Thank you to everyone who participated in my Happy New Year contest. The winner is Mikel Robinson! Mikel plans meeting for a few associations, most notably the International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF), whose members include “experts in all aspects of Wildland fire management.” The organization offers a “neutral forum for the consideration of important, at times controversial, Wildland fire issues” and allows “the IAWF to creatively apply a full range of Wildland fire knowledge to perform its stated mission.”
Jill: Thank you for participating in my contest and for talking with us today.
Mikel: I was happy to participate. Thank you!
Jill: Tell us about your background.
Mikel: I used to plan weddings. I am quite sure I won’t do that anymore; weddings can bring out the best, but also the worst in people. I worked on a cruise ship for awhile, in fact, that is where I met my husband who is a boat captain. Now I manage the IAWF and plan their meetings and love it!
Jill: Tell everyone the exciting places you will be taking your meetings this year.
Mikel: We are taking our Fire Safety Summit to Sydney, Australia. We have another conference in St. Petersburg, Russia; this will attract the European communities, but others may join in, as it will also be offered virtually.
Jill: What is your biggest challenge?
Mikel: Budgets. Our attendees are Federal and State Employees, many drop out due to funding issues. Signing contracts with properties does cause me quite a bit of anxiety, but so far I have to say it has always worked out.
Jill: What do you like best about what you do?
Mikel: I like the flexibility this position offers to me. As well, IAWF is a trusted organization that cares about the environment; this fits into my own beliefs and concerns.
Jill: Thank you for speaking with us today, Mikel!
Mikel: And thank you, Jill! Keep up the blogging!
