People 6-1-2001

Meetings & Conventions: People June 2001

Edited by Jennifer Philburn

Theresa Garza, CMP, owns Amigo Meeting Solutions Inc. in Tucson, Ariz., which serves primarily association clients. Equally important to Garza is her volunteer work: She lends planning expertise to the annual Christmastime visit from the Madre Conchita Orphanage in Nogales, Mexico. Seventeen girls made the trip last year, accompanied by five nuns. The visitors were guests of the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson.

What were some of your responsibilities for this group? We made individual gift baskets for all the girls. We found out their ages and then went shopping, buying things like giant chalk and Play-Doh for the three-year-olds, and hair- and nail-care products for the older girls. We also made gift baskets for the nuns.

What were some of the memorable moments last year? I was crying the night Santa came and gave each girl personalized gifts. I remember one of the girls asked me if I was crying because I was happy. They’re just so innocent. I can’t tell you how delightful it was to spend time with them.

How would you like to change things for this year? I want to have an adult/nuns’ table at every event, so they get a break and can socialize.

When did you first donate your time to projects like this? I have always been involved in community service. For example, I was a mentor in the STEP program at DePaul University when I lived in Chicago, helping prepare inner-city students for college.

How else do you use your planning skills socially? Where do I start? At family gatherings or vacations, all the cousins, aunts and uncles assume I will take care of all the planning details.

• SARAH J.F. BRALEY

PLANNERS

Epstein joins PaineWebber
Caryn C. Epstein has joined the event marketing team at UBS PaineWebber Inc., based in New York City, as divisional vice president/event manager within the Private Client Group. Most recently, she was director of corporate communications and events for bla-bla.com.

DATAaide Associates names partners
Sanford Lieberman and Anna Poliseno have been named partners at Chicago-based DATAaide Associates Inc. Lieberman serves as vice president of membership services, and Poliseno is manager of meetings and conventions at the association management and meeting registration services company.