On June 30, 2020, Sukki Jahnke, CMP and vice president of Marketing and Programs for the Tempe Chamber received the 2019-2020 Planner of the Year Award from the Meeting Professionals Internationals MPI Arizona Sunbelt Chapter (MPI AZ). The Chapter Excellence Award “Recognizes an active planner member who has demonstrated leadership, delivers exceptional meetings and has made significant contributions to MPI, our Chapter and the meetings industry.” This year’s MPI Annual Gala and Awards program was a broadcast event due to the health and safety precautions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jahnke, an MPI AZ member since 2014, served on the board of directors for the chapter from 2016 to 2020, with two years as director of Events and Fundraising and two years as director of Strategic Alliances. Prior to serving on the board, she served two years as a co-chair for the Community Outreach Committee. In the coming fiscal year, she will serve as chair of CMP University, which is a six-month education program to help planners study for the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) certification exam.
“The honor of being named planner of the year is very humbling,” said Jahnke. “I’ve been serving this industry for years and never considered myself a professional planner until I was introduced to the MPI chapter when I moved to Arizona from Ohio. Being a part of MPI has inspired me to train for and earn my CMP certification and it’s my honor to pay it forward by helping other planners do the same.”
In addition, Jahnke was named a finalist for the 2020 MPI Rise Awards in the Industry Leadership Category. MPI Rise Awards are a national honor that includes an extensive application and interview process. Award recipients and finalists will be recognized at MPI’s World Education Congress (WEC) in Dallas, Texas, in November.
