Chana Brissett
Catering SME
Subject Matter Experts (SME)
Chana Brissett, Senior Business Development Manager for CSI, uses her networking skills and development background from her extensive catering career to focus on developing relationships and driving lead opportunities primarily in the DC market…
Chana Brissett
Chana Brissett, Senior Business Development Manager for CSI-DC, uses her networking skills and development background from her extensive catering career to focus on developing relationships and driving lead opportunities primarily in the DC market. She takes pride in her commitment to clients by building and retaining long-term relationships and exceeding expectations. With many years living and working in the Nation’s Capital, Chana enjoys live music and diverse cuisine found in some of her favorite local neighborhoods. She is an active member of Meetings Professionals International (MPI) Potomac Chapter, enjoys writing and volunteering with local organizations such as EnventU.
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Teresa Godfrey, AIFD CFD
Floral SME
Ms. Godfrey is a freelance floral designer and floral educator in the Washington, DC area. She has been designing professionally since 2001, but has had a lifelong passion for flowers and all
forms of visual art…
Teresa Godfrey, AIFD CFD
Ms. Godfrey is a freelance floral designer and floral educator in the Washington, DC area. She has been designing professionally since 2001, but has had a lifelong passion for flowers and all
forms of visual art.
forms of visual art.
Formerly a software requirements analyst and database designer, Ms. Godfrey has had some wonderful experiences in the floral industry. She has had the opportunity to work with David Tutera, as well as many of the high-end event companies in the metro DC area. She has worked events at both the White House and the VP Mansion, and has coordinated a floral fashion show for the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh.
In 2011, Ms. Godfrey was inducted into the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD), an organization dedicated to the promotion of the art of professional floral design through education and recognition of designers that excel at the art form. She was certified as a floral evaluator and judge in 2013.
Passionate about floral education, Ms. Godfrey transformed the existing floriculture program at Anne Arundel Community College (near Annapolis, MD) into an intensive certificate program; it became an Educational Partner with AIFD in 2016. But in addition to teaching, she also continues her floral education with weekly classes in Ikebana (Japanese floral design) with the Metro DC area’s most prestigious instructor and is also studying for her European Master’s certification.
Ms. Godfrey is dedicated to service to the industry; she currently serves as the Vice President for AIFD Southern Chapter and will become President in 2019. She has served as president of a local MD floral association for 2 terms, and continues to serve on the Executive Board as Past-President. She was also active in Mid-Atlantic Floral Association.
Terry loves to present on stage for industry and garden club associations. She also likes to compete in floral competitions. She has been awarded a Blue Ribbon at the Philadelphia Flower Show, the People’s Choice award at the NC Museum of Art’s Art in Bloom festival, numerous 1 st and 2 nd place awards at local competitions and People’s Choice awards where the “people” were her floral industry peers.
When she is not immersed in floriculture projects, Terry enjoys travelling with her husband and spending time with her daughter and grandson.
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Wallace Johnson, CTS
Audio/Visual SME
Wallace’s 18+ year corporate live event audiovisual career began in the Washington, DC hospitality market with Swank Audio Visuals where he gained his foundational knowledge of a customer service first approach to delivering technology solutions…
Wallace Johnson, CTS
Wallace’s 18+ year corporate live event audiovisual career began in the Washington, DC hospitality market with Swank Audio Visuals where he gained his foundational knowledge of a customer service first approach to delivering technology solutions. He later moved south to join AVI-SPL’s Hotel & Event Production division where he spent over 10+ years lastly in the role of VP of Operations overseeing 100+ hotel & staging offices throughout the US, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. After the division was acquired by Freeman AV, he transitioned to Tampa based audiovisual company DCE Productions to serve as President, leading their expansion as a full-service AV production company. From there Wallace joined Mertzcrew as VP of Business Development, where he was responsible for educating & advising clients on how to remove compliance & insurance risk when working with freelancers while maximizing efficiency and profitability in crew management. Today Wallace heads up WLJ Consulting where he produces live events and consults with live event audiovisual companies on how to Be BETTER Now by focusing on improving People, Processes & Technology. Wallace is Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certified and a Certified Technology Specialist. Wallace has served as AVIXA’s Chair of the Live Event Council and was named AVIXA’s 2017 Young AV Professional of The Year. Currently, he serves on AVIXA’s Board of Directors and Foundation Board. In 2017 he was named in Commercial Integrator Magazine 40 under 40 lists. Wallace is the host of AVNation.TV podcast – “The LIVE Life” where he brings influential guest to discuss topics related to the selling, planning, designing, producing and delivering Live Event Audiovisual Productions. To help develop the future workforce of the audiovisual industry he acts as a speaker and advisor to several education organizations that have courses related to the live event audiovisual industry.
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Jenny Abreu, CMP, MTA
Meeting & Event Planning SME
Ms. Abreu has been planning association, academic, social, corporate and non-profit events for over 19 years. Her event planning philosophy is centered on creating memorable event experiences that appeal to the five senses…
Jenny Abreu, CMP, MTA
Ms. Abreu has been planning association, academic, social, corporate and non-profit events for over 19 years. Her event planning philosophy is centered on creating memorable event experiences that appeal to the five senses. She loves all things EVENTS – but more importantly loves to create the experiences that bring people together for socializing, networking, learning and of course fun!
In 2014, Ms. Abreu founded and launched Forever Etched Events, LLC a boutique meeting and event firm that provides experience design, planning, management and production services. Her firm provides services for social events and for corporate, not for profit, higher education, and government related organizations, with a special interest in faith-based events. In December 2016, Ms. Abreu joined Howard Community College’s Center for Hospitality & Culinary Studies as an Adjunct Instructor/Professor for the Event Management program and still teaches.
Currently Ms. Abreu has returned to the American Bar Association, International Law Section as the Director of Meetings.
Other event related experiences includes, volunteering on the United States Presidential Inauguration Committee for the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, and working as staff on worked on events such as the Greater Washington Sports Alliance Sneaker Ball, The National Kidney Foundation (National Capital Area) Casino Night, the United States Office of Executive and Management Development- President’s Quality Awards, the Annual Children’s Charities Foundation Basketball Gala, Latinas Leading for Tomorrow 2012 Conference to name a few.
On her spare time, Ms. Abreu also freelances with a number of reputable event production and planning agencies, she serves as a contractor for a government contractor, volunteers as the Chair for The George Washington University Latino Alumni Network and is an Academic Mentor.
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