Syndication 
Jo Ann Hoffman
Jo Ann Hoffman passed away on June 8 after a short battle with cancer. Hoffman began her career in 1969 in the hotel industry, and went on to excel in association management, golf tournament management, site selection, and event management. She began her association career in 1976 at the American College of Cardiology, and she also worked in a variety of roles for the American Association of Blood Banks, where she served as director of meeting services and COO, as well as at Experient and Convention Planit.
Hoffman gave of her time and expertise in a variety of voluntary roles, including serving as president of PCMA’s Board of Directors (1994). She was also a trustee of the PCMA Foundation Board and was a member of ASAE and GWASAE, where she developed and produced the Women’s Golf Experience from 2002-2006. In 2000, Meeting News magazine selected her as one of the “25 Most Influential People in the Meeting Industry.” She also guest instructed at Northern Virginia College in the Special Events curriculum, served on the Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau Advisory Board, and was an advocate for the ethical treatment of animals. Hoffman was chair of the Montgomery County Humane Society in Maryland for many years and was very involved in bringing a new shelter to one of its locations.
She was instrumental in the founding and organizing of the Meeting Industry Ladies Organization LTD (MILO), the roots of which can be traced back to 1986 when 55 women in meeting planning and hotel sales took over a golf course in Atlanta and held their own networking tournament. A “few of us” back in 1986, Hoffman told Successful Meetings in 2005 on the occasion of the 20th annual MILO golf event, “saw that other tournaments were blooming around the hospitality business. But we also saw that so many women in our business felt so intimidated to play with men that there were hardly any of us at those events. So we decided to start something for ourselves.” She reflected in 2005 on the fruits of her labor. “I’ve been to some events lately where the field is as much as 40 percent female,” she told Successful Meetings. “This means that these women now have a professional advantage by interacting with business counterparts in the informal atmosphere that golf provides.”
Hoffman also served as CEO for The Golfe, which sanctioned more than 40 of the industry’s golf events around the country.
“Jo Ann was such an advocate for the business events industry and especially for women in our industry,” said Sherrif Karamat, PCMA President & CEO. “She was passionate about golf, and wanted to guide women into the game and show them how it could be an asset to their careers. I know of a number of women who’ve said she was a mentor to them, not only in golf, but in their careers. I am grateful for the time she devoted to PCMA by serving on both boards and volunteering on a number of committees. Jo Ann was one of a kind — that kind of devotion to our industry doesn’t come around very often. She will be missed by me and by many who were fortunate to know her.”
A graveside service will be held this Wednesday, June 11, at 1:00 p.m. at Judean Memorial Gardens (16225 Batchellors Forest Road, Olney, Maryland).
Michelle Russell is editor in chief of Convene.
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