Emeritus CMPs

Janet C. Hull, CMP
Los Alamos, NM

When I earned my CMP Designation in December 1991, I was one of two Meeting Planners from New Mexico and one of 800 Planners nationwide to qualify for certification. I maintained my certification for the past 15 years while employed in the meetings industry. I am now retired from full-time employment but I continue to remain involved in conference on a limited basis. I am a member of a conference executive committee and assist them with planning and managing their catered functions. Planning and managing meetings was never just a job to me, it has been an important and rewarding part of my life for many years. I would like to continue participating in the industry through volunteering my experience for community functions, convention services, and developing opportunities to inspire new planners to pursue meeting planning as a career. Earning my CMP Certification accomplished a major goal. Retaining my CMP credentials would be an asset to pursue all of the opportunities available to me to remain involved in the meetings industry and would provide credibility for mentoring new planners.

I was a member of MPI and the Society of Government Meeting Planners although neither organization had a chapter in New Mexico for a number of years. I attended their professional education conference but was not able to attend chapter meetings on a regular basis. I worked with a small group of local planners and suppliers to prepare the preliminary plans and generate interest for a New Mexico MPI chapter. It took a few years and come faltering beginnings, but the chapter was eventually formed.

After attaining the CMP Designation, I was promoted to lead a team of five meeting planners. In addition to my involvement with day-to-day operations, I organized workshops and training sessions for the team to exchange information and enhance planning skills. I was successful with obtaining MPI membership for them and encouraged them to participate in the MPI Professional Education Conferences. In time, two of the planners qualified for CMP certification and one of them was elected President of the New Mexico MPI Chapter.

A primary goal is to continue to interact with planners new to the industry to encourage them to go beyond ordinary skills and become involved in total meeting management. I want them to be aware of the reward for achievement and to motivate them to participate in meeting industry association such as MPI and PCMA, which offer valuable opportunities for continuing education, networking, and contributing to the high standards established and recognized within the meetings industry.