Stephanie Dernek, CAE, CMP
Senior Meeting Planner

Stephanie brings more than 20 years of experience in association management and mission-driven non-profits, including oversight of multi-million-dollar event portfolios. She is an association management professional specializing in events, member engagement, non-dues revenue growth, and industry relations, and holds Certified Association Executive (CAE) and Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) credentials.

Known for quickly building trust with clients, boards, and volunteer leaders, Stephanie has led the full lifecycle of complex, multi-format events with multi-million dollar budgets, from vendor negotiation through onsite execution. She approaches events as a strategic extension of membership value and mission fulfillment, with a track record of building industry engagement programs and attendee experiences that have a lasting impact.

Outside of work, Stephanie holds a Master's degree in Social Justice and Community Development from Loyola University Chicago, serves on the board of Outpost Natural Foods Co-op and as Treasurer of Eco-Justice Collaborative, and is a registered yoga teacher.