The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) – the leading provider of corporate travel education and professional development – today presented the first graduating class of the Strategic Meetings Management Certification (SMMC) program. Twenty-nine corporate travel and meetings professionals earned the designation SMMC, denoting excellence in the theory and practice of Strategic Meetings Management (SMM), an NBTA-pioneered approach to managing corporate meeting and event activities and processes.

NBTA President & CEO Craig Banikowski, CCTE, C.M.P., CMM, said, "Today's graduates are leading the pack in perfecting both the science and art of strategic meetings management. As the first carriers of the SMMC designation, the only industry certification program focused on the theory of Strategic Meetings Management, they have taken a huge step in advancing their careers and established themselves as thought leaders in the global meetings and events community."

The First SMMC Graduates

  • Sherry Awbrey, EMCVenues
  • Linda Bennitt, Maxvantage
  • Deborah Borak, Conference Direct
  • Diane Bozicevich, Omega World Travel
  • Teresa Bria, Phase to Phase Strategy
  • Laura Cella, Reed Elsevier
  • Charlene Conklin, Maxvantage
  • Wendy Dell, BCD Meetings & Incentives
  • Lynda Garvey, American Express
  • Christine Gorham, Booz Allen Hamilton
  • Amy Harris, SunTrust Bank
  • Lasse Haugaard, Novo Nordisk
  • Mary Beth Jenson, NY Mellon
  • Brian Kellerman, GOGATHER
  • Deepti Mehra, Maxvantage
  • Peggie Milane, Metropolitan Life
  • Joanie Miskowiec, MotivAction
  • Susie Molinich, Maxvantage Meetings
  • Megan Murphy, American Express/Maxvantage
  • Melissa Nahama, Maxvantage
  • Clifton Pierre, Morgan Stanley
  • Nonie Ravenberg, Nth Degree
  • Pam Schroeder, StarCite
  • Stacey Slifka, ITA Group
  • Robin Wagner, Chubb Insurance
  • Karen Weegar, Egencia Meetings & Incentives
  • Tracey Wilt, Xerox Corporation
  • Amy Zellmer, Meetings & Incentives

The SMMC program consists of two core weeks and elective classes. The curriculum is designed to drive further development of accepted best practices, lead to creative new "next-practices," and enhance communication and leadership skills in developing and implementing global meeting policies, workflows and technologies. Upon completion of the course, graduates will earn the SMMC designation, indicating a proficiency in strategic meetings management.

About NBTA

The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) is the world's premier business travel and corporate meetings organization. NBTA and its regional affiliates – NBTA Australia/New Zealand, the Brazilian Business Travel Association (ABGEV), NBTA Canada, NBTA Europe, NBTA Mexico, and NBTA USA – serve a network of more than 17,000 business travel professionals around the globe with industry-leading events, networking, education & professional development, research, news & information, and advocacy. NBTA members, numbering more than 5,000 in 30 nations, are corporate and government travel and meetings managers, as well as travel service providers. They collectively manage and direct more than US$340 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually on behalf of more than 13 million business travelers within their organizations. For more information, visit www.nbta.org.

Nicole Hayes
Assistant Manager, Communications
(703) 236-1133
GBTA