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SMPS Philadelphia Snapshot Newsletter | Summer 2026

A Message from the President
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Typically, this President's message would be a wrap of our year, a sign off as we transition to a new Board, and a few takeaways from me. However, SMPS National implemented new bylaws (recently approved by our Chapter membership) that adjust the program year to align with the calendar year, so I’m with you in the driver’s seat for another few months before President-Elect, Amanda Irwin, takes the reins in January! So what do these changes mean for you? More great programming that isn't slowing down. Over the summer, we held several events that are recapped below. If you didn't make them, you missed out on some fun! But fear not, we have plenty of opportunities for you this fall! Our committees have been busy organizing a jam-packed next couple months. Mark your calendars and register for these September & October events: - Sept 8: Tech Tuesday: Tame Your Social Feed: Unlocking Hootsuite for Busy Marketers - Sept 16: Professional Development: Your Network Is Not Small. Your Memory Is. (Using AI for Networking) - Sept 23: Networking: Bring Your MVP: Phillies Watch Party & Networking Night (Early Bird ends 9/4; Group Ticket Options available) - Oct 8: Joint Professional Development: SMPS x WiSE Align and Achieve: Building Confidence, Building Connections (Networking Tools & Application) - Oct 13: Tech Tuesday (Save the Date) - Oct 27: Networking: Fall Espresso Exchange (Save the Date) |
In addition, we are kicking off another year of our Mentorship Program (learn more here). Applications for Mentors and Proteges are due October 2. This is a unique opportunity to share and/or learn from others in our industry in a one-on-one matched program. There are cohort meetups throughout the program to learn from others as well.
And finally, lace up those boots, CPSM hopefuls! Information on our CPSM Bootcamp for those pursuing SMPS’s Certified Professional Services Marketer certification will be out soon.
Looking forward to seeing you at an event soon!
- N
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2027 Board of Directors: Call for Nominations Due September 15th
SMPS Philadelphia is accepting nominations for positions on our Board of Directors for the term beginning January 1, 2027. Nominate yourself or a fellow Chapter member here.
Current Openings:
President-Elect: This is a three-year commitment. To be eligible for election to this position, the member must have served on the Chapter Board of Directors for one year and on a Chapter committee for one year.
Secretary: This is a two-year term. To be eligible for election to this position, the member must have served on a Chapter committee for one year.
Directors at Large (7): These are one-year terms that are associated with directing a committee. To be eligible, an individual must be a regular or distinguished life member of the Society and have served, at any time, on a Chapter committee for one year as of the date of the meeting at which the results of the election are to be announced.
To learn more about these opportunities, please contact President-Elect Amanda Irwin.
Cheers to Chapter Success!
Congratulations, Laura, on this huge achievement recognizing you as an outstanding Chapter President whose leadership has strengthened our chapter, advanced SMPS's mission, and created lasting impact for members. Laura's leadership as President of SMPS Philadelphia during the 2024–2025 program year resulted in measurable growth across membership, sponsorship, programming, and chapter operations while establishing processes that will benefit our chapter for years to come. Learn more about this award and Laura’s contributions to our Chapter here!
In addition to this honor for Laura, our Chapter was also recognized with the Member Attendance Award for the 2024-2025 Program Year.
To celebrate these two distinguished awards, SMPS Philadelphia hosted a pop-up party for Laura and the Chapter on August 18th. Check out photos from the party here!
In celebrating these awesome leadership and Chapter achievements, some SMPS Philadelphia legends came out to party! Cheers to our Chapter’s three longest standing members, Judy Bernicker (member since 1985), William Long, PE, LEED AP, FSMPS (’94), and Dorothy Verdon, CPSM (‘86) (pictured to the left).
Spotlighting and congratulating Dorothy on 40 years with SMPS! 🌟A CPSM since 2001, Dorothy has been a member of several Chapters including San Francisco (Past President), Los Angeles, Washington, DC, South Florida, and Philadelphia where she has been a multi-term Board member, committee member, and spearheaded, with Past-President Justin Brugler, the first SMPS Philadelphia website in StarChapter!
Nationally, she’s served on two SMPS HQ committees – National Membership Committee and National Public Relations Committee – and has spoken at three SMPS national conferences. Our Chapter and entire organization are so grateful to you, Dorothy!
Amplify A|E|C 2026: SMPS Philadelphia takes the Sunset Strip
Viva Las Vegas! In July several SMPS Philadelphians attended Amplify A|E|C, SMPS’s national conference, in bright and blazing Vegas! Over 900 marketers, business developers, and allied AEC professionals were there this year.
Among those hundreds of pros, our Philly crew included Chapter President, Nikki Campbell, CPSM; Past-Presidents Diane Goschler, CPSM, Chrissy Ferrazzano, CPSM, Stacy Barrett, and Laura Frein, CPSM, who accepted her Chapter President of the Year award on this national stage; Christyn Binder, Marlea Harris, Christine Larsen, and Nicole Smith.
From the desert to the windy city, next year Amplify lands in Chicago!
Congratulations to our new DEI Membership Grant Recipients!
The 2026 DEI Membership Grant, administered by the Chapter Relations Committee, provides outstanding professionals with an opportunity to engage deeply with SMPS Philadelphia as a member and participate on a committee of their choice through a complimentary one-year membership. This year, the Chapter has selected three professionals for the grant. Welcome to our Chapter, Olivia, Katrina, and Marlea!
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Event Recaps
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PROPOSAL ROUNDTABLEAn invaluable yearly sell-out, our annual Proposal Roundtable, brought together 40 AEC professionals to strategize, puzzle, review, constructively critique, teach, learn, grow, and connect over the bread and butter of many of our work lives: professional services proposals! In this very hands-on workshop – facilitated once again by hosts with the most Steven Alvarez, APPE (Stantec), Stacy Barrett (STV), and Bridget Shane, CPSM (Pennoni) – in-person at Pennoni’s offices, we exchanged real proposals from our firms and talked openly about how they came together—the challenges, those last‑minute pivots, and the exhilarating wins on the other side. Through facilitated discussion and small‑group review, participants dug into proposal strategies, workflows, positioning, graphics, and compliance, while sharing what actually works and what really doesn’t. A technical, emotional, and strategic buoy for proposal professionals at any level—land ho and you’re doing just fine, AEC adventurers! |
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JULY TECH TUESDAY: DON'T BE THE BEST KEPT SECRETIt was self- and brand-aware summer at SMPS Philadelphia! For July’s Tech Tuesday, Ryan Harbinson (The LinkedIn Growth Academy) shared practical tips on strengthening our personal LinkedIn brands to make stronger first impressions, enhance the power of our posts, and increase overall visibility and memorability while staying true to core values, scaling appetite for engagement, and being intentional with our online presence. Your LinkedIn presence is often the first impression people have of you, your expertise, and your professional brand. But showing up online in a meaningful way does not have to feel overwhelming, overly polished, or time-consuming. *Takes tools and breathes sigh of relief* – thanks Ryan! |
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THE ARCHITECTURE OF INFLUENCE: MASTERING THE ART OF PRESENCE-DRIVING BRANDINGIn July, SMPS Philadelphia, ISPE Delaware Valley Chapter, and 7x24 Exchange - Greater Philadelphia/Delaware Valley Chapter hosted Kay Bellamy, an expert marketing and brand strategist, for this engaging conversation on defining and growing your authentic professional and personal brand. More than an inspiring KAY Talk (brand copyright pending? 😊), from executive presence and storytelling to the way our messages lands with people outside of our usual professional groups, this session was a great reminder that our personal brand is built in every interaction, not just in the work we produce. This joint event was also a great opportunity to step outside our usual circles and create space for new perspectives and new relationships. |
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CAREER JOURNEYS: LESSONS, MILESTONES, MENTORSHIPSummer is a time for many sides of reflection – among them: ocean, pool, personal, and professional! While our Chapter endorses all, where we can really help is with the last one, which has no end date. Last month, SMPS Philadelphia hosted a virtual panel discussion featuring AEC professionals sharing insights on career development, mentorship, leadership, and the experiences that shaped their journeys. Christina Tedeschi, CPSM (Spiezle) facilitated the discussion between panelists Stacy Barrett (STV), Christyn Binder, CPSM (STV), Grace Sanford (McCormick Taylor), and Amelia Sheldon (Greyhawk). From 2 to 25+ years of experience and many different paths into our industry, this panel brought together both diverse perspectives and common themes to navigating professional life in AEC. |
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AUGUST TECH TUESDAY: SUMMER SCHOOL REWATCH! BRANDING IN MICROSOFT SUITE
Lunchtime learning so nice, we played it twice! Throwing it back to an early Tech Tuesday a couple of years ago, Bridget Shane, CPSM (Pennoni) helped us tackle some of the major pain points and optimize our use of Microsoft Suite to create polished marketing and proposal products. Often the most shared use programs across our firms’ technical, marketing, and BD, working in Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Power BI, etc. can also have greater margins for error to stray from vetted templates and brand compliance. In this perennially useful session, Bridget showed us how to set up branding elements, save themes, and share settings to maintain brand standards across MS programs. |
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SUMMER ESPRESSO EXCHANGEIt was the end of August, so we straddled the line between sun-soaked seasonal flavors and fall favorites for our late-summer Espresso Exchange. As always, it was a lovely morning caffeinating and connecting throughout the tri-state with fellow Chapter members. Mark your calendars for our autumn americano edit on Tuesday, October 27th – registration opens soon! |

New Members |
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Lauren BaptisteBusiness Development Manager, Pride Enterprises
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Ryan ChatmanSenior Graphic Designer, L.F. Driscoll
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Matthew DixonMarketing Specialist, L.F. Driscoll
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Corin GearhartMarketing Manager, Precis Engineering + Architecture
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Maura KennyProposal Manager, HDR
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Katrina MacaroMarketing Coordinator, Ballinger
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Olivia RakiroProject Coordinator, Promatech
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Destiny WilliamsMarketing Coordinator, INTECH
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Anniversaries |
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July |
August |
September |
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Holly Taubman, 11 |
Elyse Conti, 14 |
William Long, PE LEED AP, FSMPS, 32 |
Member News |
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Have a professional update or achievement to share with our Chapter? Share it through the Submit News form on our website! ![]() |
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SMPS Philadelphia's Mentor/Protege Program is designed to help you grow, connect, and thrive in the AEC industry. Running from January through July, this program pairs marketing and business development professionals at all career stages to share knowledge, exchange insights, and provide support as you navigate your professional journey.
Whether you’re looking to sharpen your skills, explore new career opportunities, or give back to the profession by guiding others, this program offers a supportive, flexible environment to help you succeed!
Learn more here, and apply by October 2! Got questions? Please reach out to Christina Tedeschi, CPSM.

Let’s talk tech! SMPS Philadelphia is calling for presenters for our 2025-2026 Tech Tuesdays. Do you use a program that helps you be a better marketer? Want to share your tech insight with SMPS members? A few brainstormed topics include, but are not limited to, Hubspot, Trello, Slack, PowerPoint, and CRM features. Contact Lauren Coughlin with your ideas!
Join us for members-only Tech Tuesdays, our new monthly series where we learn quick and useful tips for programs AEC marketers use daily. We hold these sessions on the second Tuesday of each month at noon, so grab your lunch, hop on Zoom, and let’s talk tech!
For September's Tech Tuesday, register here!

Thank you to our 2025-2026 Program Year Sponsors! Your generosity helps SMPS Philadelphia achieve our goals of providing networking, education, and business development opportunities for our members and the industry!
























