Staff Bios

SENIOR MEETING PLANNERS

Jennifer  

Jennifer Lubold, CMP

Jennifer Lubold has been a valuable member of the team at The Forum Group since January 2007. She has 18 years of experience planning meetings in first and second-tier cities across the US and Canada, planning, developing and overseeing conferences for as few as five people and as many as 10,000.

Jennifer’s first professional job out of college was at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, where she planned medical meetings for OB/GYN physicians. In 1993 she went to the American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery Foundation in Alexandria, VA, as a meetings assistant. She left the Academy in 2006 as the associate director of meetings. During her tenure there, she developed extensive expertise in contract negotiations, logistics, housing, budgets and built a list of contacts throughout the industry.
 
Jennifer earned the Certified Meeting Professional designation in 2002.  She is a member of the Professional Convention Management Association.

Jennifer was born in Los Angeles, CA, and graduated from Long Beach State University. She holds Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts. She lives in Alexandria, VA with her husband and two children.

 
 

Melissa Hook

Melissa has over 15 years of work experience in associations and non-profit organizations, as well as start-up small businesses. She has experience in meeting planning, conventions and database management gained while working for The American Society of Association Executives, the Convention Industry Council, which awards the Certified Meeting Professional designation, and The American Society of Interior Design.

Immediately prior to joining The Forum Group in December 2006, she was the sole employee for two custom design companies.  This helped form her do-what-it-takes work philosophy and allowed her to use her creativity to find cost-cutting measures without sacrificing quality.

Melissa was born and raised in Alexandria, VA, outside Washington, DC.  She attended East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. 

 

 
Michelle  

Michelle W. Jones, CMP

Michelle began working for associations in 1991, and spent 10 years with the United States Energy Association.  USEA’s work with developing countries helped her discover her interest in meeting planning.  She then spent two years as a corporate planner before returning to the association world, where she worked for the National Emergency Number Association, and the National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies.  Michelle joined The Forum Group in March 2008.
 
Michelle earned the CMP designation in 2002. She is a very active member of the Professional Convention Management Association and also belongs to the American Society of Association Executives.
 
Michelle was born in Washington, DC, has lived in Virginia nearly her entire life and graduated from James Madison University. She holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Communications (Public Relations concentration) and French.