Meet the Conferences Staff

Geni Greiner (BS, Northwest Missouri State University) is director of Purdue University’s Conference Division. She has developed her expertise in the successful development, design, and management of profitable conferences and events through more than 20 years in the planning industry.

Geni is an international speaker on event planning, development, and customer service topics for the Council for the Advancement of Higher Education (CASE), Academic Event Planners, and the Special Event Conference.

Being proud Purdue parents, the Greiners are members of Purdue’s President’s Council and avid Boilermaker fans. Geni and her husband live in West Lafayette with their two children.

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Ed Keller, associate director, joined the Conference Division in March, 2006. Prior to joining the Conference Division, Ed was employed as the Assistant Events Manager at the Purdue Memorial Union for over 5 years, coordinating events in a wide variety of markets including academic, corporate and social. Ed also has worked at The Ohio State University and Purdue in their Housing and Food Service operations.

Ed received a bachelor's degree in Restaurant, Hotel and Institutional Management from Purdue University in 1990. Recently, Ed joined the Association of Collegiate Conference and Events Directors-International.

In the past, Ed has planned a wide variety of events including over 500 wedding receptions and related wedding events, the record being 9 in a single weekend!

Ed lives in West Lafayette and when not working, he enjoys antiques, his two cats, gardening and travel.

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Tom Robertson, senior conference coordinator, has worked in the Conference Division since 1983. Prior to joining the Purdue staff, Tom was a teacher in the Benton Community School Corporation.

Tom has his bachelor's, master's and educational specialist degrees from the Purdue University College of Education.

Tom is active in a number of professional organizations: University Continuing Education Association (he was Region IV chair 2000-2001), Indiana Association of Adult and Continuing Education, and Phi Delta Kappa Educational Honorary. He has also served on the executive board of The Wesley Foundation at Purdue and on the foundation board for his local Kiwanis Club.

Tom and his wife live in West Lafayette. They have two married children and four grandchildren.

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Beth Scharf has been employed by Purdue University since 2000. A Maryland native, she graduated from Frostburg State University with a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Business Administration. She has served as a Conference Assistant since 2001 providing support services and conference coordination. Beth is a member of the Association of Collegiate Conference and Events Directors-International and is the advisor to the Purdue Belly dancers. When she's not spending time with her husband and son, Beth enjoys taking dance at the Morton Community Center.

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Kim Stockment, conference coordinator, joined the Conferences Division in January 2007. Kim had been previously employed as a Regional Representative with FBi Buildings, Inc. in Remington, Indiana. While there, she gained experience in event planning as the Tradeshow Administrator, overseeing 13 tradeshows in four major market segments.

Kim earned a bachelor's degree in agriculture communication from Purdue University. As a student, Kim gained event planning experience as a member of the Purdue Ag Council, Ag Ambassadors, and the Purdue Grand Prix Foundation. Each of these organizations gave her a better understanding of time management, creativity and attention to detail.

Kim is also active in helping plan events & activities within the local community. She serves as a Wish Granter with the Indiana Make a Wish Foundation and volunteers with the White County 4-H program.

Kim enjoys spending time with her husband and son on their farm in rural White County.

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Kathy Walters, senior conference coordinator, joined the Conference Division in February, 2003. Kathy had been previously employed as a supervisor of the Interlibrary Loan Office in the Purdue University Libraries. She has been with Purdue University as a full-time staff member since September, 1995.

Kathy holds a bachelor's degree in education from Purdue University and a master's degree in library science from Indiana University.

Kathy is an active member of the Association of Collegiate Conference and Events Directors-International.

Kathy also plans events from a different perspective, as a professional mobile disc jockey with a local company since 1992. Kathy helps clients further plan their events as part of the disc jockey services.

Kathy's hobbies include reading, camping and spending time with her numerous nieces and nephews. She is also a volunteer for numerous events at her church.

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Emily Warter, senior conference coordinator, joined the Conference Division in April 2011. Emily has previously been employed at Kiwanis International as the event coordinator for Key Club and Circle K service organizations. She also served as a conference coordinator at the University Place Hotel and Conference Center on the campus of IUPUI.

Emily earned a bachelor's degree in communication from Purdue University. During her undergraduate years, Emily held various leadership positions in her sorority and Panhellenic Council.

Emily is married and lives in Zionsville. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing with her two dogs and being at the lake. Her family is full of Boilermakers and loves taking her grandfather to football games each year.

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Erica Wilson, conference coordinator, joined the Conference Division in September 2004. She brings to this department a strong background in the hospitality industry, with eight years experience in meeting planning and hospitality sales in Chicago.

Erica graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Communications in May 1994. She is especially proud of this accomplishment because she graduated alongside her mother, who received her Bachelor of Arts the same year.

Erica is a member of the Association of Collegiate Conference and Events Directors-International.

Erica is married, with one beautiful daughter, and she is an active volunteer with the Tippecanoe County Historical Association and the annual "Feast of the Hunter's Moon".

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Susan Xioufaridou is sales coordinator for the Conference Division. Susan brings experience to the Conference Division from her extensive background in the hospitality industry, as well as experience in event planning in her former employment with Scholastic, Inc.

Susan holds a bachelor's degree from Purdue's College of Liberal Arts and is actively involved in the community through various professional and service organizations including Meeting Professionals International, Lafayette-West Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, North Central Advertising Federation, Society of Government Meeting Professionals, and many more.

In her spare time, Susan enjoys chasing her young daughters, reading, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

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Calvin Carie, Conference Division intern, joined the Conference Division in January 2011. A senior in hospitality and tourism management, Calvin has been in the hospitality industry for nine years. He is working towards his bachelor of science degree and will graduate in December, 2011.

Calvin recently finished an internship with Purdue Memorial Union Catering and Events, where he assisted in the planning, coordinating, and execution of many events, as well as planning a wedding for his final project.

He is an alumnus of the Disney College Program and of Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity, and is an active member of the Griffon Corps, the event service team for Westwood, the residence of the Purdue University president.

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