Equality MPIOCPurpose & Objective of Committee: EQUALITY MPIOC is an outreach initiative of the Orange County Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPIOC) to encourage diversity within the meeting planning profession. This program is intended to reach planners who serve multicultural organizations and/or LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender and Questioning) communities. The Chapter’s objectives are as follows:
- To offer our educational resources and the collective professional expertise of our membership to assist individuals in building their organization’s capacity and professional meeting skills.
- To encourage greater numbers of persons from and/or persons serving multicultural organizations and/or LGBTQ communities to gain awareness of MPI, MPIOC and the meeting planning profession.
- To integrate new planners into the membership who can share their organizations’ missions and objectives with existing chapter members.
- To mentor and encourage EQUALITY MPIOC to assist at the Chapter level, acting as ambassadors of their organization educating and uniting all sectors of the meeting planning community.
MPIOC will provide the following to EQUALITY MPIOC:
- Complimentary admission to all monthly meetings and special events for a period of SIX MONTHS between January and June 2011.
- Mentoring and guidance on the committees of the EQUALITY MPIOC members’ choice.
- At the conclusion of the six month term, the MPIOC Board of Directors will vote and award two scholarships to EQUALITY MPIOC members for full MPI annual memberships. Awards are granted on the basis of assistance to the chapter’s goals and objectives.
Qualifications:
- EQUALITY MPIOC members must be involved in planning meetings, conferences and/or events at their organization which serve multicultural organizations and/or LGBTQ communities.
- EQUALITY MPIOC members are required to attend all monthly meetings and volunteer on one or more MPIOC committees.
- During the six month term, EQUALITY MPIOC members must present two written reports on their growth and experiences with the chapter. These submissions can be emailed to the MPIOC Director of Public Relations and from there will be presented to the MPIOC Board of Directors.
- Not currently be members of MPI
- Have the full support of their supervisor and organization’s leadership to participate in the EQUALITY MPIOC program.
Meet Our First Member!
 The chapter’s first member of Equality MPIOC is Sarah Kasman, the Executive Director of Shanti Orange County. Shanti’s mission is to strive to preserve the dignity and well-being of individuals living with HIV and AIDS by providing supportive services, education and psychological care. Sarah is the heart and soul of the OC organization. Each month more than 100 volunteers assist those in need while Sarah and her staff ensure delivery of case management, education, health services, mental health services, home delivered meals and linkage to a wide array of services throughout Orange County.
Sarah plans all educational meetings and seminars for Shanti Orange County. The meetings are conducted both on and off-site. The size of the audience ranges from 15 - 95 people. Sarah looks forward to expanding her education in the area of venue selection, audio visual technology, contract negotiation and menu planning. Sarah has had a relationship with Shanti Orange County since 1991. "Seeing so many people dying with AIDS expanded the way I viewed and chose to live my life," said Sarah. "I came to see everyday as precious, and sharing my life experiences, my family experiences, and my Shanti experiences intertwined and became the fabric of my life."
We proudly welcome Sarah Kasman to the Orange County Chapter of Meeting Professionals International. We look forward to helping her achieve her educational objectives and are eager to learn more about her organization and share her message with MPIOC members.
For more information on the program, please contact MPIOC Director of Public Relations, Ilona Hobbs at ihobbs@cort.com, 714.517.7400. | 
