Tell us about your business or the work that you do?
I am the owner and sole DJ for MY DFW DJ – Weddings & Events. I launched in 2015 when my wife an a relocated to Dallas from Detroit, Michigan. I add “the party” to beautiful celebrations. I also edit wedding industry podcasts including The Week In Weddings, Almost To The Aisle and This vs That.
How long have you been a NACE member? On the board?
I’ve been a member of NACE since 2017. I served on the membership committee starting in 2018 and proudly serve as a current board member.
What is your personal motto?
Love one another.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Cooking, I wanted to be a chef before I wanted to be a DJ.
Which actor or actress would play you in the movie about your life?
Anthony Mackie, probably best known as Marvel Superhero “Falcon,” Captain America’s crime fighting partner. He’s quiet but powerful. He isn’t “everywhere” but everywhere he is, his presence is undeniable.
What does true leadership mean to you?
Leadership is having an understanding of everyone you serve. Rarely are a group of people in the same place. One that takes time to understand that and lead from that perspective will garner better results as a leader.
What is in the trunk of your car right now?
Ironically nothing. Since my car is technically a work SUV, I’m happy to have it empty when I’m not working.
I work for Vestals Catering, a catering company that prides itself on our scratch-made, seasonal cuisine and our generous hospitality!
How long have you been a NACE member? On the board?
I have been a NACE member since 2016? 2017? 4 or 5 years! Wow! This is my first year on the board.
What is your personal motto?
“If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can’t, you’re right.”
What is your guilty pleasure?
Reality competition shows! (The Challenge, Survivor, Big Brother, Amazing Race, Top Chef, Chopped, etc.) I can’t get enough!
Which actor or actress would play you in the movie about your life?
I guess I’ll go with… Mila Kunis? She’s a short little firecracker not unlike myself, and she doesn’t take s*** from anyone! Also, her “Bad Moms” character is just too relatable to ignore! LOL
What does true leadership mean to you?
True leadership is leading by example. Not being afraid to get into the trenches with your team. You can’t just talk the talk these days, you have to prove that you can walk the walk!
What is in the trunk of your car right now?
A jacket and extra set of clothes for my toddler, a portable jump-starter, an emergency first-aid kit, and a picnic blanket! …and possibly a fold-up wagon?
Tell us about your business or the work you do. I am a professional photographer and Owner of Jennifer Crenshaw Photography. I’ve been capturing couples on camera for over 10 years in Dallas, and I love catching those candid moments.
How long have you been a NACE member? On the board? I joined the DFW NACE chapter in 2019 and joined the board as Co-Director of Membership at the beginning of 2021.
What is your personal motto? “Start each day with a positive thought and a grateful heart.”
What is your guilty pleasure? I feel like a have a few. Chocolate for sure, I can never pass it up. And wine, I love red wine. Just give me chocolate, wine, and a good movie and I’m in my happy place!
Which actor or actress would play you in the movie about your life? Anne Hathaway
What does true leadership mean to you? Leadership is about taking charge and doing the hard work. It’s about speaking up for others and always being there to help and provide support. A true leader sets a good example by showing kindness and respect to others.
What is in the trunk of your car right now? Right now, there’s nothing in the trunk because grocery pickup has been a lifesaver during Covid-19.
Due to the power outages that so many in our community are experiencing, AWARDS DEADLINE IS EXTENDED to Monday, February 22nd.
I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t be more excited to usher in a new year – one full of hope, possibility, and Covid vaccines! But before we completely leave 2020 behind, we want to celebrate the wins that we did have. Your DFW NACE Board of Directors knows that there are still some things worth celebrating about 2020, and we couldn’t think of a better time to come together for our first in-person meeting of the year than our annual Awards Gala. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, March 3rd!
This year, instead of focusing primarily on our in-person meetings for awards, we want to focus on YOU – the people in the event industry who continued to make things happen in 2020, even when faced with the greatest challenges. As such, we’ve expanded the self-nominated awards to provide more opportunities for our event community to be recognized amongst their peers. We’ve also tailored the awards to be in alignment with the challenges we’ve all faced and to better showcase the ways that many of you have persevered.
Here are some of the changes you’ll see to the self-nominated awards this year:
Separate categories for Wedding of the Year based on budget (below $50,000 and over $50,000) so that micro weddings aren’t competing with larger weddings – Wedding of the Year Submission Guidelines
Separate categories for Event Production of the Year based on budget (below $25,000 and over $25,000) so that Covid-impacted events aren’t competing with larger events – Event Production of the Year Submission Guidelines
Separate categories for Catered Event of the Year based on budget (below $5,000 and over $5,000) so that small catered events can be recognized in addition to larger ones – Catered Event of the Year Submission Guidelines
Follow the 5 steps below to create your DFW NACE Member Listing. We promise it will be quick and easy and should take you less than 5 minutes to complete. Be sure to have your headshot ready to upload! You can also upload up to 2 additional images.
One of the benefits of being a DFW NACE member is to be listed in our member directory. You can use our directory to connect with other members directly. And NACE members from other chapters around the country have been known to search for local vendors when they are traveling, and our directory is a great resource for that.
**Note about changes & updates: If you make a mistake, or need to update your job information, contact information, or photos uploaded at any time in the future, please email those changes and updates to communications@dfwnace.com
Please do not spam your fellow NACE members. It is illegal to use our directory to add anyone’s email to your newsletter list if they have not subscribed on their own.
***If you push PLAY on this video, it will walk you through how to create your vendor listing. OR you can follow the 5 steps below.***
Select your Vendor Category from the drop-down, then fill in your information.
*Important: If you serve more than one category (OR) if you do not see your category listed, email the Communications Committee at communications@dfwnace.com. We can add additional categories to your listing or create your category on the backend!
Step 4:
You have the option to upload 3 photos to share your work. One of those photos should be your lovely headshot!
Drag and drop your photos into the square box, OR click “select images from your hard drive” to upload.
Step 5:
Click “Complete” and wait until you see “Submission Received.”
*Important: After you submit your listing, the Communications Committee will review your submission, confirm your membership, and your listing will be live within one to two weeks.
You did it! We’ll be seeing you on the Member Directory.
Chris Harmon, Director of Community Service, set out to help kids and teens withProject 16 learn how to make a meal for themselves with our DFW NACE 2020 Community Service Project, “Cooking with Kids”.
This all wouldn’t have been possible without the many donations from our DFW NACE members that allowed us to buy groceries for the kids ensuring that they each had the ingredients to make the Italian Chicken Bake Pasta recipe. After a trip to the market, DFW NACE members gathered safely (with masks) at Truluck’s to pack each grocery bag for the kids and then delivered them to their homes all over the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex.
Later that week, the cooking demonstration was streamed and there were many proud kids and happy bellies after they prepared their own dinners!
I would not be where I am in my career had it not been for NACE. Supporting NACE and serving in the various roles I have taken on, is how I give back to this great organization and our NACE community. After serving for 10 years on our DFW Board of Directors, I had the privilege of serving on the National Board as the CLC Chair (Chapter Leader Council), which I LOVED. That role allowed me to share all of the great work that we were doing in the DFW area with other local chapters around the country.
And now as a Board of Trustee for the Foundation of NACE, I have helped to integrate the needs of our local chapters with our fundraising efforts, and the main project I worked on this year, along with Timothy Lam CHT, CGSP was the “Speaker Series.”
The Foundation provides education for the speakers at our two National Conferences and also this year we started an amazing program called the “Signature Speaker Series” which provides education to NACE members through a variety of delivery formats to benefit members and chapters across the country.
The “Signature Speaker Series” program helps chapters offer high-quality education through a vetted list of speakers and specially negotiated rates. HELLO … some speakers are offered at no cost to chapters! Local Chapters also receive a REBATE for booking the speakers through this program.
The Foundation also supports the NACE Community through grant-based investments. Our “Community Education Grants” help chapters provide high-quality programs at the local level. This year a total of 9 Chapters received community grants totaling over $12,000.00.
The Foundation provides support for current and future professionals through merit-based education scholarships. We have three scholarships which include: Vince DeFinis Scholarship, The Foundation of NACE Scholarship, and The Patti J. Shock Scholarship (in partnership with The International School of Hospitality TISOH). Together, these three scholarships award over $16,000.00 to 4 individuals. These scholarships provide aid that supports tuition, travel, leadership training, and professional development. You can find more information about the scholarships here: http://www.nace.net/give/educatingtoday/
Of course, this year was a special year, so the Foundation pivoted to offer additional programs for members and Chapters. With one of those programs, The Foundation paid the rebates back to the Chapter for all members that signed up during the membership campaign. And the Foundation also launched the “Chapter Grant / Loan Program” which provides funding to be used toward education programming, program development, membership development or general operations. 50% of the financial support is in the form of a “forgivable grant” and the remaining 50% is treated as an interest-free loan. 9 Chapters applied for this grant and a total of $15,000.00 was awarded.
Serving with the Foundation of NACE
The term of each Foundation member is a one-year term with a maximum of eight years. I am coming up on the end of my first term as a Board of Trustee on the Foundation, and looking forward to continuing my service with the Foundation next year. Also, next year, our very own DFW NACE member Terry Shields, CPCE, CSEP will be Foundation President taking office in January 2021!
An ideal candidate for the Foundation of NACE Board of Trustees has an interest in NACE, was active in their local chapter, and has good connections in the community so that they can fundraise. Remember, the Foundation is the fundraising arm of NACE. Each member is also encouraged to give a monetary donation as well.
Nominations are made by the current Foundation Board of Directors and Trustees. The Immediate Past President vets each candidate and the board reviews the applications. The number of available seats determines how many we are able to invite to join the Foundation.
What the future looks like for Foundation of NACE
My hope is that through my role with the Foundation, I am able to build more awareness within the NACE community, for our local chapters and all of NACE, about what it is exactly that the Foundation does. We do so much more than pay for the speaker at Conference. We believe so strongly in the catering and events industry and we are here to support you.
We’re on a really tough road in our industry. I want to be part of the solution. 2020 was hard. The next two to three years will be even harder, but we have the opportunity to forge a new path and write a new story. My goal is to help lead the Foundation in writing a new story with some of the most amazing men and women I have ever had the opportunity to stand next to and say “how can we, as the Foundation of NACE, help you, our members?” Honestly, every single person on the Foundation is a good person. I am proud to be a member of this amazing group. They lift me up and I learn how to be a more diligent business person from them on a daily basis. Our connections go far beyond NACE.
Thank you to everyone who participated and brought our 2020 Fundraiser to life in the middle of a pandemic! It was a pretty big deal to see all of you come together VIRTUALLY to raise money for Team Connor Childhood Cancer Foundation.
Congrats to our talent show winners!
1st Place: Sarabeth Yeli Marshall, Egyptian Belly Dance 2nd Place: Beth Albright & Adam Wright, “The Quarantine Binge Mix Tape” 3rd Place (Tie): Alan Paoletti, Magician and Mollie & Kate Nelson, DJ Duo People’s Choice: Molly Rassmussen, Baton Twirling
The NACE Board, with support from the Foundation of NACE, is immediately instituting a Membership Dues Support Program for those members who have lost their jobs, have been furloughed or otherwise impacted by the pandemic. All current members will be able to renew their membership at a lower dues amount. In order to obtain this membership rate, please call (410-290-5410), chat at http://www.NACE.net, or email membeship@nace.net. These membership dues rates are additionally eligible for the payment plans.
This program is available to renewing members only.
Members who want to use the support plan are eligible for payment plans.
Members must request the discount code by contacting NACE by phone (410-290-5410), chat (www.nace.net), or at membership@nace.net.
Members who have already renewed and paid are not eligible for a refund however they can renew ahead of time and receive a full year of additional time at the support program dues level.
Members still have a 120 day grace period. Their membership will remain active for 4 months following their expiration date. When they renew, their anniversary remains the same, so a 3/31/2020 expiring member will renew to 3/31/2021.
Members currently on payment plans can retroactively add the dues support.
The dues relief program will run until further notice.
