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For Members: How to Update Your Contact Info with NACE National

Are you receiving our emails??

For active members, it’s important to keep your contact information updated with NACE national so that you will receive communication from our local DFW NACE chapter.

If any of your contact information has changed recently – such as your email, phone number, or mailing address – you will need to update that information with NACE National so that we can update our local DFW NACE roster and member email list. Log in to your account at http://www.nace.net to update your information ASAP and our local roster will be updated. If you are having issues logging in or recovering your password, email chapters@nace.net with your updated information.

As a reminder, if you have created your DFW NACE member directory profile, you can email communications@dfwnace.com to update your information on your profile. And if you don’t have a DFW NACE member profile yet, you can create your own! Just follow the instructions on our Member Directory page.

Applications are Open for 2020 DFW’s Got Talent!


Our theme this year is DFW’s Got Talent and we are proud to announce that applications are NOW OPEN!

Please put together your best talent video between 2-3 minutes long and email that to fundraiser@dfwnace.com by August 1st. We will put together a panel of judges for the video submissions and will pick 10 to participate in our September competition! We look forward to seeing your submissions!

Once we finalize the 10 participants, the fee will be $75 to perform and all others will be used as commercials in between acts. 

The submission fee is $20 to submit a video. All submission fees are a donation to the overall fundraiser. 

Meet the Board: Chris Harmon – Treasurer

Tell us about your business or the work you do.

I am a Videographer and I also own a Production and Entertainment company with Harmland Visions and High School Hype!

How long have you been a NACE member? On the board? 5 years a member, 4 years 

What is your personal motto? I am the kind of person you can only truly love when I’m dead and gone… Meaning that I have to raise the bar so high and leave an impact so heavy on this earth, that generations after me will mimic the Chris Harmon model.

What is your guilty pleasure? Popping Bottles in the club…. always making bad financial decisions 

Which actor or actress would play you in the movie about your life? Omari Hardwick

What does true leadership mean to you? Leadership is being able to lead a team and not having anyone do anything that you wouldn’t do. Constantly demanding greatness and nothing less.  Realizing that you don’t have to be a leader because someone said so, but you do it because that’s just who you are.  

What is in the trunk of your car right now? A whole bunch of bull…. naw just kidding… but it’s a lot of trash and broken pieces of something.  I don’t even think the spare tire is screwed in right.

Meet the Board: Rebecca Wright, CPCE – Vice President

Tell us about your business or the work you do.

I am the regional Director of Private Dining for the Truluck’s Restaurant Group. I plan and execute private events that range in size from 8-300 people at our Dallas area locations and am proud to have been happily employed at Truluck’s since 1999. It truly is a dream job. I keep showing up to do work that I love and they keep paying me (which I also love) – what more could I ask? I do not own Truluck’s but they treat me like I do!

How long have you been a NACE member? On the board?  

I have been a member of NACE for 10 years (since 2010) and have served on the board in various capacities for 6 years. I served as the Treasurer and most recently as the Awards Chair where my duties are to submit our chapter’s body of work for national award recognition.I am proud that our chapter has won “Chapter of the Year” while I have served in this role. 

What is your personal motto?

Two-Twelve It! That is a quick way to remind me to give it my all. This comes from a concept book by Sam Parker called 212 Degrees. It essentially says that at 211 degrees water is very hot but at 212 degrees water boils. With boiling water you get steam. With steam you can power an engine and with an engine you can move mountains. The difference between 211 and 212 is only 1 degree. However, 1 single degree makes ALL of the difference. Can I commit to giving it 212 degrees? You bet I can!

What is your guilty pleasure?

Macaroni and cheese from EatZi’s and sleeping late.

Which actor or actress would play you in the movie about your life?

Because she is one of my all-time favorites, I pick Meryl Streep! If it has to be someone a little closer to my actual age, I pick Debra Messing.

What does true leadership mean to you?

True leadership is leading by example and having an ego-less approach. A true leader cultivates and develops future leaders by providing the appropriate support to allow each to learn and succeed in their own way.

What is in the trunk of your car right now?

A set of Tiffany champagne flutes and my nephew’s stroller. Yeah, I’m that kind of aunt!

A Message from the DFW NACE President

Dear DFW NACE Family,

At some point in my DFW NACE presidency, I’m going to have the opportunity to send out the traditional and, dare I say, fluffy message that you’re used to seeing from past presidents. It definitely wasn’t my last newsletter, where I focused on Covid-19 and the effects it was having on our event industry. And it certainly isn’t going to be this one either.

There’s no denying that 2020 has been tough. For all of us. And for some members of our community, it hasn’t just been a rough year. It’s simply a life that has been made more difficult because of the color of their skin. Regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum, I think (or dare I say, hope) that we can all agree that our country has a long way to go when it comes to racial equality, fairness, and sometimes just plain decency. It’s a shame that there has to be another trending hashtag in order for the world at large to see what those of us in the black community have known for a long time. Things aren’t equal.

But here’s what I do know…

The Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of NACE can be a safe space. A place where we can avoid naively saying things like, “I don’t see color” as a way to show solidarity and togetherness, but instead can embrace and celebrate our differences, including race. While it may be well intentioned to think that being blind to color is a good thing, let’s not fool ourselves into thinking our backgrounds and experiences are the same. Our chapter is more diverse than it’s ever been. Ever. And the only way we keep it that way is by fostering a welcoming, inclusive environment. Not just with Instagram messages and Facebook posts.

I want to encourage you to take a look around you. At your friend group. At your children’s friend group. At your network. At your workplace. Surrounding yourself with people who don’t look like you, who don’t worship where you worship, and maybe don’t even love who you love makes us all better. And pretending like we’re all the same, well… that’s so 2019.

I’ll be attending this webinar tomorrow to continue the conversation, “Healing Wounds & Bridging Gaps: An Honest Conversation About Race & Allyship in the Wedding Industry.” I hope you’ll join me.

Kimberly Rhodes
Owner & Event Planner at Hitched Events
DFW NACE President

All About Earning Your CPCE from Lauren Twichell

A CPCE designation signifies your mastery and knowledge of 8 core competencies as a professional in the catering and events industry. CPCE stands for Certified Professional in Catering and Events. It is a nationally recognized program and you receive the certification through NACE. It truly is the mark of excellence for catering and event professionals!

The 8 CPCE Core Competencies are:

  1. Accounting
  2. Beverage Management
  3. Catering Services
  4. Contracts and Agreements
  5. Food Production
  6. Event Management
  7. Human Resources
  8. Sales and Marketing

I believe that your education doesn’t end after school. Continuing to further your education as a professional is what sets you apart from all the other event professionals out there. The CPCE program allows you to become a trusted events and catering vendor partner and gives you a competitive advantage in the job market.

For me, earning my CPCE is about more than JUST my years of experience and my job title. Having earned my CPCE, I am not only demonstrating my expertise in these 8 subjects of the event industry and food and beverage, but I am also proving to myself, my employers, and my clients that I am an essential and versatile resource when planning and managing an event.

Preparing and studying for the CPCE is definitely something you want to make time in your schedule for. I received my bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston Conrad Hilton School of Hotel and Restaurant Management, so I have had a thorough education in food and beverage safety, policies, and guidelines. But this was over a decade ago! Guidelines and protocols for the catering and events industry have evolved over time. So, I decided to take a Fast Track Course that NACE offers to freshen up my knowledge and I also used the CPCE handbook as a study guide.

On the morning of the test, like anyone else might feel, I was equally calm and nervous at the same time. I knew I was well-prepared, but I was anxious and ready to take the test! I was able to take the test during the NACE Evolve Conference earlier this year that was hosted in Dallas. And sweet Kevin Brant was my proctor.

If you’re interested in receiving your CPCE or you want to learn more, reach out to myself or another board member. As a chapter, we can set up a study group, and plan our own test date in DFW with a local proctor. It’s an incredibly easy process to set this up for our members, and the DFW NACE Board is always happy to facilitate the planning! Also, I want to note, that it was incredibly helpful to have a supportive group of friends and colleagues to study with and to be able to cheer each other on through it all. We were also able to quiz one another!

You can reach me at vicepresident@dfwnace.com

Lauren Twichell, CPCE
Director of Business Development, CN Catering
Vice President of DFW NACE

Legends of NACE: Leigh Tidwell

Tell us about your business or the work that you do.

I’m the Regional Sales Manager for AFR Furniture Rental – We provide soft seating solutions for conferences, events, and sporting events.

What year did you join NACE? 

2005

How do you define success.

I define success as being a benefit to your community and the world around you.  Setting goals that make the world a better place then utilizing your skills and network to achieve them. 

What would the title of your autobiography be? 

One day at a Time

Tell us your favorite NACE moment or memory.

My favorite NACE moment was when we raised over 2,500.00 for Cafe Momentum to support them – it was amazing! The membership really rallied to the cause. 

Advice for newer members of NACE


Get involved!  You definitely get back what you put into it.  Join a committee – any time spent is well worth it.  

Over the years what is the most important thing you have gained through NACE? 

Leadership skills and friendships that last a life time. 

Legends of NACE: Wendy Timson

Tell us about your business or the work that you do.

Director of Sales for Shag Carpet Prop Rentals.  We are a rental company that provides unique props and décor to create fabulous events

What year did you join NACE? 

June of 2006 – wow, it has been a long time

How do you define success.

When you feel fulfilled in both your personal and professional life

What would the title of your autobiography be? 

Planning for Others:  A Life in Events

Tell us your favorite NACE moment or memory.

Winning the NACE National Member of the Year award.  I was up against some pretty amazing others in the industry and wasn’t expecting to win.  I felt so honored to be recognized in that way on a National level.

Advice for newer members of NACE

Don’t under estimate the power of connections.  When you know people and you help each other out and can count on each other you can achieve just about anything for your clients.

Over the years what is the most important thing you have gained through NACE? 

Friends and Colleagues all over the US that I can reach out to for advice, guidance, friendship and a good laugh

Member Spotlight: Jonathan Goldwater

Tell us about your business or the work you do, including what you provided at the event you most recently sponsored.

GladTower provides photography to document events and fun services designed to ‘bring smiles to faces.’ The Photography work includes: Special events, golf tournaments, meetings, product, group photos and head shots. And, my Fun Services are focused on adding creativity and quality to the occasion.  Many of you will have enjoyed being part of a Green Screen photo you might have enjoyed pushing your BBF into the gaping jaws of a giant white shark, or maybe you played the role of the hapless person being pushed into that sharp-toothed mouth with a look of terror on your face. FlipBooks are fun and still bring smiles to faces. However, my newest service the PicsOnDrinksTM is something that was created for a client who requested ‘something special, something different.’  At the gala my team did PicsOnDrinks which was very well received and met the goal of bring smiles to faces.

What do you love most about the work you do?

To work with the company and do events, you must do a great job and genuinely enjoy people.  At the end of the event I want to hear ‘the time just flew by’ and that they had a ‘great time.’  When team members are happy, they share the warmth, the guests smile more and all have more fun.  I enjoy that warm feeling where we work together as a team enjoying our time together and providing services that share the joy.  One day Janie asked if she could work with Nica because she hadn’t seen her for a while and wanted to catch up.  It was wonderful, they had a great time and the client was very happy with the personable team I’d sent to the event.  This is what puts a smile on my face.

Which best describes you? Iphone/Mac, Iphone/PC, Android/Mac, Android/PC?

Both do the job.

When you’re not working, what are you doing?

Walking the dog, meeting with friends, movies, reading.

Tell us one thing on your bucket list.

 Galapagos Islands – I’ve always wanted to see those strange and wonderful animals in the wild.

Is there a song you wish they would stop playing at events?

Anything by Nine Inch Nails

If you had one extra hour of free time a day, how would you use it?

 I guess spend more time with my NACE friends.

Legends of NACE: Luana Stoutmeyer

Tell us about your business or the work that you do.

I am a musician with Center Stage Band. I play with my jazz group of 2-6 players with the options of keys, bass, drums, guitar, sax, trumpet, trombone, violin.  I also play solo piano/keyboard. We play for parties, weddings, private events

What year did you join NACE? 

June 1988

How do you define success?

Success is certainly different to everyone, but for me, success is doing what you like or even love and earning enough money to support this. That doesn’t mean you are always in the best place, but if you are creative, and not afraid, you can get there.

What would the title of your autobiography be? 

Never Think You Are Less

Tell us your favorite NACE moment or memory.

So many!! At one of the national conferences Kevin [Brandt] and I were setting on the ground watching fireworks and I remember saying “Do you believe this-we are the luckiest people in the world.”

Advice for newer members of NACE

Never be shy-approach all of us-tell us what you do and why we should work with you. Get on committees and be visible. Be confident! Spend money—go to the National Conference. It is an investment in your connections with us.

Over the years what is the most important thing you have gained through NACE? 

Confidence. I am never afraid to meet new people, I am never afraid to be rejected—it’s ok,  and I am never afraid to “ask for the order.”