The International Live Events Association (ILEA) announced its International Board of Governors for fiscal year 2018-19, including incoming President, Sara Grauf. Grauf currently serves as a Senior Vice President of Giants Enterprises for the San Francisco Giants. Giants Enterprises is dedicated to developing new ventures beyond the Major League Baseball franchise.
“I am honored to be representing such an incredible group of live event professionals,” said Grauf. “We live in a world where ‘experiences’ are becoming increasingly valuable in various segments of business, so I am grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of the leadership for our industry during this period of growth.”
Grauf oversees the development and implementation of event strategy and services for the San Francisco Giants organization. Responsible for both baseball and non-baseball events, she played an integral role in the production of the organization’s three World Series celebrations, managed the first-ever commercial spectator program for the America’s Cup, and recently led the organization’s bid effort to secure and produce the 2018 Rugby Sevens World Cup this past July at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
Grauf was also instrumental in creating The Giant Race in 2010, which has evolved into an annual health and wellness initiative for the Giants, operating in four cities and drawing 20,000 participants to the San Francisco events. In addition to her event responsibilities, Grauf oversees the club’s spring training operations and training facility development.
She is also a member of the Board of Directors for Leadership San Francisco and serves on the board of Experience Scottsdale. A University of California, Berkeley graduate, Grauf lives in San Francisco with her husband, Dietmar, and son, Kyle.
Members of the ILEA’s International Board of Governors come from five U.S. states, Canada and Australia. The role of the board is to govern, establish policy and make strategic decisions about the future of the organization.
The new board, including four Officers and six Directors, went into effect at ILEA Live, Aug. 16-18, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. The board includes:
Officers
- President: Sara Grauf, CSEP, Senior Vice President, Giants Enterprises, San Francisco, California
- President-elect: Jennifer Trethewey, CSEP, Managing Director, JTG Global, Port Melbourne, Australia
- Treasurer/Secretary: Dana L. Macaulay, Director of Experiential Marketing, Sonoma County Vintners, Santa Rosa, California
- Immediate Past President: Ingrid Nagy, CSEP, Owner/CEO, By Design Collective, Denver
Directors
- Morgan Doan, CSEP, PWC, Event Planner & Designer/Owner, Morgan Events, San Francisco, California
- Corinne Kessel, CSEP, Principal, Greenscape Design & Décor, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Gwen McNutt, CSEP, Regional External Affairs Manager, Comcast Cable, Chicago
- Tanya Posavatz, CSEP, Owner, CLINK, Austin, Texas
- Jennifer Poyer, CSEP, Sr. Special Events Manager. Catalina Island Conservancy, Long Beach, California
- Jim Riley, Ohio History Connection, Columbus, Ohio
