By: Eric Jacobson, Ascend Integrated Media LLC

Meet Heartland Chapter member Taylor Abbate, Meetings Coordinator for the American Public Works Association, Kansas City, Missouri.
My favorite food is: Anything Italian! I always love a good cannoli.
My next dream trip is to: I have always been a fan of road trips. One of my dream trips would be to take a road trip from one side of the United States to the other with a couple good friends. I think there are so many cool cities to go to/things to see in the United States that people tend to forget about.
Recently read book I recommend reading is: I am currently reading, Girl, Wash Your Face, by Rachel Hollis. I highly recommend it!
Nickname growing up was: In my house, my mom would always call me “Queenie” but at school my friends used to call me “Tay-Tay”.
Won’t eat: I enjoy trying new foods whenever I have the opportunity, but I absolutely can’t eat anything spicy!
Movie or bowling? Bowling! I always love doing something active with friends.
Start every morning with: Turning on the news to listen to while I get ready for the day.
Why I joined the PCMA Heartland Chapter: I have always had a passion for the hospitality industry. After studying Hospitality Management/Conference & Event Management in school, I knew learning about the industry didn’t stop there. I joined PCMA because I want to continue to learn more about the industry and network with other meeting professionals. I have always been eager to grow professionally and I hope to go far in this industry – PCMA is an organization that I believe can help me do that.
Best business tip/idea I’ve learned so far this year: Everyone is connected in this industry – always make and maintain your connections!
What I like best about my job: I love that I get to work with others in the hospitality industry. While organizing our annual conferences and planning our smaller meetings, I get to meet and work with people who have all different roles in meeting planning – I get excited to learn about