Foundation Board Chair Letter

In every issue of "ie: the business of international events," the IFEA Foundation Board of Director's Chair shares their insights into the Festival & Event Industry every quarter. To read the latest and past Chair Letters, please find them listed below.

Cassie Dispenza
Vice President of Strategic Partnerships
Saffire
Austin, TX

• Hello & Happy 2023 IFEA Familiy! (Spring, 2023)

Alison Baringer, CFEE
Executive Director
North Carolina Azalea Festival
Wilmington, NC

• This is Your Year . . . Do Big Things! (Spring, 2022)
• Do You Have 10 Minutes to Help the IFEA Foundation? (Summer, 2022)
• Are You A Get It Done Person? (Fall, 2022)
• You Should Have FOMO If You Didn't Attend the Convention (Winter, 2022)

Kevin Grothe, CFEE
Vice President of Sponsorship
Memphis in May International Festival
Memphis, TN, U.S.A.

• Spring, 2020
• Don't Distance Yourself - Summer, 2020
• A Time to Be Thankful, Winter, 2020
• A Wise Investment with an Incredible ROI - Spring, 2021
• Step Right Up! - Summer, 2021
• A Time to be Thankful - Winter, 2021

Keli O'Neill Wenzel, CFEE
President/CEO
O'Neill Events and Marketing
Kansas City, MO, U.S.A.

• We Don't Have To Do What We Do . . . We GET To! (Spring, 2019)
• CFEE Certification . . Is It Right for Me? (Summer, 2019)
• The "I" in IFEA - It Means International, But Let's Elaborate a Little - Fall, 2019
• The IFEA Convention is Over - But We Don't Have to Be! - Winter, 2019

Sam Lemheney, CFEE
Chief of Shows & Events
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.

• Spring, 2018
• Summer, 2018

Vanessa Van de Putte
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
dfest®/Dixie Flag Event Services Team
San Antonio, TX, U.S.A

• We May Have Met (Spring, 2017)
• Fiesta, Medals and the IFEA (Summer, 2017)
• $100 Could Buy the Experience of a Lifetime (Fall, 2017)

Jeff English, CFEE
Sr. Vice President/General Council
Kentucky Derby Festival
Louisville, KY, U.S.A.

• I'm Not Too Old For This (Spring, 2016)
• In the Eye of the Hurricane (Summer 2016)
• It Happened Even With an Officer 30 Ft Away (Fall, 2016)
• Fiesta Wrap Up (Winter, 2016)

Mary Ann Dilling, CFEE
Director of Business Development
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)
Oshkosh, WI, U.S.A.

• The Value of My IFEA Membership (Spring, 2015)
• Can We Count on You for Your Support? (Summer, 2015)
• Your IFEA 60th Anniversary Convention & Expo To Do List (Fall, 2015)
• All IFEA Has Given Me (Winter, 2015)

Pam Sartory
Business Manager
Sunfest of Palm Beach County
West Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.

• Re-Charge, Re-Connect, Re-Invent (Spring, 2014)