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Watch this message from Devin Lewis, CMP, CEM
MPI Potomac Chapter President
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Earn Your CMP with MPI Potomac
 It’s not too late to join the eight-week Fall CMP Virtual Prep Class! Register by Friday, Sept. 11 and watch a recording of the first session.Click on the photo to the left to learn more about earning your CMP!
Save the Date for a Roaring Good Time
 While we are prohibited from meeting in person, let's have a roaring good time anyway. Join MPI Potomac as Calsin Hoyle uses molecular cocktails to teach us how to muddle through this weird time and still come up with a yummy concoction! Save the date for this unforgettable event!
DATE: Monday, October 5
TIME: 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
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Transformation: The Impact of NFL’s
First Black Team President
By Ronda Keys, MBA, CMP, CMM, CEM, CTA, DES, HMCC, owner and event manager, Inspired Event Productions LLC, and Trudy Singh, CMP, regional vice president, NYC & Company – MPI Potomac Chapter Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
This year has been one of transformation on many levels. The coronavirus pandemic has proved to be a life-changing world event with severe health and economic impacts. Recent racial tensions in the United States have forced the nation to examine issues of diversity, equity and inclusion on many levels. Equality in health care, institutional racism and disparaging symbols of the nation’s history have been challenged and tested. The National Football League (NFL), specifically the Washington Football Team, is a local organization that has faced some of these issues head on.
The Washington Football Team was established in 1932 by George Marshall as the Boston Braves. In 1933, its name was changed to the Redskins and the franchise relocated to Washington, D.C., in 1937. The team’s name and logo have been controversial from the onset, as many considered them offensive to Native Americans.
In addition to the name controversy, the team has faced other racial contention. For years, Marshall refused to integrate the franchise despite receiving pressure from both national tribal and civil rights organizations, The Washington Post and the federal government. During the height of the civil rights movement in 1961, the federal government attempted to integrate professional football by threatening legal action against the team. District of Columbia Stadium (later renamed Robert F. Kennedy Stadium) was the newly built home of the team and sat on federally owned land and thus under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior. When threatened with civil rights legal action that would have prevented the segregated team from playing at the stadium, Marshall finally agreed to integrate the team. The Washington Redskins were the last of the 14 NFL teams to integrate in 1962.
For many years, the team faced criticism over its name and logo. Mounting pressure from major sponsors FedEx, Nike and PepsiCo, in combination with the George Floyd protests in May, prompted the organization to change the name. As a result, in July the team retired the name Redskins and announced a temporary name and logo. For the 2020 season, the team will be known as the Washington Football Team until a more permanent name is found.
The Washington Football Team has recently been plagued with a series of racism and sexual harassment issues. To bring change to the organization, Jason Wright, an African-American former NFL player, has been named as the new president. Wright is the first African-American and youngest president in the NFL. After leaving the NFL, Wright earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and worked for McKinsey & Company, a management consulting firm. His accomplishments at McKinsey include becoming a partner in the Operations Practice as well as working on an anti-racism and inclusion strategy for its Black Economic Institute.
According to team owner Dan Snyder, Wright’s "experience as a former player, coupled with his business acumen, gives him a perspective that is unrivaled in the league." Troy Vincent, executive vice president of football operations with the NFL, recently commented on the team’s hiring of its first Black president stating, “Jason Wright’s hiring is not only long overdue, it is the result of long-term and tireless efforts to achieve an open, equal and fair process where coaches, front office and C-suite talent of color have equitable opportunity to compete. The Washington Football Team’s example is commendable and should serve as a standard for the future.”
In addition to hiring Wright, other significant diversity changes have been made within the organization. In January, Ron Rivera was hired as the new head coach and first Latino to hold the position with the team. In July, the organization hired a woman to serve as its vice president of media. Julie Davidson is the highest-ranking female executive with the organization and the first woman to be a member of an NFL team’s radio broadcast.
This is the beginning of many changes and transformation. The newly formed MPI Potomac Chapter Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Committee is committed to bringing you relevant topics, our podcast series and our DE&I System and Roadmap.
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In Case You Missed It – Check out What Happened at August’s e2!
MPI Potomac’s Professional Development Committee kicked off this year with a very timely topic for the first e2: Utilizing Emotional Intelligence to Create Better Professional Relationships.
Our speakers, Everett. T. Shupe II, MBA, Ph.D., director of leadership programs at Goodwill Industries International, and Angelica Bravo, CMP, manager of Goodwill’s Learning and Curation Program, engaged our attendees starting with an interactive exercise created using www.mentimeter.com. Throughout the presentation, attendees added to the conversation through the chat, moderated by Nolan Lazarus.
Everett and Angelica walked attendees through different aspects of emotional intelligence. They explained that the keys to building this “power skill” are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management.
Here is what attendees had to say!
“I don't think you could have, nor should have done anything to improve this session. It was one of the BEST I've seen.”
B. Murphy, CEM, senior national sales manager at Fern Exposition Services
“No issues or complaints, everything was fabulous — content, tee up, moderation, chat management, closing remarks all top notch!”
Sara Whitney
“Positive Engagement and Experience. Job Well Done!”
Sheryl Brannon, CMP, MBA, strategic management, event & program development strategist at Strategic Partnership International LLC
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2019-2020 Evening of the Stars Award Winners
Thank you for joining us virtually on Sept. 2 for the 2019-2020 Evening of the Stars event! The MPI Potomac Chapter has amazing volunteers, and we are glad we were able to showcase their achievements and commitment to this chapter throughout the year. Congratulations to all the winners!!!
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Are You Ready for the New Face of MACE!?
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Welcome to our newest members who joined in August!
| Samantha Amus, student |
| Tracy Cooper, planner, AuthoriTEA |
| Wanda Jackson Lewis |
| Andrea Lapp |
| Lianna Lieberman, student |
| Aminata Odi, student |
| Patrick Rife, Pixilated |
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Committee Spotlight
Get the most out of your membership by joining a committee!
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Carrie Donahue, CMP
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Consider becoming a member of the Member Engagement and Community Outreach Committee. This committee is led by Carrie Donahue, CMP, and currently includes committee members Jenny Beard, Chana Brissett, Tracy Cooper, Cheryl Jamall and Mary Quigg
As a member of the Member Engagement and Community Outreach Committee, you would help to nurture the ongoing dialogue between our members and chapter leadership and find new ways for members to stay connected.
The committee also focuses on giving back to the community by partnering with local not-for-profit organizations and supporting them through donation drives and gathering volunteers for various initiatives.
Complete the committee interest form here and email Donahue with any questions.
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 It was just happenstance that Ashanté Horton found herself in the events industry by answering a nondescript ad in the newspaper. The ad was for a registration manager position with a nonprofit organization. The rest, as they say, is history.
Horton has been in the industry for over a decade. Her very first event was working with national and international attendees. Her interest was sparked as she spoke to various attendees and, consequently, navigated the social/cultural waters by observing their interactions with each other. It’s no wonder she ended up at a social studies organization. Currently working as NCSS meetings and education manager, the best career advice she’s ever received is “Don’t let one mistake get you down or deter you. Take it as a lesson learned to hone your craft and excel the best way you know how.” Now there's some sound advice you cannot argue with.
What do you love most about being a member of the MPI Potomac Chapter?
"As a newbie to the chapter, I have really enjoyed programming attended and loved the various avenues of volunteerism within the organization. Some of the volunteer groups align with my work, which joining one or more would serve as a dual benefit for the chapter and myself. Additionally, I have reconsidered my position to attain a CMP, in which the programs, specifically the CMP Prep Course and Boot Camp, would be a tremendous resource."
What do you find most inspiring about the industry right now?
"The ability to pivot and do so quickly. We are all learning together and sharing experiences in a space that many of us aren’t used to navigating, but we are making it work and, in many cases, improve the processes."
What legacy would you like to leave with MPI?
"Legacy is a heavy word, but generally speaking, I would like to leave the best and most positive impact possible at work and upon my fellow colleagues."
If you could live in the house from any movie, which would you choose?
"The Parent Trap (1998) – Spanish-inspired with a pool and vineyard. Who wouldn’t like a glass of wine poolside?"
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve done lately?
"Nothing. I am sure we can agree that this is the latest norm."
What do you snack on in the middle of the night?
"Salty - chips and salsa or pretzels. Sweet - sorbet or Oreos and milk."
Away from work, you can find Horton reading or traveling. Her favorite book is Kiss the Girls by James Patterson, but her current read is Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb. One of her treasured experiences was taking a road trip to Cancun, Mexico, to view the unique architecture. She also visited some of the native ruins in addition to experiencing a bit of culture outside of the tourist destination.
Here are some of her favorite quotes.
“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X
“If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." – Maya Angelou
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” – Dr. Seuss.
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Ready, Set, Meet: Coronavirus Event Safety Strategies
The Events Industry Council recently released new guidelines to help organizations make decisions on when and how to begin hosting gatherings, and strategies and tactics for safe meetings have been released from any number of organizations, hotel brands and industry associations. Discover highlights from these reports that can help your guidance with clients and your conversation with potential meeting partners and facilities. What questions should you be asking of both to ensure you are following the duty of care best practices for a safe-as-it-can-be event? Learn how other organizations are slowly bringing back the business of meetings.
Unleashing the Primal Brain: Tapping the Unconscious to Move People to Action
September 16
11 a.m. - Noon ET
1 Clock Hour | Domain E: Human Resources
What if you understood how the brain really makes decisions and could consistently influence it? In this dynamic keynote, bestselling author and neuromarketing expert Tim Ash will teach you key strategies for influencing the primitive and irrational parts of the brain that are really in charge of our actions. You’ll learn how to tap powerful universal motivations and automatic responses to deliver your marketing message on target every time. Walk away with a new perspective on the brain and several durable and practical strategies for ethically influencing your audience. Are you ready to be inspired?
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