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Meghan Risch, 312/567-8540
(Chicago, IL) January 29, 2007 – John Patronski, Executive Vice President, GES Exposition Services, today was appointed Chairman of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau’s (CCTB) Board of Directors.
Patronski has been involved in the exhibition industry for the last 30 years, and has been a member of the CCTB Board of Directors for more than 15 years. He will name his 2007 slate of Officers at the CCTB’s Annual Meeting of Membership on Wednesday, March 21, 2007.
“It is my sincere privilege to represent Chicago’s visitor industry and to serve with such an outstanding group of leaders,” said Patronski. “Collectively, we will work to retain our competitive edge through continuous improvements to Chicago’s convention and visitor industry. Our customers are faced with more choices than ever before. If we do our job effectively, they will continue to choose Chicago - our world-class attractions and facilities.”
Greg Saunders, Immediate Past Chairman, resigned the volunteer role before the end of his term to take a position outside of Chicago.
"The CCTB has been very fortunate to have had Greg serve as its Chairman for the past 11 months,” said Patronski. “His commitment to and vision for Chicago helped to solidify the CCTB as the leader in marketing Chicago as a top visitor destination. He has helped to set a challenging, but attainable path for our entire industry to follow.”
Patronski is active in a number of major industry organizations. Most recently he served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Education Foundation. He is an active member of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) and the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). Patronski has also contributed to various Chicago task force groups including the expansion projects of McCormick Place and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority Labor Management Council.
A native of Chicago, Patronski graduated from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business.
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