Offinger Staff

Walter Offinger is the Director of Offinger Management Company. Offinger Management Company is an association management company that manages a variety of state, national and international non-profit membership organizations and produces expositions and events, both trade and consumer, in venues throughout the country.

He holds memberships in a number of industry and conservation organizations. He serves as a Board Member of Genesis Health Care System, (a not-for-profit health delivery system) and Past Chair and Board Member of The Wilds (10,000 acre not-for-profit International Center for the Advancement of Conservation and Wild Animals).

Offinger graduated from Denison University with a B.A. in Business and served in the U.S. Air Force for six years in an Ohio Air National Guard Unit.

Kim Vierstra is currently the President and CEO of Offinger. She has been with Offinger for more than 20 years and was previously the Executive Vice President, Vice President of Operations, Director of Operations, Director of Associations and Trade Shows, Association/Trade Show Manager and Administrative Assistant with Offinger. Now, she works with executive management to develop company policies, goals and objectives.

She is responsible for directing and supervising managers in the Accounting, Technology, Human Resources, Customer Service and Administration Departments. She has successfully overseen the implementation of several internal operations to improve customer service including an automated fulfillment system, computer network upgrade, an accounting system, and several company standards to maximize efficiency and the design and release of Offinger's Web site. She holds memberships in the Association Management Company Institute (AMCI) and Experience Columbus (CVB).

She earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from The Ohio State University.

Marrijane Jones is Vice President of Offinger. Jones joined Offinger in 1995 and has more than 15 years of success as an association executive and show director. In her association management company role she has helped associations and shows compete and grow by improving their strategy and marketing. She is recognized for her leadership, innovation, and creativity in association management, as well as in trade and consumer show production, branding, communications and marketing.

During her tenure with the company, Jones has served as the Executive Director of several national associations, and for five years, was the Trade Show Director of a 1,500-booth show. She has been involved in launching, planning and marketing of shows. Jones has served as Editor-in-Chief of Cast On magazine, a membership publication for The Knitting Guild Association.

She earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business from Bowling Green State University and is a member of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events, the American Society of Association Executives and Executive Women International.

Mark Bennett has more than 13 years experience in association management. He has served as Executive Director of multiple trade and professional associations on both the state and national level in the health care, insurance and design industries. He has been an account executive with Offinger for more than seven years and currently serves as Executive Director of the Ohio Land Title Association and the Opticians Association of Ohio.

In 2004, he earned his Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation from the American Society of Association Executives. Bennett currently serves as President-Elect on the Board of Directors of the Ohio Society of Association Executives. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Columbus Montessori Education Center.

Previous to working with Offinger, Bennett was Assistant Executive Director and Director of Communications for the Ohio Travel Association. He holds a Certificate in Organization Management from the US Chamber's Institute for Organization Management and a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from Ohio University.

Denise Brosie has been with Offinger Management Company for over 29 years. She is the Account Executive for the Ohio Lawn Care Association and the American Coasters Enthusiasts and the Event Manager for the International Decorative Artisans League. Denise also handles the registration for the Ohio Hardwood Furniture Market.

In her many years at Offinger, Denise has managed events as large as 1,500 booths. She has also managed several events with over 200 hours of educational sessions running simultaneously and many other activities such as banquets, contests and tours.

Gayla Fleming has been with Offinger Management Company for more than 20 years. She is the account executive for the Ohio Forestry Association and the Restaurant Facility Management Association and the event manager for Offinger’s Handcrafted Marketplaces and the Paul Bunyan Show. Prior to her role with associations and trade shows, Gayla was the assistant manager for Offinger Travel.

Prior to working for Offinger, Gayla was employed by Uniglobe for three years as a travel agent, Upstate Travel as a travel agent for one year and Sky Courier as a customer service manager for five years.

Amber Fosler joined Offinger management in 2008 with more than five years of experience in event planning, including weddings, parties and meetings, as well as four years of experience in association management. She is currently the Executive Director of the Professional Lighting and Sign Management Companies of America (PLASMA) and the Association and Event Services Coordinator for the Ohio Land Title Association and Opticians Association of Ohio.

Prior to working for Offinger, Amber worked as a banquet and event manager for a country club. Amber also independently worked for PLASMA as the Association Administrator and later, as Executive Director, prior to PLASMA coming to Offinger.

Amber holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management from Ohio University. She has been an active volunteer and advocate for the Central Ohio Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training for more than six years.

Dixie Russell joined Offinger Management Company in 2010 with 30 years experience in association management and the convention industries.

Currently, she serves as an account manager at Offinger assisting both national and state-wide associations. Her extensive trade show background is an invaluable resource to other staff and clients.

Russell brings years of knowledge implementing meetings and events encompassing both corporate and association markets. She thoroughly understands the importance of membership and customer service and she brings valuable expertise in coordinating member benefits, continuing education and trade shows.

In 2011, Russell received the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation through the Convention Industry Council, the foremost certification of the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry. She is a member of several professional organizations and serves on the board of her local school’s athletic booster’s organization.

Penny Sitler joined Offinger in 2004 with 19 years experience as a small business owner, 10 of which were spent as a consultant directing local non-profit foundations and events. She currently is the Executive Director of the Helping Hands Foundation, Inc., a non-profit foundation, and three national associations, Crochet Guild of America, International Decorative Artisans League and The Knitting Guild Association. She also manages their respective trade and consumer conventions. Writing for the membership publication of The Knitting Guild Association, Cast On magazine, is one of her favorite tasks as it gives her access to the latest products on the knitting scene.

Sitler holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and Political Science from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. She is a past Salvation Army Advisory Board member and is active in many philanthropic endeavors in her community.

Jennifer joined Offinger in 2004 with six years prior experience in association management. As Manager of Offinger's Client Services Department, Jennifer and her staff provide critical association management company services, including a full-time office headquarters, accounting needs, receptionist services, telephone and e-mail support, as well as mailing coordination for all associations, expositions and events. Her department also provides fulfillment and processing for memberships, expositions, event registrations and confirmations.

Jennifer supervises a staff with more than 85 years of combined customer service experience. She attended West Virginia Northern Community College and West Virginia University.