BIOGRAPHY Gwen Knight, CMP Independent Meeting Planner 218 W. School Street, Lincoln KS 67455 (785) 524-4427 home office (913) 488-1500 mobile GwenKC@sbcglobal.net After 27 years with American Business Women's Association, Gwen Knight retired and started her own meeting planning business. As a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) with a flexible schedule, Gwen helps corporate and association clients with their conferences, conventions, board & sales meetings, incentive trips, cruises, and group tours. Gwen has served as KCMPI’s president, co-chaired an Educational Conference, and earned several chapter awards including Planner of the Year. After 9/11, she co-founded KCIPE, the Kansas City Independent Planners Exchange -- a networking group of 80+ members. Gwen is a board member for the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and was recently appointed to serve on Lincoln’s City Council. She’s also a trained volunteer with the Medical Reserve Corps of Kansas City and the Lincoln Health Department -two organizations that support public health and emergency management during community disasters. Gwen lives in Lincoln, Kansas with most of her family. Lincoln is a rural community of 1200 people, 4-hours west of KC. Her husband, Danny, is retired from Union Pacific Railroad and is working to restore their historic, stone farmstead. Gwen loves to garden, hang-out at the farm with grandkids, and savor long visits with her mother. She has traveled with her church on projects in the US and South America and in 1996 she spoke on Entrepreneurship at an International Women’s Conference in St. Petersburg, Russia. Gwen has experienced several disasters during her career. Whether she’s dealing with an attendee death . . . massive nosebleeds . . . a drunken exhibitor . . . trapped in a flood or learning about a city-wide water epidemic, Gwen’s advice is to be prepared, remain calm, and cooperate.