MPI and GBTA Recognize CMM Recipients from 2015 Dominican Republic Class, Accepting Applications for Las Vegas and Norfolk Programs

DALLAS, Texas and ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 9, 2016 -- Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), recently presented the distinguished Certificate in Meeting Management (CMM) to 17 more meeting and travel professionals, bringing the total number of holders to 1,087 worldwide. This class participated in the program held October 1 – 4, 2015, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

"The CMM Program has become THE business standard of excellence for meeting and travel professionals since its inception three decades ago," said Paul Van Deventer, president and CEO of MPI. "Congratulations to each of these leaders on their momentous achievement."

MPI and GBTA are currently accepting applications for two CMM programs scheduled later this year in Las Vegas (May 6 – 9) and Norfolk, Virginia (August 25 – 28). Each program is limited to only 50 participants so interested applicants are encouraged to apply early. Note, the deadline to submit an application for the upcoming Las Vegas program at the Aria Resort & Casino is April 5, 2016.

In addition, the MPI Foundation has CMM Program scholarship opportunities available for MPI members. Scholarships are awarded for up to $2,000 and must be used toward program fees. Last year, the MPI Foundation awarded 31 CMM Program scholarships to MPI members. To apply for a scholarship, visit www.mpiweb.org/foundation/grantsandscholarships. For more information on the CMM Program, please visit www.mpiweb.org/CMM. To learn more about the MPI Academy's various professional development offerings, check out www.mpiweb.org/mpi-academy.

MPI and GBTA commend the following 17 professionals from the Dominican Republic class on obtaining the CMM designation.

Sherri Beck/Jack Morton Worldwide
Norma Christina Bock/UNIVERSITY / MYW
Cori Brown, CMP, CMM /Opus Agency
Rochelle Rupnick/Milwaukee Area Technical College
Virginia Williams Fountain/North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives
Deanna Kay Griffith/Time Warner Cable Media
Monica Grinage Cooper, CMP/International Facility Management Association
Catherine Jones/Edventives Group
Jessica M. Lamb/Young Presidents' Organization, Inc.
Kristina Nichols/MassMutual Financial Group
Davide Odella/The National Stadium in Warsaw
Connie Pronschinske/Ashley Furniture Ind
Falon Veit Scott/Evolution Event Solutions
Cynnamon Spain/CCS, LLC
Jessie States/Meeting Professionals International
Sandra M. Totti/Innovation DMC, Inc.
Lisa Volpi/Netflix

About MPI

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is the largest and most vibrant global meeting and event industry association. The organization provides innovative and relevant education, networking opportunities and business exchanges, and acts as a prominent voice for the promotion and growth of the industry. MPI membership is comprised of approximately 18,500 members belonging to more than 80 chapters and clubs in 22 countries. For additional information or to join, visit www.mpiweb.org.

About the GBTA Foundation

Collectively, GBTA's 7,000-plus members manage more than $345 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually. GBTA provides its growing network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts with world-class education, events, research, advocacy and media. The Foundation was established in 1997 to support GBTA's members and the industry as a whole. As the leading education and research foundation in the business travel industry, the GBTA Foundation seeks to fund initiatives to advance the business travel profession. The GBTA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For more information, see gbta.org and gbta.org/foundation.

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