Last year, we introduced our top 20 Changemakers to the meetings industry—20 individuals who gained visibility among senior management in their companies by initiating strategic meetings management programs and thereby maximizing savings. We call them “changemakers” for their ability to create positive change—both in their careers and in their industries. This year’s winners are, once again, shining examples of elevating the meetings role beyond logistics to focus on strategy and ROI. Cognizant of their ability to make a difference, they have also reached beyond their four walls to influence the profession as educators, mentors, and leaders. There’s much to learn from their stories.

And the winners are:

CLICK ANY NAME TO READ MORE ABOUT OUR WINNERS.

Lee Ann Adams Mikeman
Vice President, Conference Planning & Special Events
Science Applications International Corp.

Debbie Andersen
Senior Manager, Americas Meetings & Conventions
Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics

Craig Ardis, CMM
Director of Global Event Management
Zimmer Inc.

Lynn Averill
Second Vice President, Travel & Conferences 
National Life Group

Kim Boriin, CMP
Senior Events Marketing Specialist
Guardian Investor Services

Terri Breining, CMP, CMM
President & CEO
Concepts Worldwide

Jeff Calmus, CMP
AVP, Conference & Event Planning
MetLife

Louann Cashill, CMP, CMM 
Meeting Services Manager
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.

Patricia Kerr, CMP
Director, Distribution
Sales Support
Manulife Financial

Kari Kesler
President & Chief Strategist
KK Strategic Solutions

Susan Lichtenstein
Director of Travel and Global Meeting Solutions
Cisco Systems Inc.

Kathy Lieberman
Manager, Event Management
GlaxoSmithKline

Rosemary Mueller
Senior Meeting Planner
Weyerhaeuser Company

Donna Foppoli-Patrick, CMP, CMM
Manager, Group Meetings, Events, and Travel
Medtronic Inc.

Angie Pfeifer, CMM
Assistant Vice President, Corporate Meetings, Travel
and Incentives
Investors Group Financial Services

Marybeth Roberts, CMP
Director of Global Meeting Management
Amgen

Tom Tolvé, CMP
Senior Manager, Meeting Operations
Novo Nordisk

Tracey Wilt
Manager, Global Travel & Meeting Management
Xerox

Alice Woychik
Director of Meeting Solutions
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation

Dan Young, CMP
Director of Event Planning & Field Recognition
Thrivent Financial

How We Chose Our Changemakers

In our second annual Changemakers issue, Corporate Meetings & Incentives reached out to fellow editors at MeetingsNet, a focus group of high-profile meeting-planner readers, and members of a specially created advisory board to develop a universe of nominees. We then worked with the advisory board to narrow the list to 20 honorees. Many thanks to our board members for their efforts:

• Lee Ann Adams Mikeman, VP, conference planning & special events, Science Applications International Corp., McLean, Va.
• Betsy Bondurant, CMP, CMM, president, Bondurant Consulting, Coronado, Calif.
• Terri Breining, CMP, CMM, president, Concepts Worldwide Inc., Carlsbad, Calif.
• Dianne Devitt, CMP, owner, DND Group, New York, N.Y.
• Joan L. Eisenstodt, chief strategist, Eisenstodt Associates, LLC, Washington, D.C.
• Julie Martinez, CMP, CMM, director, events & incentives, Lennox Industries, Richardson, Texas