Professional Education

John Thielbahr

Director

For more than nine years John has served as the Director of Professional Education for CDPE, managing the development, funding, and delivery of statewide and national educational programs showcasing WSU’s scholarship and research, in addition to assisting corporations, governmental agencies, and non-profit organizations with professional training and development. Prior to his work with WSU, John spent 25 years working in the private sector in the areas of corporate finance, business consulting, economic development, and non-profit management. Programs John is involved with include WSU’s Cybercrime and Digital Forensics Initiative, Internet Safety for Educators, and online courses for the National Wildlife Federation and Nature Conservancy.

Kelly Newell

Assistant Director

Kelly began her career with CDPE about 10 years ago, and has a unique perspective on program planning having been a coordinator, manager, and administrator. Her experience at CDPE also includes a year as a Program Manager with the Distance Degree Programs, where she learned the art of designing and delivering dynamic online courses. While she still manages a few conferences each year, her primary focus is on program development and online course management. If you are looking to design a brand new course or program, contact Kelly to get started creating an innovative curriculum together.

Janet York

Senior Manager, Puyallup

Janet has nearly 34 years of experience in meeting and event planning and program development, and has worked with CDPE since 1985. Janet has managed the nation’s largest sewing industry education and trade show, Sewing and Stitchery Expo, since its inception in 1984. The Sewing and Stitchery Expo regularly draws more than 32,000 attendees. Other conferences Janet is involved with include Partners in Emergency Preparedness, Western Bridge Engineers, and the Northwest Biosolids Management Association.

Michelle Johnson

Program Manager, Puyallup

Michelle has worked for CDPE for over seven years, coordinating programs ranging from 25 to 1,200 attendees. She has experience negotiating facility and catering contracts, arranging speaker contracts and travel, scheduling multiple concurrent sessions for multiple-day events, and planning receptions, pre-conference tours, poster sessions and vendor exhibits. Michelle has also handled online programs, registration details, and budget reconciliation. For the past three years, Michelle has served as a board member for the Society of Government Meeting Professionals.

Linda Kildew

Program Manager, Pullman

Linda has been involved with CDPE for the past 12 years. Her areas of expertise include obtaining financial support, purchasing and cash-handling procedures, and negotiating facility and speaker contracts. Her current emphasis is on developing online programs and certificates. A few of the conferences Linda has managed include health care conferences, university housing conferences, parking industry conferences, youth conferences, and various seminars.

Tamara Kirk

Program Coordinator, Pullman

Tamara has seven years of experience in meeting planning and program development. In addition to coordinating program logistics, she coordinates the offering of Continuing Education Units for all CDPE programs. Conferences Tamara has been involved with include Inland Northwest Turf, Tree, and Landscape, Western Protective Relay Conference, Hands-On Relay School, and Western Power Delivery Automation.

Joy Thompson

Program Coordinator, Pullman

Joy has been involved in meeting and event planning for nearly 10 years. Joy enjoys tackling the challenge of complex programs, and has a special interest in developing natural resources conservation and sustainability programs. Some of the programs that she has been involved with include Energy Outwest, Global Oil Depletion, Road Builders, Water in the Pacific Northwest, Pacific Northwest Snowfighters, and the Hydrogeology Symposium.

Emily Houg

Program Coordinator, Puyallup

Emily has been coordinating conferences and special events for over seven years; in September 2006 she became a member of the CDPE staff. During her career she has had the privilege to help organize the 2002 Winter Olympic Games and travel around the world as a project manager for many hotels. Emily has experience in developing and implementing programs requiring marketing, financial management, negotiation, computer competency, human relations, administrative, and organizational skills.

Dana Schlenker

Program Coordinator, Puyallup

Dana has worked in the meeting planning industry for over four years, coordinating events ranging from 100 – 4,000 attendees. Some of the conferences she coordinates inlcude Harvesting Clean Energy, Partners in Emergency Preparedness, Pacific Northwest Bridge Inspectors’, Bridge Maintenance, Northwest Solar Summit, and the National Earthquake Conference. Dana is also an active member of Washington state chapter of Meeting Professionals International, where she serves on three committees.

JB Self

Program Coordinator, Pullman

J.B. has worked at WSU for over nine years, the last four as a Program Coordinator for CDPE. Previously, he worked as the research coordinator for the Division of Governmental Studies and Services for five years. Conferences J.B. has been involved with include Cybercrime and Digital Forensics and Inland Northwest Turf, Tree, and Landscape.

Lorinda Anderson

Program Assistant, Pullman

Lorinda has worked as a Program Assistant with CDPE for the past three years. In addition to providing customer service support for all programs, Lorinda specializes in on-site assistance, conference proceedings, and billing and collections.