Arjmand is currently the Director of Operations at the Greystone Prime Steakhouse & Seafood and Butchers Cut Steakhouse in the Gaslamp quarter for over a decade. Arjmand manages all the marketing and public relations for San Diego Dining Group. Sara has been a member of the Gaslamp Quarter Association for over 13 years and serves on the special event committee’s board in the Gaslamp Quarter.
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Cheatom has dedicated her life to music, art, culture and wellness for over 45 years. She established WorldBeat Cultural Center, a non-profit multi-cultural center in Balboa Park where she is the Executive Director. Cheatom opened the first world-renowned Prophet Vegetarian restaurant in San Diego. She is also the founder of WorldBeat Center’s Children’s Ethnobotany Peace Garden which is used as an outdoor classroom to bring families outdoors and teach children of the origins of their food and science.
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As President/CEO of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, Becker is responsible for management, as well as, the operating and capital budget. Her career in aviation and airport management spans more than 30 years and has included operations and environmental positions. She serves as a U.S. Policy Council Member and Large Hub Committee Member for Airports Council International – North America, where she participates in policy discussions that affect U.S. airports.
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Blackinton is the Regional Vice President of Operations for Hersha Hospitality Management. With over 20 years in the industry, she leads all hotel operations efforts in the West Coast region including both branded, Marriott and Hyatt, and independent hotels. Blackinton served as the Chairperson of the San Diego Hotel Motel Association with over 100 hotels and also served as a board member and executive officer for the San Diego Tourism Authority, a private, nonprofit funding vehicle to stimulate hotel room demand through tourism marketing and advertising programs.
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Annette Gregg, CMM, MBA is Senior Vice President of Experience for Meeting Professionals International, leading its events and education teams. She has over 20 years of experience in the meetings and hospitality industry, serving in executive level positions for corporations, associations and nonprofits. Gregg has taught at several universities and is currently a Program Advisor for San Diego State University’s Meeting and Event Certificate Program.
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Pat began her career in 1975 in hotel catering. She moved quickly through the ranks of several large hotel corporations from Catering Assistant to Director of Catering and Convention Services by her tenth year. She then turned to a different arena within the industry and worked in the party rental industry for the next eighteen years. She received the Presidents’ Award for top sales person from Classic Party Rentals several times.
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SIN is the Founder, President & CEO of: GEM – Gaslamp Event Management, Inc. | www.GaslampEvent.com San Diego’s award winning event production, management, hospitality consulting and promotion powerhouse. GEM specializes in launching and marketing nightclubs, restaurants, bars, casinos and resorts.
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Madelyn Marusa, DMCP, CIS Vice President of Industry Relations, has been with PRA Destination Management since 1983, serving a broad base of corporate and incentive clientele. In 1998, when PRA launched its franchise company expansion, Marusa began to oversee key areas of business development for the corporation, national marketing, industry relations & tradeshows initiatives. Today she continues to support the global sales team on strategic initiatives and projects specializing in the incentive group marketplace.
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Kerri Verbeke Kapich is the COO for the San Diego Tourism Authority, one of the nation’s leading destination marketing organizations. The SDTA represents over 900 hospitality organizations and serves as the San Diego region’s tourism marketing engine.
Kapich is a frequent guest speaker at industry conferences nationwide as well as a guest lecturer at the San Diego State University School of Hospitality. In 2001, she was named as one of the “Top 100 Marketers” in the nation by Advertising Age magazine
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Yolanda M. Hernandez is CEO and President of Five Star Tours and Charter Bus Company, with more than 30 years in the regional and charter motor coach industry.
Yolanda is shaping the future of the cross-border transportation bus business, providing sightseeing tours in San Diego and Baja, Mexico; charter services for a wide variety of events and customized shuttle ground services.
Together, with her two sons, Yolanda manages a fleet of 9 deluxe coaches, 3 mini-coaches to include vans. She partners with other community and cross border businesses to grow their tourism stakes in the Western United States.
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DeeAnne Snyder is a native of San Diego and has been with the San Diego Convention Center Corporation since 1993. DeeAnne first came to the Convention Center as a client, organizing one of the first local consumer shows when the center opened on behalf of local publication. DeeAnne served on the then Gaslamp Merchant's Association from 1987 to 1993.
After only a year and half on the Event Service team, DeeAnne received the 1994 HSMAI, San Diego Chapter JV Cunningham Award for Excellence in Service.
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