The International Medical Meeting Professional Association named its 2011-2012 officers and directors, who were selected in June at IMMPA’s “Engage, Enlighten, and Educate” Annual Meeting and Conference at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers.

Scott Graham, president of Excellent Meetings in Chillicothe, Ohio, was inducted as president, succeeding Lisa Keilty, President of The Keilty Group.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to work with some of the top leaders in the medical meetings industry,” Graham said.

He added, “With such excellent industry individuals handling day to day decisions on the Board of Directors and quality advisors at the ready to offer advice and counsel, IMMPA’s has a sure foundation to build upon.”

Other 2011-2012 board officers include: vice president of administration - Vigdis Tonne, Publicis Medical Education Group; vice president of finance - Rhonda Miles, CPS, BJC HealthCare; director of sponsorship - Marian Long, CMP, American Association of Diabetes Educators; director of annual meeting - Susan Lejeune, Maritz; director of marketing and communications - Anthony Prusak, Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center; director of membership - Bonnie Weiss, Hyatt Hotels Corporation; and, director of education - James Vachon, Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company.

The association’s 2011-2012 advisory board members are: Pat Schaumann, CMP, CSEP, DMCP, Meeting IQ/China Connect; Jerad Bachar, Dubai Convention Bureau; Joseph Clote, Meet Magazine; Adam Gordon, UniversalProcon, Inc.; Jennifer Knapp, ITC; Paul Lam, Signature Tours International; James Montague, PlannerNet; Linda Pissott Reig, Esq., Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, PC; Ann Sedgwick, Carnival Cruise Lines; Gus Vonderheide, Hyatt; and, Dr. Holly Wyneski, MD.

 “2012 is shaping up to be a year of great growth for IMMPA,” Graham said. “For our membership, we will be providing quality educational webinars, expanding our knowledge center with relevant information available on demand and enhancing our Annual Conference to provide the most up to date content as it relates to medical meeting professionals.”

IMMPA is the international association representing medical and healthcare meeting professionals and is dedicated to promoting professionalism through advocacy, education, certification, research and service.

IMMPA's purpose is to provide conformity of medical meeting professionals' education, training, certification and networking. IMMPA supports and promotes the life sciences industry through peer directed and operated services, advocacy, career development and global connections.

“IMMPA continues to develop its certification for Medical Meeting Professionals,” Graham said. “When the certification program is completed, individuals will be able receive training and testing to demonstrate a level of knowledge necessary to be a medical meetings professional.” 

IMMPA was launched in the fall of 2009 with the creation of a board of directors, an advisory board, and a certification board.

Its members are medical meeting professionals who work in pharmaceutical, biomedical, and medical device companies; hospitals and medical centers; animal health, allied health, and medical societies; and independent planning companies.