Chapter President of the Year – SMPS Website

Pearl-Grace Pantaleone Named Chapter President of the Year

Linda Smolkin — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 11:30:29 +0000

SMPS is pleased to announce that Pearl-Grace Pantaleone, CPSM, Assoc. DBIA, 2022-2023 SMPS Alaska president, has been recognized as the 2024 Chapter President of the Year. Pearl-Grace was honored at Amplify A|E|C, the Society’s annual conference, during an awards ceremony on July 25, 2024, in Salt Lake City, UT.

The Chapter President of the Year Award recognizes an SMPS chapter president who has demonstrated excellence in leadership while serving the chapter and its members. The nomination process includes both self and peer nominations and must be submitted by a current SMPS member.

Pearl-Grace Pantaleone holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Public Communications and is senior communication strategist at HDR. In 2024, she received a national Gold Pathfinder Award from HDR for Excellence in Community Service for the work she has done within Alaska. Recently, Pearl-Grace served as the University of Alaska Anchorage Spring 2024 Alumni commencement speaker where she shared her journey about showing up for those you care about.

In 2022 at SMPS Alaska, she assumed the role of chapter president with a clear vision: to become the type of leader she would want to follow—one who uplifts others and empowers them to be their best selves. Throughout her ten-year tenure on the SMPS Alaska board, she prioritized stability and consistent messaging among volunteers and members. As a community connector, Pearl-Grace played a pivotal role in the growth and advocacy of the chapter.

During her presidency, Pearl-Grace re-imagined, redefined, and pushed the boundaries of programming and events, setting new records in attendance, engagement, awareness, and collaboration. The overall programming and events were carefully curated to support the Society’s mission and vision as well as align with SMPS Alaska’s three-year strategic plan.

“Pearl-Grace is the type of leader jumps in with both feet, sets up a plan for success, corrals the team for input/execution and always exceeds expectations,” states Cynthia Oistad, CPSM SMPS Alaska past-president for 2021-2022.

“She is also never afraid to try something new. Pearl-Grace leaned in to try new things. She took a different approach to organizing the board and assigning leadership and volunteer opportunities, and she learned from other chapter and Society to bring new ideas to the chapter,” adds Leah Boltz, FSMPS, CPSM, who’s a co-founder and past-president of SMPS Alaska.

Congratulations, again, to Pearl-Grace Pantaleone, CPSM, Assoc. DBIA!

Janki DePalma Named Chapter President of the Year

Linda Smolkin — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 16:00:00 +0000

SMPS is pleased to announce that Janki DePalma, LEED AP, CPSM, 2021-2022 SMPS Austin president, has been recognized as the 2023 Chapter President of the Year. Janki was honored at Amplify A|E|C, the Society’s annual conference, during an awards ceremony on August 10, 2023.

Janki DePalma, LEED AP, CPSM, is the director of business development at Kirksey Architecture in Austin, TX. As president of SMPS Austin, Janki elevated the chapter by igniting a sense of belonging. Under her leadership, SMPS Austin became a must-attend organization and a space that exemplified the Society’s vision.

Beyond increasing engagement, Janki sought to enhance the format of chapter programs by providing attendees opportunities to make meaningful connections and bring value to their firms. This created an engaging space for everyone from the private to the public sector.

To Janki, belonging needed to connect members to representation: this led to 75% of all programs and 100% of all panelists including women and BIPOC members. At the conclusion of Janki’s presidency, SMPS Austin had expanded its reach dramatically. Janki’s passion for belonging has resulted in a stable future for SMPS Austin.

Longtime SMPS member and part of the SMPS Austin board from 2021-22, Gabriela Mier states, “Janki is the most humble, encouraging, and supportive professional I know. She has led with grace and deserves to be recognized for it.”

Marion Thatch, FSMPS, CPCC, adds, “The role of chapter president is more than simply managing your local chapter. During her presidency, Janki stayed active with several organization and tirelessly worked to help the Society, her chapter, and other chapters, all while maneuvering through an unprecedented year.”

Congratulations, again, to Janki DePalma, LEED AP, CPSM!

Jen McGovern Named 2020-21 Chapter President of the Year

wpadmin — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 16:30:21 +0000

SMPS is pleased to announce that Jen McGovern, CPSM, 2020-2021 SMPS DC president, has been recognized as the 2022 Chapter President of the Year. Jen was honored at Amplify A|E|C, the Society’s annual conference, during an awards ceremony on July 19, 2022.

Jen McGovern, CPSM, became SMPS Washington DC president during one of the most challenging years of the chapter’s history. During this time, she had a unique opportunity to assess what worked—and what didn’t—for the chapter.

Jen fostered an environment of evaluation and experimentation, encouraging directors to own their programs and get creative. And by taking this approach, the chapter was able to remain profitable during the pandemic—staying in the black on over 80% of events and increasing reserves.

When asked about the award, Jen stated that she was honored and humbled. “All of the chapter presidents in the 2020–2021 program year faced a unique challenge in determining how to keep members safe while still delivering an impactful member experience. With the support of the SMPS DC board members and volunteers, we produced a calendar of creative events and laid foundations to benefit the chapter in the future. I’m excited to continue to see how the SMPS DC chapter evolves!”

Throughout her term, Jen made sure both board members and chapter members felt seen and heard. She sent a personal welcome email to every new member, letting them know of upcoming events and encouraging them to get involved.

Connection, education, and advancement—that’s what Jen promised SMPS Washington DC, and she delivered, while maintaining her calm and collective manner.

Congratulations, again, to Jen McGovern, CPSM!