Alysha
DiGiorgio—President
Alysha became a member of ISES in 2000 and
has served as Director of Committees and
Job Bank, Secretary, President-Elect and
now President. She is the Director of Sales
& Marketing for Digital Lightning, a
special events lighting and fireworks company.
The company has received an Event Solutions
Spotlight Award, 7 ISES Capitol Awards and
has been nominated for the Special Events
Magazine Gala Award and the ISES Esprit
Award. Prior to Digital Lightning, Alysha
held several positions in the special event
industry including Director of PR and Special
Events for a National Non-Profit Organization.
Alysha is also a volunteer EMT.
Kelley
Gillespie—President-Elect/Treasurer
Kelley is an experienced
strategic special events planner, having
designed and orchestrated events in the
US and abroad for more than 20 years. She
has planned Inaugural events, parties for
as many as 12,000 guests and major fundraisers.
She joined ISES in 1997 and also serves
on the International Membership Committee.
She is the principal of GEM Events based
in Washington, DC.
Raegan
Smythe—Immediate Past President
Raegan has been an active member of the
Greater Washington DC Chapter of ISES since
2000. She started on the Front Desk and
Newsletter committees, then subsequently
served as the Newsletter Director, Newsletter
VP, President Elect and 2005-2006 President.
She is the President and owner of Chase
Your Tail Productions, Inc. Raegan dedicates
herself to providing production and general
session consultation services for event
and meeting planners with professionalism,
dependability and a smile. She is a proud
Gator alumna, loves Tigger and, when not
traveling all over the country, relaxes
by going camping with her husband and 3
dogs.
Bob
Blanken—Co-Vice President of Programming
& Education Bob is a certified
Professional Photographer by the Professional
Photographers of America and has received
their esteemed Photographic Craftsman degree.
He served on their National Council for
nine years. He has been a member of the
International Special Events Society (ISES)
for twelve years and the Meeting Professionals
International (MPI) for six years. Bob is
also a board member and past president of
The Professional Photographers Society of
Greater Washington and the Maryland Professional
Photographers Association. Bob has been
the Official Chapter Photographer for the
Potomac Chapter of the Meeting Professionals
International for the last five years. His
photographs and albums have won numerous
awards.
Sara
Muchnick—Co- Vice President of Programming
& Education
Sara has been an ISES member since August
of 2004 and has been an active volunteer
in her first year serving on the Expo. and
Holiday Auction Committees. This is her
first year on the Board and she is excited
to plan events, something her current position
doesn't fully allow her to do. She currently
works for Sugarplum Tent Company in Event
Sales and Marketing and works on the side
for event planner Gina Sole of "The
Wedding Planner" in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The two were most recently featured on the
Style network's "Whose Wedding is it
Anyway".
Candice
Bennett—Vice President of Marketing
Communications
After spending 5 years in Corporate America,
Candice started her company, Candice Bennett
& Associates, LLC. The company specializes
in developing communication strategies
for companies. Candice Bennett has been
developing and implementing communication
strategies for corporations, political
candidates and not-for-profit organizations
since 1998. She specializes in using quantitative
research at all levels of strategic planning,
from brand development to continuous monitoring
of the customer experience. Candice currently
resides in Alexandria, Virginia where
she is constantly entertained by the antics
of her feisty chihuahua and tabby cat.
Kathy
Taylor—Vice President of Membership
Kathy Taylor is founder of Personal Parties,
Plus an event management business performing
a range of event planning services for corporate,
personal, and community clients. She has
organized large-scale community festivals
as well as planned corporate open houses,
private receptions, and association events.
Some of Ms. Taylor’s large events
have included serving as the 2005 Event
Director for the Town of Kensington’s
annual Labor Day Event, assisting the Wheaton
Urban District in several event management
projects including the Taste of Wheaton,
as well as serving as the Gala Chair for
the 11th Annual ISES Capital Awards Gala.
Carla
Freed —Director of Archives
Ashleigh
Dorfman—Director of Education
With over 10 years of event management &
marketing experience, Ashleigh is professional
party planner and president of posh parties,
LLC, a social event planning firm. Previously,
she was the manager of event marketing at
VeriSign (formerly Network Solutions). In
ISES DC, Ashleigh has served on the Board
as Director of Communications, VP of Marketing
Communications and Director of Education.
Ashleigh earned her BA in International
Relations at George Mason University and
an MTA in Event Management & Marketing
at George Washington University.
Dave
Edwards—Director of Students
Dave has been active in ISES since 1999
and was named the 2001 Volunteer of the
Year. He has served as Director of Strategic
Alliances, Membership VP, Job Bank Coordinator,
Volunteer Coordinator and Front Desk Chair.
He also produced the chapter’s first
picnic, ISES Island Adventure in 2001. Dave
received the 2004 ISES Spirit of Excellence
Award. Dave Edwards Events Inc. is a full-service
event production company, specializing in
corporate and non-profit events. Dave has
12 years of event experience. He is a graduate
of the Event Management Certificate Program
at George Washington University and obtained
his CSEP in 2001.
Ray
Bialek—Director of Membership
I, Ray Bialek joined the ISES board in 1992
and have been treasurer, vice president,
president, and am currently serving my second
term as membership director. I am a two-time
winner of the Chapter President’s
Award. I have been the CEO of Bialek’s
Music for 28 years, and a retired drummer
since 1996. I have been to most of our organization’s
conferences for the past 15 years. I have
a wife, two daughters, and four of the cutest
grandchildren ever. I play lots of golf
and give seminars on networking to corporate
clients. I’ll be in Hawaii for Event
World.
Norma
McAuley—Director of Committees/Job
Bank
Norma has been an ISES member since 2005,
where she has served in numerous volunteer
and committee positions. She was recently
elected to serve a two-year term on DC ISES
Board of Directors. Norma has over ten years
experience in the events industry. She is
currently an events coordinator with Lockheed
Martin. Norma is currently enrolled in the
Masters of Tourism program at GWU, where
she has also earned a Professional Certificate
in Event Management. Norma holds an undergraduate
degree in Art and Art History from the University
of Maryland.
Amy
Hibbits —Director of Newsletter
An active ISES member since 2006, Amy joins
our DC ISES Board as Director of Newsletter.
At Atlantic Services Group, Inc., a valet
parking, transportation, and garage management
company in Washington, she wears many different
hats as Executive Assistant to the President.
She is a member of the ‘Partners For
Kids’ advisory group to the DC Child
and Family Services Agency. She graduated
from Marymount University with a degree
in Business, and is a Food Network junkie,
avid reader, and beach bum to the core.
Pat
Richitt—Director of Strategic Alliances
Patrick J. Richitt is the owner of Entertainment
Exchange, Inc., a music entertainment agency
and artist development company which serves
the Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia
markets. As a 20+ year veteran of the special
event industry, he also owned a retail florist
for nine years, worked for IBM as a marketing
rep for nine years and has owned the Entertainment
Exchange for eleven years. Mr. Richitt received
his MBA from the University of Maryland
in 1984. He has also been a professional
singer and performer since 1976. Mr. Richitt
is a native of Washington, DC.
Jeffrey
Fox—Director of Programs (Expo)
Jeffrey is an event planner at Finishing
Touches Events, LLC. His past board positions
include Director of Job Bank and Director
of Students. He was the Co-Chair of the
ISES DC Gala 2005. He has served as a Director
of Catering at the Park Hyatt, and at the
Ritz-Carlton Washington. He was awarded
Manager of the Year for Award, ANA Hotels
1996. He has spent over 20 years in the
special events and hospitality industry
managing Washington's most unforgettable
events for local, national and international
clients.
Lesley
Grabias—Director of Programs
Lesley Grabias, a Washington-area native,
is a graduate of James Madison University.
After graduation, she pursued a political
fundraising career at the National Republican
Senatorial Committee. During her years with
the NRSC, Lesley has assisted in the successful
execution of several events ranging from
small dinners featuring Members of Congress,
Inaugural balls, activities surrounding
the Republican National Convention to The
Annual President’s Dinner. In addition
to fundraising events, Lesley helped implement
several grassroots marketing campaigns,
resulting in millions raised for U.S. Senators.
In 2005 Lesley joined Carte Blanche Events
where plans both social and corporate events
and specializes in weddings.
Heather
Lee Westrom—Director of Front Desk
Heather Westrom became a member of ISES
three years ago with the Minneapolis-St.
Paul Chapter, and quickly got involved with
the board, becoming Director of Communications.
She is currently an Operations Manager with
GEP Washington, DC’s premiere destination
management company. Her background includes
sport event management, facility rental,
and catering. A 2005 Esprit awards nominee,
she is currently working towards her CSEP,
which she hopes to attain in 2007.
Denise
Thorne—Director of Front Desk
Denise Thorne is Co- Owner of InStyle Caterers.
Denise has more than sixteen years of catering
experience. She has served on the DC ISES
chapter board as director of Volunteers
and Job Bank in the past and is now Co Director
of Front Desk. When Denise is not overseeing
catering at events, she enjoys the theater,
watching old comedy shows, entertaining
and traveling. She resides in Upper Marlboro
with her husband and two daughters.
Jenna
Lordo—Director of Breakers
Jenna Lordo, President of Eventology LLC,
has served on the ISES DC Board since 2004.
Eventology blends the art and science of
event management to provide customized service
for events that require a high-level of
professionalism, organizational expertise,
creativity, and an awareness of cultural
nuances and protocol. She is a graduate
of The George Washington University School
of Business and Public Management’s
Event Management program and has a degree
from the University of Minnesota Theater
Department with a major in design.
Patti
Weiner—Director of Gala
Patti Weiner has more than 30 years of experience
inthe special events industry. As the Owner
of Plan-it Parties, she plans more than
60 events a year and has won several ISES
Capital Awards and has been nominated for
the Events Solutions Spotlight Award and
the ISES Esprit Award. Patti joined ISES
4 years ago ad has served on several committees
including the Silent Auction.
Jaime
Greenwald—Director of Gala
Jaime Greenwald is the Vice President of
Gala Events, Inc. and the conceptual designer
for Gala Design and Production. She joined
the family owned and operated business full
time 12 years ago, but worked part time
for three years prior to that. Jaime specializes
in both corporate and social events, and
prides herself on always exceeding her clients’
expectations. Her motto is, “You don’t
get a second chance to make a first impression.”
Jaime lives in Bethesda, Maryland with her
husband, four children, and three dogs.
Renee
Stake—Director of REC
An ISES member since 2003, Renee is excited
to return to the board as co-chair of the
2007 Northeast REC, hosted by the Greater
Washington DC Chapter. She previously served
on the board as Secretary and Vice President
of Programs. Renee is the Event Manager
for Troutman Sanders LLP and is responsible
for all national events for the firm. She
holds a BA degree in Advertising from the
University of Maryland at College Park and
began her career in the events industry
in 2001 at The TCI Companies.
