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SUMMER 2021
President's Letter
MPI Oregon, I couldn’t be more excited to be your MPI Chapter President.
 
The past year has been full of hardships. We were sequestered to our homes due to the pandemic, dangerous smoke levels, ice storms, and most recently heat waves. Many lost their jobs, changed industries or put in a lot of extra work to keep their companies afloat.
 
Yet still, we met. Virtually we connected, we participated in online education, we called our MPI friends and checked in. We showed up for each other when our world in the meetings industry was flipped upside down. Why? Because Members Matter. This organization matters and the connections we make along the way matter. Through the positive and the ugly, this group shows up day in and day out for each other. That means something.

As your board, we plan to highlight why your membership matters, with a different lens each month. Expect to hear from a member of our board monthly on what’s going on, and why it matters.
 
Let’s do what we do best, focus on lifting each other up, and embracing this new year of growth. 

Rindi Cerelli, CMP, DES
MPI Oregon Chapter President 2021 – 2022
503-201-9290
2020 - 2021 MPI Oregon Awards

On June 25th, MPI Oregon held our first in-person event since August 2020! This momentous occasion marks the closing of a long and difficult year for our industry and it was amazing to finally be able to see the faces of those who attended - some for the first time via Zoom. And what better way to celebrate what we hope is the beginning of the end of the pandemic than an awards party!! 

MPI Oregon is nothing without its volunteer members - many of whom were recognized for their hard work and dedication with award nominations. Volunteers are what keeps members engaged while helping provide ideas and insight into what we can do for our members throughout the year. Each of our nominees is deserving of their award nominations, but there can only ever be one winner… 

Rising Star Award Nominees
Morgan Baker - Visit Corvallis (Winner!)
Traci Colwell - RMLS

Torchlight Award Nominees
Greg Heinze - Radisson Hotel Group (Winner!)
Juanita Metzler, CMP - Travel Lane County
Karen Waggoner, CMP, CMM - Planner
Trina Sharp, CMP, CMM - Point B
Royce Mason, CMP - RPS Events
Carole Astley, CMP - Willamette Valley Vineyards
Christina Devlin, CMP, CMM - Inspire ME

Mentor Award Nominees
Jessica Johnson - The Party Team (Winner!) 
Juanita Metzler, CMP - Travel Lane County
Cathy Mason, CMP, CMM - Young Presidents’ Organization
Morgan Baker - Visit Corvallis
Anne Hallinan, CMP - Marrone Hallinan Event Management

Supplier of the Year Award Nominees
Juanita Metzler, CMP - Travel Lane County (Winner!) 
Royce Mason, CMP - RPS Events
Morgan Baker - Visit Corvallis
Jessica Johnson - The Party Team

Planner of the Year Award Nominees
Janet Denman, CMP - Radiant Images & Events (Winner!) 
Karen Waggoner, CMP, CMM - Planner
Carole Astley, CMP - Willamette Valley Vineyards

Dian J. Lindsay Presidential Award Winner
Juanita Metzler, CMP - Travel Lane County

Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
Cathy Mason, CMP - Young Presidents’ Organization

Thank you all for your service and dedication to the MPI Oregon Chapter! We would not be the chapter we are today without your service and support. Many, if not all, of our award nominees wrote in their nomination packets that they wanted to touch the lives of membership in a positive way, whether that be through engagement, leadership, guidance/mentoring, or just a friendly face at education events. They all want to share with new members (and old) the great benefits that come with an MPI membership and how that can help grow your career, education, and network. And they are all ready to help in whatever way they can. Many of our nominees are on multiple committees and share one goal of trying to help make our chapter a better place for all of our membership. 

If you are looking for ways to make an impact or just want to fill your trophy shelf, reach out to one of our nominees or award winners to find out what they did to receive their award. Or if you’re interested in ways to get more involved, reach out to our VP of Membership, Morgan Baker, at morgan@visitcorvallis.com to see what we can do to help put your skills to work.

Lori Servin
Owner, Action Registration, Inc.
Lori was born in Portland and grew up in the Beaverton area. She went to high school in Tacoma, WA, and college in Southern California. She now resides on three beautiful acres in the country outside of Vancouver, WA. She loves spending time with her friends and family with whom she camps and goes on small adventures. 

She loves a good day trip or traveling internationally. So it should come as no surprise that some of her bucket list items include walking the Great Wall of China, eating her way through Italy, and exploring Greece and Rome. And while her first international trip was a little scary, she still found that it was a great adventure! (And it’s clearly not stopping her from wanting more). 

Her dream job is her current company, Action Registration, Inc., which she has owned since 2006. They are a full-service registration and lead retrieval company. She finds that even the longest, most stressful days are worth it. She truly loves what she does and whom she gets to work with. 

Welcome to MPI, Lori! We’re excited to see you at our next in-person event! 
Life’s a Beach...
and We Rode the Waves with Hugs and Smiles!

Thank you to everyone who attended in person and virtually for our annual Awards Gala and Board Installation on June 25th at the Salem Conference Center.

It feels good to have live events back. Hugs were shared by those comfortable sharing, and big smiles were had by all.

There were over 40 people in person with an additional six people joining us virtually.

The Awards Gala was the first live event for the Salem Convention Center since March 2020. Special thanks to Theresa Greco, Director of Catering, who was very hands-on to make sure we were taken care of- so much so, that yes, she was behind the bar making drinks for a while!

The evening kicked off with the swearing-in of the new board of directors, and the passing of the gavel to our current president, Rindi Cerelli, CMP. We ended the evening with the awards portion. Congratulations to all the award nominees and winners.
Thank you to all the sponsors and all those who donated to our silent and live auctions. It’s unbelievable how many auction items there were. Due to the variety of items and the fantastic bidding, we raised over $6000 for the chapter!

As many of us have learned during the last year and a half by switching to virtual events, the success of this event wouldn’t have been possible without the sponsorship and onsite direction from Peak AV. Thank you so much!

Huge thanks to everyone behind the scenes who gave of their time to create a wonderful event: Carole Astley, Christina Devlin, Anne Hallinan, Juanita Metzler, Morgan Baker, Karen Waggoner, Tara Thomas, Kylie Nero, Traci Colwell, Greg Heinze, John Rissi, Amy Hildahl, and Jessica Johnson.

We look forward to seeing everyone soon.
Become a Superhero and Volunteer
MPI Oregon needs you. Every volunteer hour matters. We are looking for volunteers to join our committee chairs, directors, and VP's as we navigate a post-pandemic meeting and events future. Our directors and chairs have been reaching out to you, our members, to see if you have an interest in a volunteer role. We are looking for volunteers on all committees: Communications, Membership, Education, Finance/Fundraising. Whether a couple of hours a month or stepping up to a leadership position, we can all be involved in the direction of our chapter!

For more information, reach out to Greg Heinze, President-Elect at uograd2001@gmail.com
Q1 Anniversary Milestones
25 years - Cathy Mason

20 years - Marty Mullen
20 years - Cindy Wallace

15 years - Carol Huckaby
15 years - Doris Shantz
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MPI Oregon | www.mpioregon.org