THE INAUGURAL EVENT
THE HISTORIC SANTA MARIA INN — SANTA MARIA, CA JULY 18-20, 2014 —
4—Our Directors and Volunteers
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8—Thanking our Sponsors and Exhibitors
5—The Awards and Merchandise
Meet our VIP’s Reception in the Kent Room at the Santa Maria Inn...
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12-13
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Session 1 Keynote Speakers/Bios
Session 2 Keynote Speakers/Bios
The Presentations Session 1
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20—The Awards
The Presentations Session 2
Daniel Medina Introducing The Advocates
21—The Gala was lots of fun! This event will be remembered forever...
22-23 Many thanks to our family, friends and donors...
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9—Opening with Congresswoman Lois Capps
OUR WEB-SUITE www.Help4HD.org www.BlogTalkRadio.com/Help4HD www.Research4HD.org www.H4HDiRegister.org www.TheHuntingtonsPost.org www.SpeakInspired.org
THE ORGANIZATION Help 4 HD International Incorporated Help 4 HD Radio established 2010 Incorporated in 2013 501c3 Public Charity 2014 Melissa Biliardi/Founder/President/CEO Katie Jackson/Vice President Operations Ric Gonzales/Treasurer/Director Katrina Hamel/Secretary/Director Daniel Medina/International Affairs Director Lizanne Lawrence/Executive Committees
SOCIAL MEDIA Issuu.com/Help4HD Facebook.com/Help4HD Facebook.com/H4HDiRegister Facebook.com/TheHuntingtonsPost Facebook.com/Research4HD Facebook.com/SpeakInspired Twitter.com/MBiliardi LinkedIn.com/MelissaBiliardi
OUR MISSION Educate the world about Huntington’s disease through all forms of new-age technology multimedia and broadcasting PROGRAMS & SERVICES Help 4 HD Support Groups Help 4 HD Chapters Help 4 HD Affiliates Help 4 HD Conferences Patient Registry Relief Fund Research Portal Clinical Trial Support IVF PGD 4 HD Fiscal Projects Radio Program Newspaper Magazine
BROADCAST MEDIA SoundCloud.com/Help4HD UStream.tv/Channel/Help4HD Vimeo.com/Help4HD YouTube.com/Help4HD
HELP 4 HD HEADQUARTERS 436 Playa Blanca Santa Maria, CA 93455 Office: 805.441.5618 Fax: 805.934.9614 info@help4hd-international.org
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(left to right) Griselda Barbosa, So Cal Ambassador Lizanne Lawrence, Executive Committees Katrina Hamel, Secretary/Director Daniel Medina, International Affairs/Director Katie Jackson, Vice President/Director Michael Sabado, IT Administrator Melissa Biliardi, President/CEO Not Pictured: Ric Gonzales, Treasurer/Director
Our amazing friends and special guests from Mexico: Honoree Margaret Gallardo, her son and daughter in-law Gabriel & Lorenza Gallardo, Veronica Ruiz, and Brenda Vega, with our International Affairs Director, Daniel Medina
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AWARDS: By Custom Glass Etching, LA, Las Vegas. Www.GlassEtcher.com
Help 4 HD International Merchandise 4 Sale: SUPPORT, EDUCATE, INSPIRE!
Nick McCallion and Nichole Rizzuto
LUNDBECK LADIES: Lynn Gerber and Kim Glisson
Griselda Barbosa and Brenda Vega
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Ric & Caryl Gonzales, Steve and Jan Reniere
Mona Gable, Shirley & Kevin McCormack
Sonia Slevinski, Dr. Peg Nopoulos
Alan Fernandez, Katie Jackson
Dr. Jan Nolta, Mona Gable
Nichole Rizzuto, Phyllis Rizzuto
Katie Jackson, Marie & Hubert Jessup
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Ameet Khara, Dr. Jan Nolta
Dr. Ira Shoulson, Katie Jackson
Nan Meek, Melissa Biliardi, Josie & Dr. Ira Shoulson
David & Dr. Ellen Feigal
Melissa Biliardi, Sharon Thomason, Katie Jackson
Lynn Gerber, John Sarley, Kim Glisson, Terry Tempkin, Ameet Khara
Ric & Caryl Gonzales
Frances & David Saldana, Margaret Gallardo
Dr. Suzanne Pontow, Dr. Jan Nolta, Katie Jackson, Kayla Horton
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e are grateful and give thanks for the generosity of our sponsors: Auspex Pharmaceuticals, the Griffin Foundation, Teva Pharmaceuticals and Raptor Pharmaceuticals, who have invested millions of dollars into drug discovery, clinical trials and care for Huntington’s disease. We give them much appreciation and praise for helping our HD community. Without our sponsors dedication and commitment to helping our HD individuals, we will not have viable drugs, treatments, therapies or the cure.
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ur exhibitors were fabulous, educational and inspirational: Stanford HOPES, GPI, UI KidsHD/Kids-JHD, UCI HD Care, Farmers Insurance, CIRM, Lundbeck Pharmaceuticals, UC Davis Stem Cell Research
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he opening address was given by Congresswoman Lois Capps. Lois is an inspiration to all for
her tenacity and perseverance, her professional, educational and nursing experience and especially her mission to serve the underserved and under-heard. She has weathered many storms in her life and has prevailed and triumphed through it all. She is a woman of integrity, wisdom and grace. In honor of Woody Guthrie, the opening song was “This Land Is Your Land”. We paid homage to the man who we consider the father of Huntington’s disease advocacy and awareness. Then, we honored Sister Janet Corcoran who provided a grant which started Help 4 HD on its mission. A Franciscan Sister, and VP of Missions at Marian Medical Center, Sr. Janet saw the potential in 2008 when Help 4 HD founder, Melissa Biliardi came to her with the project to serve the Huntington’s disease community. A center of excellence for Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease is planned for sometime next year in Santa Maria, thanks to Sr. Janet’s encouragement and the “Nun’s Fund”. Thank you Sr. Janet and God!
has long been an advocate for earth causes and has even earned the title "Green Franciscan Sister" by her supporters. "I treasure every moment and I think each day is a learning experience. We're called to be the core of love and servitude." That's why Sister Corcoran says she tries to spend each of her 80,400 seconds a day serving others.
THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: Professor of Neurology, Pharmacology at Georgetown University, Founder HSG/PSG. From 1990 until 2011, Dr. Shoulson was the Louis C. Lasagna Professor of Experimental Therapeutics and Professor of Neurology, Pharmacology and Medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry in Rochester, New York, where he currently holds adjunct appointments as Professor of Neurology, Pharmacology & Physiology. Dr. Shoulson founded the Parkinson Study Group (www.parkinson-study-group.org) in 1985 and the Huntington Study Group (www.huntington-study-group.org) in 1994 Dr. Shoulson presented “The Connection between Clinical Care and Clinical Research: Huntington Disease as a Prototype” and talked about the goal of this Help 4 HD Symposium and the need to illustrate the need and potential for expert clinical care and clinical (trial) research to serve the HD community. 9
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ow did we choose our keynote speakers? Each of our keynote speakers were selected specifically for this inaugural symposium for their superior and outstanding service in research and care for our Huntington’s disease community from the most prestigious institutions and organizations around the country. Each have either appeared on Help 4 HD Radio or have been a featured speaker for the most credible organizations in the world. Many have dedicated their entire life’s work and careers to Huntington’s disease research and care, and they hold very high-level positions within their institutions and organizations. These are our Huntington heroes.
Professor of Neurology and CoDirector, Center for Human Experimental Therapeutics at the University of Rochester Medical Center. He is the PI for a new clinical study Connect.Huntington (Telemedicine Study), connecting anyone anywhere to care. He is also the New President of HSG (Huntington Study Group).
, Co-Director, Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program, UC Davis Stem Cell Program. Suzanne Pontow, PhD, is a cell biologist focusing her research on neonatal stem cells at the Institute for Regenerative Cures within the UC Davis Health System in Sacramento. Dr. Pontow received her BS in General Sciences from University of Iowa in 1985, and her PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology from Washington University School of Medicine in 1995. After 11 years studying how HIV infects cells, Dr. Pontow joined
the laboratory of Jan Nolta, PhD, Director of the Institute for Regenerative Cures. The move to UC Davis allowed Dr. Pontow to pursue an interest in the remarkable stem cells that are routinely discarded with the placenta and umbilical cord following birth. In 2010, Dr. Pontow and Jon Walker, CLS were named Codirectors of the Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program for the state of California, which is administered from the UC Davis Health System.
Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine; Kids-HD/ Kids-JHD. Peg Nopoulos received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Iowa in 1985 and a M.D. degree from the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine in 1989. She remained at the University of Iowa to complete an internship and residency in psychiatry 10
and a fellowship in neuropsychiatry. In 1993, she became a Fellow Associate at the University of Iowa Hospitals’ Department of Psychiatry, Assistant Professor in 1994, Associate Professor in 2000, and Professor in 2005. In 2001 she developed a program, the Iowa Medical Student Research Program and continues to direct that program. In 2009 she was awarded the Kate Daum Research Professorship. Dr. Nopoulos’ clinical work focused on the care of patients with Schizophrenia and other major mental illnesses for the first decade of her career. She then turned her attention to the care of patients with Huntington’s Disease (HD). Since 2003, her primary clinical work has been working in the HD Center of Excellence at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Associate Director GPI (Genetics Policy Institute) Alan has focused his career on advancing stem cell sciences and the field of regenerative medicine since 2006. While working with Burrill & Company, he began working with GPI on the 2007 Stem Cell Summit with the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. He then joined the Genetics Policy Institute full-time in 2008. Alan's skills in business development and marketing were cultivated at companies like Dow Jones, Ziff Davis and Burrill & Company. Earlier in his career, Alan worked in technology and grassroots business communications, working for start-ups and mid-sized companies, including a network of 139 regional business publications called the National Business Network (NBN). Alan's background serves the global scope of GPI well. Alan has lived in Austria, Chile, England, France, Romania and Switzerland. Alan's fondness for different cultures and relationships across the world assists GPI in expanding its international network of stem cell and regenerative medicine advocates and innovators.
is the Director of the Stem Cell Program at UC Davis School of Medicine, and directs the new Institute for
Regenerative Cures. The UC Davis stem cell program has over 150 faculty members collaborating to work toward stem cell-related cures for a spectrum of diseases and injuries. The current research in Dr. Nolta’s laboratory is focused on developing therapies that will use mesenchymal stem cells to deliver factors for treating Huntington’s disease. Her group focuses on “bench to the bedside” research, and she has been involved in numerous clinical trials of gene and cell therapy. In 1994 she developed her passion for cellular therapy by performing the first cord blood stem cell gene therapy trials for newborns with “bubble baby disease”, with her mentor Donald Kohn at the University of Southern California. A scientist with 25 years’ experience with human stem cells, Dr. Nolta has published over 100 manuscripts in the stem cell field and has authored 25 book chapters. She has served on over 200 review panels for the National Institutes of Health and other grant-funding agencies, is Editor for the Journal “Stem Cells” and was editor of the Book "Genetic Engineering of Mesenchymal Stem Cells". Dr. Nolta was inspired by HD patients and patient advocates to focus her laboratory work to try to help make an impact on HD. From 1987 to 2007, she had used adult bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (often referred to as “the paramedics of the body”) to produce growth factors that would cause dying cells to survive and to heal tissues. She had worked on using the engineered cells 11
to heal many organs, but all were outside of the brain. After moving back to UC Davis and meeting Dr. Vicki Wheelock, Director of the HD center of excellence, and many HD patients, Dr. Nolta was moved to focus the majority of her own laboratory work toward developing future clinical trials for HD using cell and gene therapy. The HD community, friends and lab members who are at risk provide daily inspiration.
Mr. McCormack is the communications director at the stem cell agency, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Kevin sees his role as being the "official translator" for the agency, taking complex science and turning it into plain English so everyone, including himself, can understand it. He says his favorite part of the job is working with the Patient Advocate community to raise awareness about the tremendous progress being made in stem cell research. Before joining the stem cell agency Kevin worked in media relations at California Pacific Medical Center, a four-campus hospital in San Francisco. Prior to that he spent more than 20 years as a journalist both here in the US, at San Francisco's KRON-TV as a health and medical producer, and in the UK.
is a California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Bridges to Stem Cell Research Graduate student at University of California, Davis and California State University, Sacramento. Her current research project is aimed at developing a non-invasive method of delivering Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapeutics for the treatment of central nervous system disorders, such as Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and spinal cord injuries. This research is done in the Martinez Cerdeno laboratory in Shriners Hospital for Children at the Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine. My love for regenerative medicine stems from my hope for a brighter future for my little brother (who has Cystic Fibrosis), my brother in law (who has HD) and my nieces and nephews (whom are at risk for HD). Their passion for life, despite their daily battles and fears, has shaped me into the curious scientist that I am today.
Nurse Practitioner HDSA Center of Excellence University of California Davis Health System Terry is an Adult Nurse Practitioner, a Huntingtons Study Group Coordinator, ENROLL Investigator, and the Clinical Project Manager for the UC Davis Stem Cell trial. She is Co-
Director of the HDSA Center of Excellence at UC Davis. She has been an advanced practice nurse for over 35 years and has cared for HD families for 16 years. You can find Terry in the HD Clinic, or at the UC Davis research site conducting clinical trials in HD. Her primary focus is to be a part of the effort to find a meaningful treatment for Huntington’s Disease, and to help families navigate their HD journey .
Senior Vice President, Research and Development California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Dr. Ellen G. Feigal is the Senior Vice President, Research and Development at the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). In this role, she is responsible for the scientific leadership and implementation of the development programs, and integration of the interface with business development, research and development, of this three billion dollar, California voter-initiative, whose mission is to advance stem cell research for the discovery and development of cures, therapies, diagnostics and research technologies for patients with chronic diseases and injuries. 12
Prior to joining CIRM in January, 2011, Dr. Feigal was Executive Medical Director, Global Development, at Amgen, where her primary focus was in clinical development of therapeutics in hematology/oncology. She also led the scientific/clinical interface with patient advocacy organizations, formalized the company’s policy on expanded access to therapies for those with limited or no treatment options, and led the crossfunctional teams to the company’s first collaborative research and development agreement with the National Cancer Institute. From 2007 until joining CIRM, Dr. Feigal was adjunct professor and founding Director of the American Course on Drug Development and Regulatory Sciences, UC San Francisco, School of Pharmacy. The course, developed under her leadership as a collaborative effort with the FDA, UCSF’s Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, its Center for Drug Development Sciences and the European Center of Pharmaceutical Medicine at the University of Basel, was launched in 2007. It is taught in Washington, D.C. with a separate parallel course in San Francisco.
The first 35 years of my career was spent in the practice of Internal Medicine. The past decade I have focused exclusively on Huntington’s disease, and presently care for about 50 Huntington’s patients. I have demonstrated leadership in the HD community by initiating the project to create guidelines for the pharmacologic treatment of symptoms of HD. During this project an international core group of HD expert clinicians were surveyed for preferred prescribing patterns. The results led to publication of best treatment paradigms for Huntington’s and guideline recommendations for pharmacologic management of chorea, irritability and obsessive and compulsive behaviors. I have successfully completed projects for HD involving clinical research education in HD support groups, which accessed awareness and willingness to participate in clinical studies and trials. As an extension of that project, I compared the success of different strategies for recruitment in the HART clinical trial offered at Evergreen Neuroscience Center. During this effort, and those that have followed, I have demonstrated the ability to aid in recruitment of participants. Www.HDDrugWorks.org
Dr. Nathan Goodman, a computer scientist by training, has been working in biology for more than twenty years. He is presently a Senior Research Scientist in Lee Hood’s laboratory at the Institute for Systems Biology; his current research is on Huntington’s disease looking primarily for early molecular effects in mouse models. Previously, he ran a group developing public disease-centric websites that integrate omic data and present the information in a form useful to scientists with limited omic expertise; his group developed such websites for type 1 diabetes, glioblastoma, and prion disease. During his first year at ISB, Dr. Goodman served as an Affiliate Professor of Bioinformatics at the Arctic Region Supercomputing Center at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks where he helped establish a bioinformatics research program for the university. He is also founder and Vice President of Huntington’s Disease Drug Works, a nonprofit, patient-led organization that provides information and care for people with Huntington’s disease. Previously, he was a founding member of the Whitehead Institute / MIT Center for Genome Research, one of the nation’s first and most illustrious genome centers, and ran the center’s bioinformatics group from 1991-1996. He subsequently ran his own bioinformatics research group at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine where he worked on information systems for large scale biological laboratories and mining of large biological datasets. He has also worked in the bioinformatics industry, heading a technical marketing group at Compaq Computer Corporation focused on bioinformatics applications in the pharmaceutical industry, and serving as a bioinformatics consultant.
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Congresswoman Lois Capps
SESSION 1
Melissa Biliardi
Dr. Ira Shoulson
Katie Jackson
Dr. Ray Dorsey
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Dr. Suzanne Pontow
Dr. Peg Nopoulos
Alan Fernandez
Set design by Julie Carr 15
Dr. Jan Nolta
Kevin McCormack
Kayla Horton
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Teresa Tempkin, RNC
Dr. Ellen Feigal
Dr. LaVonne Goodman
Dr. Nathan Goodman
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has touched in the process. She leaves no stone unturned and will find some way to pursue a mission once she sets her mind to it. I don’t understand how she finds time to do all the things that she does! Over the past 12 years, she has worked full time as an Assistant Director for Corporate Relations at the Paul Merage School of Business at UCI, while at the same time being a caregiver to her children and also advocating for HD in all areas. Over the past 2 years she has served as the president and is the co-founder of the non-profit HD organization, UCI-HD CARE. She is also the wife of a very supportive husband. ďƒž
Daniel has brought a tremendous amount of energy and compassion to Help 4 HD International by reaching out to our international friends in Mexico and other countries. He introduced our dear friends and fellow HD organizations and advocates here in the US and from Mexico City, Mexico. May 19, 2012 was the date that my HD journey began. At that time I was attending my first HD event. As I was learning about the disease, I was also learning the names of those people that were afflicted by it. One name in particular kept coming up time and time again‌Frances Saldana! At that time I had no clue that she would play such an important role in my growth as an HD advocate. The following year we had a brief conversation at another HD event that was held on April 27, 2013 and where we exchanged contact information. It was not until August 2nd of that same year that the seed of our friendship really blossomed. As I got to know Frances at a personal level, my admiration for her grew even more. Frances has been such a passionate HD advocate for the past 20 years and continues going strong. She is a survivor that has endured hardships that would be unbearable for most of us. Frances is always looking for new ways to improve the lives of those in our HD community. Her versatility as an advocate is evident in all that she has accomplished and the lives she 18
I remember that first time I heard the name Margaret D’Aiuto Gallardo. It was brought to my attention several months ago by Help4Hd Ambassador, Griselda Barbosa. She told me how several years ago a Mexican television station broadcasted a report about a lady in her 80’s named Margaret that was the founder and president of a Mexican HD Organization. In this report, Margaret spoke of how HD patients and their families were able to attend an Adult Day Center in which therapies and other comprehensive services were provided in order to make their lives more sustainable. Soon after that I decided to contact Margaret. I will never forget our first conversation, she was so overjoyed to hear that an American HD organization was contacting her or as she put it, “Nobody from the US has ever contacted us before.” Not long after that we had Margaret on our Podcast Radio show sharing her extraordinary life journey. We learned that she has cared for those affected with HD for over 43 years. She is also a pioneer that 22 years ago founded the first Mexican HD organization- Asociacion Mexicana de la Enfermedad de Huntington. At the age of 90 she is still highly motivated and going strong. She has led the way in making her organization and Adult Day Center a model that other HD organizations around the world should emulate.
“My name is Veronica Ruiz and I am the President of Fundacion Veronica Ruiz, which we founded in 2014. In 2005 I was diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease. I declared myself a lucky and blessed person from that moment on. I decided to have a life full of miracles and magic, with success and not the victim of circumstances. I decided to improve my quality of life, using alternative medicine, eating foods with lots of antioxidants, meditation, exercise and I started learning more about the disease. Armed with wisdom, support and confidence, the benefits of it being an incurable disease is that you can try anything. I run marathons to become the woman that inspires and I run for those who can no longer do so. These are the marathons I have participated in- 2007 Chicago, 2008 Toronto, 2009 Montreal, 2010 San Antonio, 2011 Locally in Mexico, 2012 Berlin where I made an impact, the media wrote Exemplary Mexican running for a cause. In 2013 in Chile the governor recognizes me as example of hope and inspiration for the people of Chile. In 2014 I am planning on running a marathon in Costa Rica, 2015 in Brasil and 2016 in Jerusalem. We not only run but we give conferences, visit those afflicted by Huntington’s and invite the locals to join us by wearing blue shirts in support of our cause.”
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When Brenda Vega initiated her nonprofit organization in 2011 she knew it wasn’t going to be an easy task, but her desire to help the Mexican HD community overshadowed any and all obstacles she would encounter. Brenda Vega is the President of Fundacion Huntington Mexico. When I first spoke to Brenda several months ago, I knew there would be no limitations on the goals she set out to accomplish. Her all out approach includes educating the public and HD community on prevention, research, nutrition, medications, alternative medicine, therapies and spiritual relaxation. She understands how difficult it is to live with HD because her and her family have been affected by it. Her doors are always open for those that seek guidance or help of any kind, but she hopes one day in the near future to open an Adult Day Center that will facilitate the implementation of her programs. Don’t let Brenda’s demeanor fool you, even though she’s low key, she’s a go getter. She does not shy away from an opportunity to appear on any media outlet that will help spread her message. Besides running an organization, Brenda is also a dedicated wife and mother. That’s why I thank her for being here today.
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hank you Gary Burk and Jenay at Costa de Oro Winery for pouring incredible wines at our VIP Reception on Friday night. Visit their unique tasting room located at: 1331 S. Nicholson Ave, Santa Maria, CA 93454. For more information visit: www.cdowinery.com. Call 805-9221468, and be sure to tell them Help 4 HD International sent you. Open daily 11-6 pm, Friday 11-8:00 pm. Stop by the tasting room for “Friday Wine Down” every Friday from 5-8:00 pm for live entertainment and lots of fun with “The Paisleys Brothers”, Gary Burks’ coastal CA based trio (sometimes quartet) performing fun music and originals on the Central Coast. CDO also has a fab wine club.
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hank you Nick and Coley for running the Hospitality Suite. They traveled all the way from Brentwood, California to save the day by keeping us and the suite stocked and everyone well fed and beveraged-up. This was a crucial function for the entire Help 4 HD team and all the guests and VIP’s. You both are a valuable part of H4HD.
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hank you to our most dearest friends, Meta Orear, Lizanne Lawrence (Exec Committees) and Betty Hogan (pictured right), for holding down the merchandise and registration tables and for wo-manning the card machines among other duties and responsibilities. Without your hard work and dedication the event would not have been as successful. Everyone deserve a spa day. You are our dearest friends and we appreciate you more than you know. 22
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hank you Nate Sparks for the wonderful array of photographs from which we were able to illustrate and document this amazing symposium. Without your beautiful photography, we would not have been able to show the world what we are doing and how successful our inaugural symposium was. You are a Help 4 HD Hero!
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hank you Koch family of Eufloria Flowers in Nipomo, California for graciously donating 150 stems of your premiere pure white rose “Akito”. Lizanne Lawerence, Nan Meek and Meta Orear, feverishly and painstakingly sprayed some of these roses our signature HD blue with special floral spray. They also arranged 24 vases to decorate several rooms at the Santa Maria Inn for the 2-day event. It was a beautiful display and accented the décor for the entire weekend. Thank you Chad Nelson at Eufloria for making this happen for us. Order your flowers from Eufloria Flowers at 805-929-4683 or toll free: 866-929-4683. Visit their website: www.eufloriaflowers.com
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hank you Julie Carr for the most awe-inspiring, incredible set design and for all the labor you put into making our event XX special. Your creativity is so amazing. You know exactly what design is appropriate for every event you touch. You are AMAZING! Thank you Fred Carr for transporting all the panels and for helping us too. You are definitely the dynamic duo. Will you travel with us?
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hank you Santa Maria Inn for providing a beautiful venue to hold our inaugural symposium. All of our VIP’s and special guest who traveled from all over the nation and Mexico were extremely well taken care of from the moment they walked into your lobby until they checked out. Chef Alex Araizaga’s cuisine (Santa Maria Style BBQ) was fantastic! Thank you so very much Sarah Klinesmith, Catering Sales manager for handling last-minute changes; Kristen Palera, Director of Sales and Marketing for making sure all of our rooms were pristine and all the details handled; Chris Wood for making sure we had access to all the amenities, and staff who always had a smile to go along with superior service. For events, call Kristen at: 805-346-7900. For banquets, call Sarah at: 805346-7952. Call or visit The Historic Santa Maria Inn located at 801 South Broadway, Santa Maria, CA 93454. Visit: www.SantaMariaInn.com. 23
special thanks to a very special person to everyone at Help 4 HD. Nan Meek, of Dark Horse Media Biz, drove clear from Montara, California just to help her “Swisster” President Melissa Biliardi with everything and anything that needed to be done. From the minute she arrived on Friday afternoon until Sunday morning she was on task, making copies, arranging flowers and chauffeuring mom and Melissa’s son James (Jimbo) from home to hotel. Additional thanks too for her expert help and advice on publicity for the event. We are so lucky to have her on our team!