My parents named me Caryl with a “Y” instead of Carol with an “O”. One could say I was born and bread to be unique or they really just wanted me to have little obstacles through life. Now a days, I enjoy being the gal with a strangely spelled name. I have been planning conferences, special events, and programs for many years. My experience has been mostly in association management but now I work for the City of Concord. My mentors have all lead by example. I have learned to be solution driven, strategic, budget minded, and fair. I was at an event where a 30 foot wall collapsed near our exhibit hall. No one was hurt, but attendees were scrambling, hotels staff was crazed, construction crew outside were screaming and yelling, and boxes/equipment were crushed. My boss said calmly, “Well if there aren’t any problems, they wouldn’t need us.” As a team, he pulled us together and focused on safety first. Once that was established we tackled the other issues. One of our worst moments, became our greatest success.I enjoy a collaborative team environment with unified and well communicated goals. A strong team is composed of diverse backgrounds and ideas. This ensures innovation. I believe in a strong work ethic and life long learning. Do everything with passion.