Events Project Director - Federal Government & NIMH Programs

SUSAN R FUNK, DES, CGMP

Alexandria, VA *****

Cell: 703-***-****

Email: **********@*****.***

Qualification Summary:

As Events Project Director, I managed projects and staff focused on virtual, hybrid and in person events and meetings for the federal government agency, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Served as the overall lead on complex projects and principal liaison between the contractor and government agency. As the Events Project Director, I was responsible for ensuring that all tasks associated with a government-funded program or project are completed effectively and efficiently, on time. Also, I was responsible for quality control programs being in place and consistent on all events assigned. As Events Project Director, I oversaw a contract supporting a federal government agency with event/meeting planning, logistical and writing services. Events Project Director 2023- present

Miami Environmental & Energy Solutions – Tribal 8(a), SDB Manage $2M budget for meeting planning and logistics, delivering project under budget. Lead the end-to-end execution of in-person and virtual NIMH events. Manage timelines, budgets, vendors, and logistics to deliver high-quality, customer-focused events on schedule and within scope.

Serve as the primary liaison for healthcare professionals (HCPs) and internal NIMH partners, maintaining proactive communication and ensuring exceptional participant experience. Collaborate with healthcare professionals (HCPs) and NIMH staff to align content, target audiences, and event goals.

Oversee the configuration and optimization of event management platforms (e.g., Cvent, Constant Contact) to streamline registration, communications, and post-event reporting. Manage contract administration, vendor agreements, and expense reconciliation in accordance with federal reporting and compliance policies.

Coordinate program materials, speaker logistics, and onsite support to ensure seamless delivery and operational accuracy.

Provide structured reports, dashboards, budget records and updates to the client and leadership ensuring visibility and transparency.

Oversee daily operations and program management, ensuring follow-through, consistency, and accountability across project staff, subcontractor, and consultants. Plans, organizes and manages daily operational activities of assigned projects. Responsible for ensuring all project deliverables are met on time and within contract budget. Supervise and mentor event/meeting planners, contractors, and agency partners. Digital Marketing Specialist/Cvent Administrator 2022-2023 Fannie Mae, Washington, D.C.

Develop project timeline with internal clients for all Cvent campaigns and monitor/control the plans from beginning to end.

Serve as subject matter expert on the Cvent platform and advise on core/future functionality of the tool with clients.

Build Cvent invitations and registration websites for internal/external events; work with clients on look and feel of Cvent invitations/websites to ensure that all parties are satisfied with final products. Incorporate Cvent-owned products as needed into events – OnArrival, Event App, Surveys. Implement best practices and quality assurance processes and procedures to ensure that the highest quality product is deployed each and every time.

Cultivate and nurture strategic working relationships across internal departments. Work collaboratively with clients and Cvent support to resolve any pre/post launch issues. Build and maintain relationships with the Cvent Customer Support team and account manager to remain current on Cvent products and features.

Event Planner 2022

National Defense University-Fort McNair, Washington, D.C. Managed the logistics and event elements for 30+ events attended by Corporate Executives, Senior Military/Government Officials, Members of Congress, and NDU College Leadership. Coordinated with academic and administrative staff to plan and execute academic lectures, military retirement and promotion ceremonies, and special events.

Partnered with various NDU departments for graphic design, protocol, photography, AV, security, and parking for onsite events.

Collaborated with the NDU protocol office to ensure policies and procedures were adhered to for official ceremonies involving senior government officials and service members as well as ceremonial etiquette. Senior Event Planner 2020-2022

Cape Fox Shared Services, Washington, D.C.

Producing virtual events for Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ranging in size from 30-3000 attendees in Webex platform.

Monthly Cybersecurity managers trainings, Cybersecurity virtual events and Cybersecurity roundtable panels. Developing pre-event timelines, budgets, and marketing plans for events. Built registration websites with proper language and privacy notices. Identify, invite and confirm appropriate speakers for conferences. Establish and maintain relationships with subject matter experts, senior executives, and media within relevant markets.

Execute virtual conferences, including providing an opening introduction, speaker assistance, and support. Partnering with a third party for visual-or-hearing-impaired services to ensure that all events are 508 compliant. Work with and support a cross-functional team on an ongoing basis to ensure successful marketing of events. Event Planner 2018-2019

American Society of Nephrology and Society of Human Resource Management, Washington, D.C. Coordinated 350 ancillary events for the corporate partners and vendors for the American Society of Nephrology

(ASN) annual medical meeting (10,000 attendees).

Coordinate communications, registration, housing, and transportation for event speakers. Develop templates for communications with speakers and vendors-including invitations, confirmations, and thank you letters.

Worked on Society of Human Resource Management’s annual meeting (20,000 attendees). Assist with event logistics to include speaker outreach/onsite speaker office, conference app, conference/volunteer guides, exhibit booth invoicing, food and beverage menu development, and other activities related to supporting conference development.

Built Cvent registration websites for trainings and events. Assist and support with the fulfillment and tracking of all corporate partner benefits. Support exhibit and sponsorship sales for bi-annual conferences and develop conference resources for sponsors and attendee promotions. Assist with event logistics to include VIP housing, speaker outreach, audio visual planning, food and beverage menu development, shipping logistics, and other activities related to supporting conference development. Meetings Manager 2016 – 2018

CSR Incorporated, Arlington, VA

Meeting Manager for the Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice. Responsible for site selection, travel, lodging, building, and monitoring Cvent registration websites, federal government meeting approval forms, meeting budgets and on-site meeting execution for this government contract. Meetings ranged in size from 30-500.

Built four meeting registration website templates in Cvent and the instructional users guide for meeting planning team.

Event Manager 2011-2016

APR Consulting LLC, Washington, D.C.

Event & Marketing Manager for American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) on the AARP TEK Technology Workshops team in Washington, D.C. Responsibility to create and execute tactical marketing/promotional plans that: drive awareness; engage, educate, and retain members; promote and drive demand for, and utilization of, organizational services, and drive and support business goals. Manage integrated marketing campaigns to include content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, event marketing, direct mail, out-bound calls/robocalls and for 8,000+ AARP TEK Workshops in 30 cities. Collect and analyze data, with the ultimate goal of growing audience usage year over year. Building event registration pages in CVENT and managing CVENT/registration for the AARP TEK Workshop series, a brand-new pilot program at AARP. Produced a Process Document for this pilot event program outlining all the steps of event set up, CVENT/registration set up, marketing processes that included creative, target emails, print and out-bound calling/robocalls, billing and quality analysis process.

Event Manager for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C. Registration, housing, marketing, social media and meeting planning for the National Veterans Small Business Conference and Expo held in Detroit, MI for June 2012. This conference consisted of 8,000 attendees, 200 sessions and 450 expo booths. Responsible for site selection, effective negotiating and booking of hotel/venue contracts, management of advance/onsite logistical arrangements (F & B, production, housing, room sets and reconciling invoices), team lead for registration. Experience in oversight and management of 3rd party housing, registration and production companies. Managing keynote speakers, VIPs, and military generals onsite. Team lead for new event technologies that included attendee tracking, training and CME session tracking and networking as well as the event mobile application that contained event/schedule updates.

Event Planner for Lockheed Martin at their executive briefing center, the Global Vision Center located in Arlington, VA. Assist with all levels of senior management meetings in sizes from 5-400 attendees onsite at their secured executive conference center. These events ranged from classified, secret, top secret meetings, video teleconferences (VTCs), receptions, dinners, corporate board meetings for Lockheed Martin, and Corporate Media Day.

Sr. Catering Sales Manager 2009-2010

Hyatt Hotels, Arlington, VA

Catering Sales Manager for Hyatt Hotel property located in Arlington, VA. Prospected, acquired and serviced catering and banquet sales from all business segments (corporate, government, association, weddings) to achieve hotel’s revenue goals. Executed meetings, conferences, gala dinners, weddings, and receptions for corporate, government, and association groups.

Hotel Sales Manager 2007-2008

Hilton Hotels, Arlington, VA

Hotel Sales Manager for Hilton Hotels Arlington, VA Prospected and booked group business, achieved group revenue goals by actively up-selling to maximize revenue opportunities.

Sold a total of $800,000.00 in a five-month period to the corporate, government, and association markets. Education:

Marymount University, Arlington, VA -- BA

Certification:

MPI’s Digital Events Strategist (DES), December 2020 SGMP’s Certified Government Meeting Planner (CGMP), February 2017 Computer Skills:

Zoom, MS Teams, MS Office, Webex, CVENT, Constant Contact, Smartsheet, netFORUM, Sharepoint, Sync/Workfront

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