We have two new Membership committee members that we wanted to introduce you to. Please welcome Bel Hanson, CMP, DES, Senior Manager of Operations and Programs for International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) and Heather Miller, National Sales Executive for Visit Lauderdale.
Both Bel and Heather are members of the Heartland Chapter and long-term members of PCMA. They are very supportive of our Chapter and both work remote for their organizations. Heather lives in Chicago and Bel in Iowa. Of special note, Bel has been very active in the Capital Chapter of PCMA as well because ISCB is based in the Mid-Atlantic area.
Focus on a Member- Bel Hanson
- What was your favorite Netflix binge during 2020?
I was WAY late to the party but I FINALLY watched Breaking Bad. I also adored Bridgerton!
- Where is the first place you will travel when the pandemic is over?
ANYWHERE and EVERYWHERE but I really really need a tropical vacation.
- Personally, or professionally, were there any positive things that came out of the pandemic (i.e. more time with family, house projects, got a dog, curbside pickup)?
We moved to Iowa from Washington DC six weeks after everything started shutting down in March. It was chaos, I definitely wouldn’t recommend moving during a pandemic but it did give me a chance to really bond with my family. My husband and I did some fun house projects and we let each kid pick out paint and decorate their new rooms. It has been so wonderful to work together to turn our new house into our home.
- What did 2020 teach you about your professional life?
That even out of the toughest situations and challenges something great can occur. The challenges of transforming all of our events into virtual events was difficult and frustrating but we discovered that shaking things up, doing things in a new way brought added benefits to our attendees that we will continue to build upon even as we move back into in-person events.
- What did 2020 teach you about your personal life?
To stop more often and just observe, enjoy and make memories. I posted less, scheduled less, and planned less but got so much more out of the things I did do with family and friends.
- What new hobby have you started in the past year?
Not any new hobbies but I got back into some hobbies such as screen-printing, painting and other arts and crafts. I always loved them but just didn’t have much time for them with little kids and a full time job. Now the kids are older and it was great to get back into them and teach the kids too.
Focus on a Member- Heather Miller
- What was your favorite Netflix binge during 2020?
Well…I did not get Netflix until February 2021 so I did not binge on anything last year. I know, I know…it’s crazy! But I do have it now and have watched Bridgerton, All American (with my kids) and The Queens Gambit to name a few.
- Where is the first place you will travel when the pandemic is over?
I have already been to Key West and am planning a weekend in Boston in August. My husband and I had to cancel a trip to Spain in 2020, so I am hoping we can get that back on the calendar soon.
- Personally, or professionally, were there any positive things that came out of the pandemic (i.e. more time with family, house projects, got a dog, curbside pickup)?
I feel like there were alot of positive things that came out of the Pandemic for me. The family time was awesome (most days). I love the grocery delivery. I kill at UNO and Scrabble, and learned to cook new things and got to read a lot of books (that’s what you do when you don’t have Netflix).
- What did 2020 teach you about your professional life?
It taught me that I am really good with change and learning new things in a new environment. As difficult as 2020 was without in-person engagement, it was the ability to connect with people virtually that made 2020 successful for me. PCMA Heartland is the perfect example! I was able to make new connections, gain understanding, share opinions and get to know people on the monthly Community Conversations Zoom meeting. With my office being in Chicago, this may have taken me months or years to do at in-person events and I am so grateful for that experience. This new engagement is what motivated me to get more involved and join the Membership committee. 🙂
- What did 2020 teach you about your personal life?
Our lives slowed down so much that it made us all realize how crazy busy we were with work, school, sports, school activities, friends, etc., and how nice it was to stop and enjoy quality time together. BUT, we missed some of the craziness too. Balance!
- What new hobby have you started in the past year?
Cleaning, being a chef, teaching…haha.
- I am looking forward to 2021 because…
I am looking forward to our industry’s recovery so that my amazing planner friends and colleagues that have been unemployed or furloughed can get back to work.