People 8-1-2002

Meetings & Conventions: People August 2002

People

Edited By Terence Baker

Cynthia Kruska is the program administrator for the Michigan Judicial Institute, an organization that serves the Michigan Supreme Court in Lansing, the state’s capital. She designs and plans continuing education seminars and events for the court’s administrators and, sometimes, for the justices themselves.

What attracted you to the legal side of planning? Initially, I worked for Grand Valley State University [in Allendale, Mich.] organizing career development programs for the school’s 12,000 students. However, I have a master’s degree in judicial administration from the University of Denver Law School, so my current role is better suited for me. I’ve been here since 1988 and enjoying every moment.

What is your role at the institute? The team I work for is one of the largest such institutes in the country, with 19 staff members. Other colleagues keep an eye on the state legislature and update the court’s procedural books. Then it is my job to plan appropriate educational seminars. I also organize distance-learning courses and administrative seminars.

Is there a downside to the job? Being part of state government can be challenging. At the moment, budgets are very tight, and I spend a lot of time applying for grants. Sometimes it is a matter of learning to be creative with the budgets you have.

How do you manage to relax? I love gardening. I have several gardens at my home; my goal is to get rid of all my lawn and turn it into gardens. I’m about halfway there. I also like hiking and sightseeing around Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It is so beautiful, especially the Mackinac Bridge, which is truly divine.

PLANNERS

Zint joins MetLife Investors as vice president
Peter Todd Zint, CMP, CMM, has been named vice president, corporate relations and events, for Newport Beach, Va.-based MetLife Investors, a subsidiary of MetLife. Previously, Zint served as director of corporate events at AXA Distributors, a subsidiary of AXA Financial, in New York City.

Leake signs on at Jackson Marketing Group
Pat Leake has joined Atlanta-based Jackson Marketing Group, a global event management company, as director of conference services. Leake was last employed at McGettigan Partners, also in Atlanta.