Anita Yearwood, CMP
31, Conference and Marketing Coordinator, Virginia Municipal League
Richmond, Virginia
On Oct. 12, 2008, Anita Yearwood experienced one of those quintessential meeting moments that make the events industry so compelling. As she describes it, she had “the distinct pleasure” of producing an event for former President Bill Clinton when he visited Virginia Commonwealth University to conduct a rally for then Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama before a crowd of about 4,000. “Aside from a day filled with nervous excitement, everything went pretty routinely,” she says. “[There are] secret service screenings and checks, lighting and sound going into the evening, and then it happens: He shows up 30 minutes early and it’s showtime.” Yearwood still can’t express her feelings about seeing the faces of students and guests in the crowd. But she is not short on words when talking about her job, which the self-described “connector of people and experiences” says is the perfect position at VML, an association of local governments. While it’s not always for a Clinton or an Obama, she is enthusiastic about managing events for locally elected and appointed officials from across the state. She also leads corporate engagement strategy for the league.
