Celebrating a Meetings Industry Icon

Today we celebrate an extraordinary career and congratulate Dawn Penfold on her retirement—a milestone that marks the culmination of a journey as colorful, unconventional, and impactful as the industry she helped shape.

Dawn’s professional story began early. At just 13, she landed her very first job as a dishwasher at the Old Orchard Tea Room in East Aurora, quickly graduating into a series of formative (and character-building) roles: nurse’s aide, grocery store clerk, and even “ham wrapper” in a meat department—a title she never expected to echo later in her résumé. These early experiences set the tone for a career defined by curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to say YES to what came next.

After college, Dawn experimented boldly, including a brief—but memorable—six-week stint as a translator at the NSA, followed by a move into hospitality at the Hyatt in Arlington, Virginia. A return to the Buffalo area led her to meaningful work with the National MS Society as a Special Events Coordinator and later to higher education as Assistant Director of Admissions at Daemen College.

Then came New York City and what Dawn fondly calls the era of “jobs that were technically legal.” While in graduate school, she did everything from assisting an interior decorator and working in a furniture showroom to answering Mark Hamill’s fan mail during his Star Wars fame, conducting marketing research, and managing conferences for the Dean of Students. She ultimately joined the City of New York as a Special Events Manager under Mayor Ed Koch, working on landmark moments including the 100th Anniversary of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1983—and later, the Statue of Liberty centennial.

One of Dawn’s most meaningful roles came during graduate school as well: helping six men from newly opened Mainland China acclimate to life in the United States and New York City. It was people-centered work like this that would become a throughline in her career.

After “finally getting a real job” (in her father’s words) as a meeting planner for the American Institute of CPAs, Dawn went on to roles with Deloitte & Touche and ITT World Headquarters, while simultaneously teaching as an Assistant Adjunct Professor in NYU’s Meetings and Hospitality Division.

In 1990, Dawn stepped into the world of recruitment, and in 1994 she launched her own firm, The Meeting Candidate Network, which would evolve into MeetingJobs—a company that transformed how meeting and event professionals build careers. In 2020, she sold MeetingJobs to Cadre, extending her impact even further.

Along the way, Dawn served the industry generously: on international MPI committees, as President of the MPI Greater New York Chapter, and on the Board and as Treasurer of the New York Chapter of PCMA. Her contributions were recognized with numerous honors, including Chapter Manager of the Year, Chapter Supplier of the Year, and induction into the MPIGNY Hall of Fame. She has also spoken and written about meetings and career management around the world.

On a personal note, Dawn has been far more than an industry leader to me—she has been a mentor, a guide, and a steady source of wisdom. From the earliest conversations to the moments that truly mattered, she offered candid advice, thoughtful perspective, and unwavering encouragement, always with honesty, humor, and deep generosity. Dawn has an extraordinary ability to see potential before others see it themselves, and her belief in me shaped my confidence and growth in ways I will always be grateful for. Working alongside her and learning from her has been one of the great privileges of my professional life, and her influence will continue to guide me long after this chapter officially closes.

Please join us in congratulating Dawn Penfold on a remarkable career and wishing her a retirement filled with well-earned joy, new adventures, and the next great chapter—whatever she chooses to call it.