a women's rights organization, where she continued to put her passions for organization to work. Britta is looking forward to becoming better acquainted with the Portland area, and is eager to get her hands dirty for her career in the green meetings industry.

  • Susan Elshire, Accounting and HR
    Susan provides accounting and human resource management to Meeting Strategies Worldwide. She recently rejoined the team, having served as Bookkeeper and Officer Manager in 2001. Susan brings over twenty years experience to the company, having managed administrative and accounting operations for a variety of for-profit consulting firms as well as having spent the last five years as Finance Officer for an environmental non-profit organization.

  • Carole Garner, CMP, Project Manager
    With over 14 years experience in the hospitality, meetings, and event business, Carole brings a rich background in corporate and nonprofit event planning, marketing, and management to Meeting Strategies Worldwide. Previously Carole was employed as President of Specialized Meetings & Events, Inc., a full service professional event planning company with offices in Bend, OR and Portland.

    She has served 8 years on the Board of Directors of Meeting Professionals International, Oregon Chapter, most recently as chapter president. She has also chaired committees through the Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau and the Advertising Federation of Central Oregon.

  • Cija Huntley, Registration Manager
    Cija is often the first contact a conference attendee has with a conference. She came to Meeting Strategies Worldwide from Portland State University where she was one of the first people that greeted the bight-eyed-youths of higher education. She spent most of her career in higher education assisting students, faculty and staff and always kept a hand in technology. She also has previous experience with conference registration management for Western Arts Alliance, an annual arts booking conference. She is looking forward learning the ins and outs of the green conference world and traveling to new conference destinations.

  • Dana Lee, Administrative Assistant
    Dana started her hospitality journey studying Irish culture in Cork, Ireland while traveling to 9 countries before settling in at Southern Illinois University. There she graduated with a bachelor's degree in Food and Nutrition with a specialization in Hospitality and Tourism Management. She is a Master Recycler through the Portland Office of Sustainable Development She has had a wide variety of hospitality experience ranging from hotels, travel agencies, restaurants and musical venues.

    In Chicago she founded an organization that raises money for environmental issues and animal welfare by holding musical and art fundraisers. She has a passion for both the hospitality and the green industry. In hopes to pursue her green mind she looks forward to stepping onboard with Meeting Strategies Worldwide.

  • Shawna McKinley, Project Manager
    Shawna McKinley has been involved in the greening of the meetings industry for over 7 years. She brings expertise in environmental education, special event management, organizational development and strategic planning and communication to Meeting Strategies Worldwide. She is formerly the Executive Director of the Green Meeting Industry Council and worked as the General Manager for Oceans Blue Foundation, managing the creation of the green meetings toolkit at www.bluegreenmeetings.org. She served on the Convention Industry Council's Green Meetings Task Force and helped to create the IMEX Green Meetings Award. Prior to that, Shawna was engaged as a marketing and event planner in the community of Nanaimo, BC, Canada. She holds a Degree in Tourism Management with a Major in Regional and Urban Planning and a Master of Arts in Environmental Education and Communication.

  • Vanessa Kapinus, IT, Marketing and Product Development
    Vanessa brings eight years of business and information management experience from several industries including the medical, software and manufacturing sectors. She has worked extensively with small businesses, gaining valuable insight about what makes a small company tick as well as being intimately involved with creating improved business systems. Her professional career also spans several years at Kaiser Permanente where she directed data procurement and software development for epidemiology studies.

    Although new to the hospitality industry, she enjoys putting her business and scientific skills to good use in her very dynamic and versatile role at Meeting Strategies Worldwide.

  • Mary Peters, Exhibits Manager
    Mary started working for Meeting Strategies Worldwide shortly after moving to Portland from Orlando, Florida, and has spent nearly twenty years in the hospitality industry. Mary's extensive background in customer service helps her build strong relationships with sponsors and exhibitors. In addition to managing exhibits, Mary also serves as project manager on several conferences, and plans on pursuing her CMP in the near future.

    Mary's career began at the World Disney World Resort where she worked for many years helping to produce special events throughout the Disney theme parks and all over the world. Mary received her Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Florida.

    After moving to Portland, Oregon she continued working in the hospitality industry and now enjoys managing conferences all over the world for Meeting Strategies Worldwide.

  • Ms. Mike Thomas, CMP, Project Manager
    Ms. Mike Thomas is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) with eight years experience in the strategic design and management of conferences, incentives and events both nationally and internationally. She has managed meetings and incentives in Europe, Asia, Mexico, Canada and more than 50 cities nationwide. Mike is an active member of Meeting Professional International (MPI) - Oregon Chapter, and in September 2006 her article on containing meeting costs in a seller's market was published in the Portland Business Journal.

    Mike holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington.