2025 Education Forum Breakout Speakers
We were pleased to welcome the following breakout speakers at the 2025 Education Forum, each of whom brought valuable insights and expertise to this year’s engaging sessions.
Dawn Barbeau, Global Vice President of Sales, Global DMC Partners
Dawn’s journey in the industry spans from the vibrant casino scene to the dynamic world of Destination Management Companies (DMCs). Her enthusiasm for discovering new destinations shines through, and it’s clear she’s found her niche. When she’s not exploring the world or working her magic in the hospitality realm, she enjoys quality time with her family. Her husband Mark and two beautiful children, Olivia and Ernie, are what keep her young at heart and striving for more.
Her role as a mother is her most cherished achievement, but her professional accolades are equally impressive. She was honored as a 2024 Smart Women’s Magazine award winner and recognized as the 2024 DMC Supplier of the Year by a major third party. Additionally, Dawn is serving a three-year executive term on her children’s Parent-Teacher Council (PTC), further showcasing her dedication to both her family and community.
Nick Borelli, Director of Marketing, Zenus
Zenus Director of Marketing, Nick Borelli, leverages his background in experience design, event tech, and digital marketing to help event professionals reach their full potential.
His background includes decades of contributions to live and digital communication helping to facilitate his mission: bringing the world together through intentionally designed experiences. To further this mission, he has presented on a wide range of topics internationally, volunteered with numerous industry associations and contributed to dozens of publications. He has also served as a board member for a decade with the meetings and events industry non-profit, The SEARCH Foundation.
Nick has been named a Changemaker by MeetingsNet, awarded International Volunteer of the Year by International Live Events Association, and has won numerous marketing awards. He has served as an advisor for associations, conferences, technology companies and event suppliers. Nick is the instructor of the Enhancing Events with AI course with the Event Leadership Institute.
Sophia Hyder Hock, Chief Impact Officer, Destinations International
Sophia Hyder Hock is the Chief Impact Officer for Destinations International. In this role, Sophia provides thought leadership and strategic direction for the design and implementation of social impact resources, tools, and services for association members and the broader tourism industry.
Sophia has created sustainable social impact frameworks for over 20 years. Prior to joining Destinations International, she was the Founder and CEO of Papilia, an organization dedicated to developing tailored inclusion strategies, training, and coaching services for the travel industry. She has extensive experience as an international development practitioner working around the world on economic development, gender empowerment, workforce development, accessibility and stewardship projects.
Sophia is on the Boards of the Center for Responsible Tourism (CREST), TravelAbilty and the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA). She is a yoga and meditation instructor, and has written for numerous travel publications about representation, family travel, and wellness. Her love for travel started at the age of 10 when she moved from California to Sri Lanka. Since then, Sophia has been to 40+ countries and plans to inspire her children to be citizens of the world through mindful travel and learning about their Bengali-American heritage.
Jessica King, Associate Director, Meetings and Events, First Command Financial Services
Jessica King currently serves as the Associate Director, Meetings and Events for First Command Financial Services in Fort Worth, TX. She leads a team of amazing meeting planners who executes 300+ events per year for the companies Advisors, District Advisors, Staff and Home Office Employees. Graduating with a degree in Hospitality Management from the University of North Texas, Jessica’s professional journey started in 2009 as a wedding venue manager. Along the way she worked as a private events director for country clubs and business clubs then ultimately landing in corporate meeting planning in 2017 where she found her true passion within meetings and events. She obtained her CMP in November 2019.
In her free time, Jessica enjoys spending time with her husband and two small children, reading, traveling, and enjoying the great outdoors.
Katherine LaMacchia, Managing Director, Director of Corporate Events, Baird
Katherine LaMacchia, Managing Director, Director of Corporate Events for Baird, a privately held, international financial services firm with offices in the United States, Europe and Asia and more than $300 billion in client assets. Katherine joined Baird in 2008 and has had the great honor of serving the firm’s events needs throughout her tenure. Her current responsibilities include leadership of a high performing event management team that produces 300+ impactful events annually for the Private Wealth Management, Fixed Income and Firm business units.
Katherine is an active member of Financial and Insurance Conference Planners (FICP) since 2019 having served on several committees, including Chairing the 2024 Education Forum and currently serves as a board member. She is passionate about wellness, having held ACE certifications in Personal Training, Group Fitness and Schwinn Cycle Instructor. She enjoys giving back to her community and serves on the Discovery World Board. Katherine resides in the Chicago suburbs with her husband Mario and two children, Annabelle and Leo.
Courtney Lohmann, Founder, Courtney Lohmann Consulting
Courtney Lohmann is a strategist, consultant, and keynote speaker with over 25 years of experience helping organizations align environmental and social sustainability goals with business strategies. As the founder of Courtney Lohmann Consulting, she specializes in creating purpose-driven frameworks that empower teams, drive innovation, and deliver measurable impact. A sought-after speaker and advisor, Courtney is known for translating bold visions into actionable strategies that foster sustainability and regeneration in business. She helps people realize how they can be an impact leader and drive their work rooted in purpose.
Stuart Ruff Lyon, Chief Events and Sales Officer, RIMS (Risk and Insurance Management Society)
Stuart Ruff-Lyon serves as Chief Events and Sales Officer at RIMS, the risk management society®, leading the teams responsible for event execution and revenue generation across the organization. A key focus is his leadership of RISKWORLD®, RIMS' global annual conference, which he notably rebranded in 2022. Stuart joined RIMS in 2012 and has advanced through leadership roles to his current executive role, drawing on over 20 years of experience in planning international events and major citywide conventions.
An active industry leader, Stuart served as the 2020 Chairman of the Board for the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and frequently speaks at major industry gatherings. He lends his expertise to advisory boards for numerous convention bureaus and hospitality partners. His contributions have earned significant recognition, including the PCMA Chairman's Award (2024), PCMA Business Events Strategist of the Year (2024), and Smart Meetings' Meeting Planner of the Year (2022). He was also a recent finalist for PCMA's Event Designer of the Year (2025).
In 2024, Stuart shared his expertise as Executive in Residence at San Diego State University's School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. He resides in Westfield, Indiana.
Janet Melendez, President, Interactive DMC Puerto Rico
Janet Melendez is the President and owner of Interactive DMC, an award-winning destination management company in Puerto Rico. A Certified Destination Management Professional with 27 years of experience, Janet specializes in designing culturally immersive programs that elevate group and incentive experiences. Her deep local expertise and passion for authentic storytelling make her a trusted partner for planners seeking memorable, meaningful events in Puerto Rico.
Elizabeth Narzikul, CMP, Marketing & Events Manager, Philadelphia Insurance Companies
Elizabeth Narzikusl is an accomplished marketing and events professional with extensive experience in strategic event planning and brand engagement. She currently serves as the Marketing & Events Manager at Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY), a member of the Tokio Marine Group. In this leadership role, she oversees a team of three planners, all responsible for the execution of high-profile corporate events, including domestic and international conferences, incentive programs and more! Her work plays a key role in strengthening PHLY’s brand visibility and enhancing employee and client experiences through thoughtfully curated events.
Elizabeth earned her degree in Hospitality Management from James Madison University. She began her career as an Operations Manager at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel, where she developed a strong foundation in events, customer service and operational excellence. She later transitioned into a government-focused convention planning role with National Conference Services, Inc. (NCSI), supporting Department of Defense events globally.
Her designations and diverse background across hospitality, marketing and corporate events, inform her ability to deliver exceptional programs that align with organizational goals. Outside of her professional life, Elizabeth resides with her husband, Matt Narzikul in Philadelphia—whom she met at JMU—along with their 2 year old daughter.
Stacie Nerf, CTE, Manager, MICE – Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions, Delta Air Lines
A 33-year airline veteran, 18-year veteran in MICE market and a #deltaproud veteran of 10 years. Stacie started her Delta career in Specialty Sales on the MICE team, virtually based in Dallas/Fort Worth.
The MICE team, develops, markets, and sells all Delta Business Meeting & Events products: Corporate Meetings, Conferences & Events, and SkyTeam Global Meetings.
Stacie holds certifications as CTE and HMCC and currently sits on Site’s Foundation Board of Trustees and is a previous EIC APEX Commission member and CAB member of various CVB Boards.
Andy L. Peloquin, EVP Security Risk Management, Merrill Herzog Group
Andy Peloquin has taken a career path leading him to unique real-world experiences contributing to his overall understanding of today’s risk and need for realistic security and emergency response planning.
Mr. Peloquin served 15 years as a Force Reconnaissance Marine and is a 100% disabled combat veteran. He’s worked in over 60 countries, with 6 to 9 months a year, for 10+ years in high threat environments such as Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia. His roles encompassed special operations, diplomatic security, instructing, crisis response, and advising on special high threat humanitarian projects securing terrorist defector rehabilitation centers. He has 11+ years developing and teaching specialized curriculum to government and private entities.
Mr. Peloquin has also conducted overall security planning for large-scale festivals, sporting events, concerts, movie premiers, and convention support. Mr. Peloquin was Live Nation’s Event Security Director for the Route 91 Festival in Las Vegas during the active shooter tragedy on Oct 1, 2017. He was a key civilian participant in the coordinated actions and response on the ground as well as the key witness in the legal defense for the event promoters.
Mr. Peloquin continues to offer his expertise as the EVP of Security Risk Management for Merrill Herzog Group for critical incidents pertaining to situations like today’s topic of discussion. Mr. Peloquin is passionate about his role and spreading knowledge. Andy Peloquin is not just a “crisis response person”. His unique military & civilian experiences give him a diversified real-world background. His focus is on realistic and effective plans that mitigate legal and physical risk and assisting clients post incident.
Ashley Poe, Sr Customer & Distribution Engagement Manager, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions
With over a decade of experience in event execution, Ashley is passionate about creating meaningful experiences, values strong industry partnerships and believes well-executed events deepen relationships and drive business impact.
After earning a degree in Hospitality Management from the University of South Carlina, her early career was with the Charleston Visitors Bureau followed by wedding coordination in St. Augustine, FL. In 2012 she transitioned into corporate events, managing both domestic and international programs at a third-party incentive house.
Ashley joined Swiss Re Corporate Solutions in 2016 as a Corporate Event Manager, leading the planning, creative design and execution of annual client incentives, c-suite meetings and internal conferences. Today, as Senior Customer & Distribution Engagement Manager, she oversees the broader event landscape with project management, budgeting and strategy across North America.
David Saef, Chief Instigator, Freeman
David is a leader of Freeman's strategy practice and has a 20-year career leading strategic planning and growth strategies, sponsorship strategy and sales, organizational and event transformation, and measurement services. He has led engagements for industry leaders such as Disney, Indeed.com, expRealty, Mortgage Bankers Association, Sweet & Snacks Expo, Access Intelligence, RE+, AVIXA / InfoComm, American Heart Association, and Association of Equipment Manufacturers. Before to joining Freeman, David led the GES Global Strategy team to design and execute engagement programs for Pfizer, Boeing, Penton (Informa) and California Dental Association.
David has served as an executive board member at BPA Worldwide, a nonprofit auditor of media circulation, events and sustainability practices. He is a frequent industry speaker at IAEE, PCMA Convening Leaders, Exhibitor Live, HCEA, IMEX and Large Show Roundtable.
David earned an MBA from The Wharton School and an M.A. of International Studies from the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. He received his B.A. in Russian and Soviet studies from Harvard College.
Tracey Svenningsen, Director of Sales, Raffles Boston
Tracey is an experienced luxury hospitality sales professional and team leader with a demonstrated history of cultivating longstanding relationships, understanding and exceeding elevated event and guest expectations, excelling in ambassadorship and brand marketing objectives, and nurturing these same core values within successful teams.
Tracey is proud to have called both New York and Massachusetts home over the years. After graduating from NYU, she began her career in marketing in New York City, later discovering her passion for hospitality at resorts on Cape Cod. In 2023, she joined the pre-opening team at Raffles Boston—the first Raffles property in North America—where she is Director of Sales.
Tracey has been an active member of FICP since 2019 and was honored to serve on the FICP Membership Committee for two years, as well as on the Silent Auction Committee. She is also thrilled to be part of the FICP in Boston Task Force for 2025!