SMPS Honors the 2021 Chapter Presidents of the Year
Katherine DeMercurio and Nichole Petersen set the standard, elevating the chapters to new heights, and resulting in a first-ever tie.
Alexandria, VA (August 6, 2021) – The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) is pleased to announce that Katherine DeMercurio, 2019-2020 SMPS New York president, and Nichole Petersen, 2019-2020 SMPS Connecticut president, have been recognized as the 2021 Chapter Presidents of the Year. DeMercurio and Petersen were honored at Build Business, the SMPS annual conference, during the Evening of Excellence on August 5, 2021.
Despite tremendous obstacles, Katherine DeMercurio expanded the chapter’s Westchester Affiliate to service members within five additional counties, oversaw the creation of two new committees (Technology Task Force and Diversity & Inclusion), donated chapter resources to benefit other regional nonprofits, and steered the chapter to a $14,000-plus profit in 2019-20, equal to nearly 20% growth in combined assets over the year before.
When asked about the honor, Katherine stated that sharing sparkle with one another at a time when we physically could not connect was important to her. “Leadership requires confidence to make the decisions that advance agendas and achieve goals. Sharing sparkle led the SMPS New York board to success; though many new paths had to be forged as a team.”
For Nichole Petersen, the role of chapter president was equally challenging. When the pandemic began, Nichole moved all upcoming events to virtual platforms, providing more programs while increasing attendance by 33%. She also led the development of new recruitment strategies, which resulted in a 90% retention rate, and served as an advisor to the sponsorship committee—helping them launch mid-term check-ins. These check-ins resulted in nearly ten repeat sponsors the following year.
When the Society reached out to Nichole about her award, she stated, “Creating an environment where learning, collaboration, and inclusion were at the forefront was my number one goal. Despite the world’s circumstances, SMPS Connecticut was able to offer a reprieve from the global devastation, support one another, and strengthen our professional community. All this would not have been possible without my exceptional board of directors and talented committee volunteers – thank you for your hard work and dedication.”
The Chapter President of the Year Award recognizes an SMPS chapter president who has demonstrated excellence in leadership while serving the chapter and its members. The nomination process includes both self and peer nominations and must be submitted by a current SMPS member. Stay tuned for 2022 submission information.
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Business Transformed Through Marketing Leadership: The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) is the only organization dedicated to creating business opportunities in the A/E/C industries. With almost 7,000 members, SMPS provides leadership and professional development programs, industry research, business-building events, and vital marketing resources. Through SMPS, A/E/C professionals in North America tap into powerful networks to form project teams, secure business referrals and intelligence, and benchmark performance. The Society is committed to validating the practice of marketing and business development as essential to the success of all professional services firms. Learn more about SMPS at smps.org.
