Aaron Wolowiec
Founder & President
Location: Dallas, TX (Central Time Zone)
Credentials:
- Master of Science in Administration (MSA)
- ASAE Fellow (FASAE)
- Certified Association Executive (CAE)
- Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) Fellow
Aaron Wolowiec is a nationally recognized meeting strategist, facilitator, and learning designer with more than two decades of association experience. As the founder and president of Event Garde, he specializes in creating engaging, multisensory learning and networking experiences. A certified Technology of Participation (ToP) facilitator and mentor trainer, Aaron prioritizes participatory and equitable approaches to consensus building and strategic planning. His work with boards, learners, staff, and volunteers fosters meaningful connections, skill development, and practical application in the workplace. Beyond the boardroom, Aaron finds joy in celebrity autobiographies, true crime podcasts, traveling with his husband, Trevor, and walking their Mini Goldendoodle, Luca.
> Download Aaron’s curriculum vitae.
> Download Aaron’s volunteer and leadership experience.
Dilhara Muthukuda
Director, Facilitation Services
Location: Metro Detroit, MI (Eastern Time Zone)
Credentials:
- Master of Public Health (MPH), Boston University
- Bachelor of Science (BS), Michigan State University
- Technology of Participation (ToP) Training:
- Facilitation Methods
- Accelerated Action Planning
- Strategic Planning
Dilhara is a seasoned public health and healthcare professional with over a decade of experience in non-profit and government sectors. Specializing in quality improvement, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), and evaluation, she brings a strategic and facilitative approach to fostering long-term, systemic change.
An expert in meeting facilitation, Dilhara designs and leads dynamic discussions, workshops, and strategic planning sessions that promote dialogue, critical thinking, and action. Trained in the Technology of Participation (ToP) methodology, she has successfully guided over 80 stakeholders in collaborative planning efforts and spearheaded initiatives addressing health disparities, DEIB integration, and policy development.
With a commitment to creating inclusive environments, Dilhara partners with corporate clients, as well as leaders in non-profit, government, and academia, to drive meaningful change. Beyond her professional work, she serves on their local library board of trustees and volunteers as a coach at a tennis non-profit.
Alina Cooper
Director, Project Management
Location: Jacksonville, FL (Eastern Time Zone)
Credentials:
- Certification Association Executive (CAE)
- Credentialing Specialist
- Qualified Association Executive (QAS)
Alina has 18 years in association management experience and is skilled in project management and client relations. Drawing from her extensive experience in the certification and assessment industry, she has assisted certification and licensure programs in their mission to positively impact, serve, and measure applicant competency thru verified assessment practices, delivery, and support services. Prior to entering the testing arena, she served the non-profit sector, enriching customer service experience, educational and professional development programs with her knowledge and enthusiasm. Throughout her various tenured positions and personal life, Alina believes that passion is magic and people are fascinating.
When she’s not cheering on her team members and managing client projects, she’s playing ‘ringmaster’ to her own circus which features two energetic teenagers, her mother, fiancée and devoted pet, Paddy
Lindsay Gross
Director, Facilitation Services
Location: East Lansing, MI (Eastern Time Zone)
Credentials:
- Licensed Master’s Social Worker (LMSW)
- Certified Technology of Participation Facilitator (CTF)
- Certified Technology of Participation (ToP) Mentor Trainer (MT)
- Certified Learning Environment Architecht (CLEA)
Lindsay is an experienced meeting facilitator with over a decade of experience working with multidisciplinary groups, assisting them with goal setting/action planning, and creating an engaging environment that allows for consensus building. She has worked with professionals from both the public and private sector to help them work towards gaining common vision and achieve their goals. Lindsay is known for working with challenging groups to conduct needs assessments, system’s analysis and work together to co-create actionable recommendations for improvement.
Lindsay’s expertise and area of passion in facilitation work is in engaging with the human side of the work and engaging participants and their unique perspectives in order to gain a full understanding of the impact on them personally and professionally.
Lindsay is also an experienced public speaker and trainer, presenting at national conferences on a variety of topics relating overall system change and how to engage with communities. Lindsay is a graduate of Michigan State University with both her bachelors and masters in Social Work. She is licensed by the State of Michigan in both clinical and macro level social work.
Aside from her job, Lindsay loves exercising and embracing a healthy lifestyle in mind and body. It is her stress reliever and where she finds strengths to take on the challenges of everyday life.
Lindsay also maintains a private counseling practice, continuing her connection to her social work background and working with individuals to help them achieve their unique goals.
Kara Nacarato
Director, Development & Operations
Location: Livonia, MI (Eastern Time Zone)
Credentials:
Kara has a passion for helping organizations identify innovative ways to collaborate with corporate partners and individual donors. With more than 20 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit and association sectors, Kara has built a reputation for her expertise in event management, alongside management, operations, sales, and marketing. She has successfully planned and executed a wide range of events, from large-scale conferences and annual meetings to intimate donor gatherings, ensuring that each event meets her clients' objectives and exceeds expectations.
Her extensive event management background includes everything from conceptualizing event themes to managing logistics, vendor relations, attendee engagement strategies, and post-event analysis. Kara is skilled in creating seamless, impactful experiences that enhance networking opportunities, foster learning, and drive attendee satisfaction. Whether overseeing corporate sponsorship integration or ensuring accessibility and inclusion at events, she has a keen eye for detail and a strategic approach that maximizes event impact.
Kara’s expertise in working closely with board members, corporate partners, and donor audiences, combined with her consultative selling approach, allows her to uncover client needs and craft tailored solutions that align with organizational goals. She has a diverse background in marketing, sales, sponsorship management, and fund development, along with a knack for building lasting relationships.
Kara holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the University of Detroit Mercy, with a focus on Public Relations, Marketing, and Organizational Development. She has also received specialized training in sponsorship development/management from IEG, a leader in partnership strategy, development, and fulfillment.
In her free time, Kara and her husband Steve stay busy with their three daughters, Emily, Jenna, and Avery. When not juggling car pools and sports activities, they enjoy relaxing at the pool or spending time at the lake with friends and family during Michigan's few warm months.
Kate Pojeta
Director, Meetings & Technology
Location: Detroit Area, MI (Eastern Time Zone)
Credentials:
- Certified Association Executive (CAE)
- Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
- Hybrid Events Certified
- Smartsheet Product Certified User
- AI Enhanced Event Professional
Kate has over 20 years of association experience combined with extensive technology work. She prides herself on being able to help clients find more efficient and effective ways to manage their meetings, information, data and communications. In addition to overseeing client events and technology needs, her background in leadership and experiential learning carry over to support our facilitation team. When she’s not working, you'll find her running, reading, or enjoying time with her husband and their four kids.
Tracy Koenig-Poches
Lead Instructional Designer
Location: Portage, WI (Central Time Zone)
Credentials
- Certificate of Instructional Design, University of Wisconsin - Stout
- Certified Learning Environment Architect (CLEA)
Tracy is an experienced, dedicated education leader who creates dynamic, engaging learning experiences. She brings a cheerful energy and a positive attitude to the team. She has spent the majority of her career in the high school and college classrooms where she taught English, technology, and French courses. She has also designed and taught English courses for Madison College and the University of Wisconsin—Whitewater. Today she works primarily with associations to provide learning solutions that will move the organization forward and enhance member’s educational experiences. Tracy is also a health enthusiast, personal trainer, and CrossFit trainer.
Krista Rowe
Director, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
Location: Lansing, MI (Eastern Time Zone)
Credentials:
As a certified facilitator and apprentice trainer in Technology of Participation (ToP) methods, Krista brings over a decade of experience working with groups to co-create more equitable institutions. A dedicated systems thinker, she views Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) as relational work grounded in community organizing, anti-oppression, and anti-racism frameworks. Drawing from her identity as a queer, fat, woman, she is passionately committed to her own personal growth and recognizes the indispensability of her colleagues of color in effectively advancing this work. Krista emphasizes the importance of designing interventions and strategies that fit the unique context and needs of each organization she collaborates with. As a facilitator, Krista values humility, humor, collective accountability, constructive disruption, empathy, and relationship building.
Tim Berghuis
Manager, Finance
Location: Grand Rapids, MI (Eastern Time Zone)
Credentials:
- Bachelor of Arts (BA), Calvin College
- Master of Business Administration (MBA), Grand Valley State University
- QuickBooks ProAdvisor
Tim’s accounting career spans 35 years and includes employment at large and small non-profits in his home town of Grand Rapids. He earned his undergrad business administration and accounting degrees at Calvin College in the 1980s and completed his graduate studies at Grand Valley State University where he earned his Masters in Business Administration in 2007. In 2014 Tim left his job to become his own boss at Tim Berghuis, Accountant LLC and has had no regrets whatsoever! He enjoys traveling with his spouse, Jill, and in 2020 celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with the support of their two daughters and four grandchildren.
Jenny Hill
Manager, Marketing
Location: Lansing, MI (Eastern Time Zone)
Credentials:
- Bachelor of Science (BS), Central Michigan University
- Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA), Greater Lansing Area
Jenny supports Event Garde with managing the Gardian Blog, curating the monthly Gardian eNews and ensuring the website stays up to date. When not supporting Event Garde clients, Jenny spends her time with her husband Richard and loving on her fur kids, Lillie and Linus.
Adrienne Segundo
Manager, Credentialing
Location: Littleton, CO (Mountain Time Zone)
Credentials
Adrienne is a recipient of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE) credentialing specialist certificate. In addition to her work with Event Garde, Adrienne and her husband, Keith, own a boutique association management company (AMC) specializing in the development and maintenance of certification programs. Based in Littleton, CO, Adrienne serves as its chief operating officer and chairman. Previously, she served as the director of credentialing and operations for the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA), as well as chief staff executive to multiple national association certification programs via Partners in Association Management. Adrienne has extensive experience in exam development, ANSI ISO 17024 accreditation, NCCA accreditation, education audits and credential marketing.
Ashley Uhl
Meeting Planner
Location: Vienna, VA (Eastern Time Zone)
Credentials
Ashley Uhl, CAE brings solid association management and event planning skills, as well as experience with exhibits & sponsorships, market research, and membership to Event Garde. Ashley is a strong believer that an association’s main value to members is top-notch experiences, including all aspects of in-person events, from educational content to networking to “Instagrammable” moments. Ashley is an active member of the American Society of Association Executives; and is Vice Chair of the Membership Section Council for the 2019-2020 year. When not working, Ashley enjoys running and training for races. Her favorites are 200ish mile relay races that take 24-36 hours to complete.
Jennifer Grau
Karla Gutierrez
Tom Morrison
CEO of Metal Treating Institute Management
Holly Duckworth
Lowell Aplebaum
Jessica Pettitt
Jenny Stanfield
John Rampton
Jamie Notter
Kelly Clark
Manager of Online Marketing, Naylor Association Solutions
Sarah Sain
Sarah Sain, senior content strategy and development manager, Naylor Association Solutions
Kristen Johnson Brogan
Elizabeth Weaver Engel
CEO and Chief Strategist, Spark Consulting LLC
Angela Pelc
Moderator, Healthy By Association
Location
Allen Park, MI
Credentials
- Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
- MA, Theatre Management, Wayne State University
Bio
After spending nearly 20 years in the hospitality and meetings industry, Angela Pelc has transitioned into the health and fitness world.
After having success on the Weight Watchers (WW) program, Angela now services and supports others on their journey as a Coach and Teammate for WW in the metro Detroit area and is currently leading her own meetings. Angela has lost 70 pounds on the program and is diligently working on maintaining it.
Angela has been on board with HBA since its inception and works with the moderator team to make this a useful and inspirational community to support busy professionals who have health and fitness goals.
Angela believes in daily activity and has completed several Beachbody workout programs. She also loves running and yoga.
Jim Thompson
Moderator, Healthy By Association
Location
Raleigh, NC
Credentials
IOM, CAE
Bio
Jim Thompson, IOM, CAE, is vice president of association management and strategic development with CHMS, an association management company based in Raleigh, NC. In his role, Thompson serves as the executive director for the National Association of 4-H Agents and the Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering, oversees the staff that manage CHMS’s 18 other clients and is responsible for business development.
Previously, Thompson was the executive director of the Association Executives of North Carolina, where he had been since September 2005. While at AENC, Thompson helped the organization grow its membership by more than 50%, saw retention increase to nearly 98% and worked to increase the recognition of the organization with the media, members and government officials. Before working at AENC, Thompson served as the director of business development for the NC Association of REALTORS® in Greensboro, a position he helped establish after his first year of employment with NCAR. He worked at NCAR for more than five years to substantially increase revenue for the association and to streamline the sponsor development program.
Thompson was born in Goldsboro, NC and moved to Raleigh in 1986. He would go on to graduate from Millbrook High School in 1990. He is a 1994 graduate of UNC-Greensboro and has a degree in English and political science, with a concentration in journalism.
Thompson is married to Hollyn, who is the art specialist at Jones Dairy Elementary. He and Hollyn have a son and daughter, and are very involved in the NC Football Club (NCFC).
Since moving back to the Triangle in 2005, Thompson has been extremely involved in the community. He has served as chair of the town of Wake Forest’s Recreation Advisory Board and was elected in 2013 as a Wake Forest Town Commissioner, serving for two years as Mayor Pro-tem. He and his family attend Wakefield United Methodist Church and are charter members.
Sarah Hill
Content strategist at Seven Events Ltd.
Vedic Yoga
Naylor Association Solutions
Dani Mihalic
Corporate marketing manager for Naylor Association Solutions
Shannon Lockwood
Event Manager
Location: Annapolis, MD (Eastern Time Zone)
Credentials:
- Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
- Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM)
- Digital Event Strategist (DES)
Shannon Lockwood is a collaborative leader with over 12 years of experience in the meetings and events industry. As an independent meeting planner, Shannon’s passion for project management allows her to support the organizational mission of her clients with exceptionally executed trade shows, conferences, meetings, and events. Her experience with hybrid and virtual events allows her to contribute to the strategic vision of the organization and deliver events with impact. Her professional experience includes work in non-profit associations, official service contractors, and convention center sales and operations.
John Ayo
Internationally recognized keynote speaker, wellness expert (naturopath) and author
Stacey Fenton
Josh Miller
Director of Gen Z studies for XYZ University
Alyssa Pfennig
Owner of Embarque Yoga Studio, who leads Health and Wellness programming through Event Garde
Emily Hendershot
Team leader with Nova Strategies
Lindsay Thomas
Client Engagement Manager
Location: Concord, NC (Eastern Time Zone)
Credentials:
- Bachelor of Applied Arts (BAA), Central Michigan University
Lindsay is an enthusiastic business leader with a proven track record of driving incremental growth and exceeding goals. With more than 20 years of leadership experience, she is adept at multitasking and navigating complex challenges in ever-changing business environments. Lindsay’s commitment to strategic planning, long-term investment, and fostering internal and external relationships positions her as a top contributor across all facets of her expertise. When she’s not busy working, you’ll find Lindsay at home with her husband and their three children. Whether it’s chauffeuring her kids to their activities, a cozy family movie night, or a friendly game of cards, she’s happiest spending quality time with her friends and family.
Savannah Phillips
Marketing Intern for Naylor Association Solutions
Molly Schnepel
Former Content Strategist for Naylor Association Solutions
Mary Lou Jay
Stephanie Birnbaum
Content Marketing Strategy Intern at Naylor Association Solutions
Natalie Topalian
Copywriter for The Image Shoppe
Joann L Smikle
Hilary Marsh
Chief Strategist, Content Company
Rob McCarty
CEO, The Image Shoppe
Kim Harwood
Results at Hand Software
Jim Brumbach
Technisch Creative
James Bell III
State Assistant Administrator, Michigan Deptartment of Health and Human Services
Sergio Fabbrini
Celisa Steele
Julie Ratcliffe
Content Production Specialist for CommPartners
John Bacon
Alexis Travis
Laura Taylor
Christine Saunders
Magdalena Nowicka Mook
Maria Ferrante
Carol Vernon
Peggy Hoffman
Shannon Laing
Eunice Curtis
Scott Oser
Sheri Singer
Mark Gray
Andrea Hopkins Holovach
Pete Pomilio
Dr. Michael Tatonetti
David Freeman
Kaitlan Arndt
Cynthia Mills
Michael Butera
Michael Reed
Maddie Grant
Jeff Cobb
Walt Phillips
MacKenzie Feldpausch
Danielle Guty
Facilitator & Project Coordinator
Location: Dewitt, MI (Eastern Time Zone)
Credentials:
- Technology of Participation (ToP) Training:
- Facilitation Methods
- Virtual Facilitation Methods
- Environmental Scanning
- Strategic Planning
- Power of Image Shift
- Bachelor of Science (BS), Central Michigan University
Danielle has extensive experience coordinating projects relating to child welfare, maternal health, public health, birth equity and reproductive justice work, and military research. This experience has a profound influence on her work as a facilitator, project coordinator, and doula. Her intent is to help facilitate an inclusive, safe, productive, and fun space for clients as they do challenging work. Danielle has been working with Event Garde since 2020 and is a moderator for the FACILIT8me community of practice and coordinates Voices and Views.
Danielle enjoys spending time with her two kiddos, husband and large family, playing basketball, reading, planning vacations and working with her birth and postpartum doula clients.
Yesenia Murillo
Facilitator
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Location: Lansing, MI (Eastern Time Zone)
Credentials:
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate
- Cultural Intelligence Facilitator Certificate
- Coaching for Equity Course
- Unconscious Bias Learning Lab
- Technology of Participation (ToP) Training
- Bachelor of Arts (BA), College of Saint Benedict & St. John’s University
- Master of Public Health (MPH), University of Michigan, 2023 candidate
Yesenia has extensive experience in health equity, race equity, inclusion, social justice, diversity, cultural competency, community organizing, healing circles, training and facilitation, curriculum design and development, employee resource groups, program development and management, public health, sexual health, health programming, and public speaking. Yesenia has always centered marginalized populations, including racial/ethnic minorities, battered women, immigrants and refugees, victims of rape and sexual assault, formerly incarcerated persons, youth in juvenile correctional facilities, and people with disabilities. She has experience leading projects and workgroups, and always elevates partners and community members in decision making. Yesenia is devoted to dismantling systemic inequities through upstream structural and organizational change. She is passionate and ever thankful for her experience as a career-long facilitator, educator, and trainer. She strives to facilitate equitable, inclusive, courageous, relational, and trusting spaces for people.
Yesenia loves traveling, yoga, food, dancing, music, people, and above all her family and friends.
Heidi Bitsoli
Trevor Mitchell
Consultant
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Location: Dallas, TX (Central Time Zone)
Credentials:
- Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Missouri
- ASAE Fellow (FASAE)
- Certified Association Executive (CAE)
- Certified Diversity Professional (CDP)
Trevor Mitchell, MBA, FASAE, CAE, CDP is the President and CEO of the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) and the IAVM Foundation. His focus is on helping leaders and associations create a strategic vision for the future and working to achieve it. Trevor has been involved in association management for over 15 years and has contributed to the profession through speaking, writing, and volunteering. He is currently the past chair for the Texas Society of Association Executives (TSAE). Trevor most frequently consults on strategic planning, strategic implementation, board governance, and diversity, equity and inclusion (including everything from a DEI overview to inclusive leadership).