Promotions and Changes
The Chicago-based
American Osteopathic
Association has hired
Deidre;Irwin;Ross of
Wilmette, Ill., as the new
director of its Department
of Meetings and Administration.
Previously, Ross was director of conference services for the American Library
Association, where she was responsible
for annual conferences of up to 25,000
participants. In her new position, she
will oversee AOA’s Osteopathic Medical
Conference & Exposition, as well as all
meetings of the AOA’s board of trustees,
house of delegates, bureaus, councils and
committees. As a recipient of its Robert J.
Donovan Award, Ross recently was chosen as meeting planner of the year by the
Professional Convention Management
Association’s Greater Midwest Chapter.
The American Veterinary
Medical Association in
Schaumburg, Ill., has
named Whitney;Lee
Miller,;DVM,;MBA,;an
assistant director in its
Governmental Relations Division. Miller, a
practicing veterinarian since 2008 and an
AVMA Fellow from 2008 to 2009, will work
as a lobbyist on Capitol Hill, where she’ll
be responsible for establishing and main-
taining communication between AVMA
members and congressional staff, as well
as relevant regulatory agencies, state
veterinary medical associations, allied
veterinary groups and advocacy groups. In
addition to animal welfare, she’ll focus on
issues related to the human-animal bond,
pet ownership/guardianship, aquaculture,
the environment, conservation, animal
transport, use of pesticides, and zoos and
wildlife.
The Learning Studio Inc., the nationwide
education management and consulting
firm, has moved its office headquarters to
566 W. Adams, Ste. 500, Chicago, and its
main number is (312) 533-2255. In addition, several changes were made to the
staff: Kristin;McGill was promoted to
executive vice president; Suzi;Wirtz,;CAE,
was promoted to vice president of marketing; and Susan;Miceli,;formerly office
manager with Advance Illinois, was hired
as the Chicago office’s operations manager. A West Coast office recently opened
and is being managed by;Taryn;Stine,
previously with the Young Presidents
Organization.
Under the
direction
of its new
president
and CEO,
Don Welsh,
the Chicago
Convention
& Tourism
Bureau has
hired a new
senior staffer
and promoted three others. Warren
Wilkinson, who most recently worked with
Welsh at the Indianapolis Convention
and Visitors Association, has joined CCTB
as senior vice president of marketing
and communications. Meanwhile, Mark
Tunney,;Jack;Johnson;and Rose;Horcher
have been promoted, respectively, to
senior vice president of sales and ser-
vices, senior vice president of government
relations and partnerships, and vice presi-
dent of client services. Previously, Tunney
was managing director of convention
sales while Johnson was vice president of
external affairs. Horcher previously was
managing director of client services.
Wilkinson Tunney
Johnson
Horcher
The Greater
Madison
Convention
& Visitors
Bureau in
Madison,
Wis., has announced the promotions
Madayag-Ard Morgenthaler
of Katrin;Madayag-Ard and Diane
Morgenthaler. Madayag-Ard has been
promoted from organizational research
coordinator to organizational research
manager. Morgenthaler, meanwhile, has
been promoted from director of marketing to vice president of marketing and
strategic planning. They have been at the
GMCVB since 2006 and 2009, respectively.
Q Center in St. Charles, Ill.,
has hired Tamara;Joy;Jakl
as senior sales manager.
Most recently corporate
sales manager at Hyatt
Lisle in Lisle, Ill., she
has 17 years of sales experience in the
hospitality industry and has previously
worked for the Hyatt Regency Woodfield
in Schaumburg, Ill.; the Hyatt Lodge at
McDonald’s Campus in Oak Brook, Ill.;
and the Radisson Inn in Green Bay, Wis.
News and Awards
Beginning May 25, Virgin;America — Sir
Richard Branson’s low-fare, upscale-service domestic airline — will offer daily
nonstop service to O’Hare International
Airport. With fares starting at $99, Virgin
America initially will offer two daily nonstop roundtrip flights between O’Hare
and Los Angeles International Airport,
as well as three between O’Hare and
San Francisco International Airport.
Connecting flights also will be available
from O’Hare to San Diego, Seattle and
Las Vegas.
Launched in 2007, Virgin America is
known for its contemporary cabins and
high-tech amenities, which have won it
the title of “Best Domestic Airline” for
three consecutive years in both Condé
Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards
and Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards.
The airline originally announced plans
to service O’Hare in 2008, but had to
delay its Windy City rollout due to gate
availability. Currently, the airline flies to
