You don’t often meet an investment manager turned event planner—but that’s Tonisha Landry, director of conference programming for the Institute of Internal Auditors in Lake Mary, Florida, and current president of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Southeast Chapter, which serves members in Alabama, the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Puerto Rico, and Tennessee. She says making the big career leap all happened thanks to an unsuccessful test attempt and a stint as the host of a poetry night.
“I sat for the Chartered Financial Analyst exam, and once I didn’t pass that (which is a very hard test to take, by the way) I kind of got disenfranchised,” Landry says. “I wanted to find something else.” A connection reached out with an opportunity to plan a fundraising event, and Landry, a bit confused at first, jumped in. “I thought, ‘I know nothing about putting on any type of event—what do they mean?’” she explains. Landry had been moonlighting as a poetry night emcee for a group of friends, and word got out about her captivating stage presence and long list of contacts, landing her the gig. “I really enjoyed [planning the benefit event],” she says. “So, I started looking for other opportunities.”
Fast forward to today, and Landry’s focus is on associations—she currently is responsible for the strategy behind educational programming at the Institute of Internal Auditors, managing the team that sets conference agendas, recruits speakers, and ensures content is relevant for Continual Professional Education credit. As the current president, she also helps put on events for PCMA Southeast Chapter. She says joining PCMA six years ago was a game changer, and her passion for the organization shows.
“Starting off, I had no idea there was even a group or association for meeting planners,” she explains. “I didn’t even consider myself a meeting planner. And I’m sure there are a lot of other people who feel the same way—like you’re on an island doing something. Being involved gives you an opportunity to share knowledge, share resources, and learn from each other.”
And, although she might not have known it in her younger days, Landry says she must be an entertainer at heart. “I love to have people over,” she says, noting organizing bourbon tastings with friends is a favorite pastime. (Landry also is an ambassador for the Bourbon Women Association’s Florida branch.) “It’s exciting, and that makes me happy.”
