Chapter News

New Board Member: Introducing Matthew Pizzimenti


Welcome Matthew Pizzimenti

Director of Marketing

Q:  What inspired you to join the NYPCMA Marketing Committee?
A:  I recently attended a meeting where a panel of industry professionals took the stage to answer some questions.  The topic was “Be Bold” and the spirit of the question asked was “What did you do in your career to be bold?” One of the panelists so brilliantly set up her answer by saying (and I am paraphrasing) “ What got us here won’t keep us here, so step out of your comfort zone, and do things differently to drive different results.”  Volunteering for this professional organization accomplishes just that.  It allows me to hone a different set of skills, add to my resume, and develop relationships with the many wonderful people in the chapter.

Q: What are your long-term goals for NYPCMA?
A: The goal of the NYPCMA Chapter, from a marketing lens, is to deliver thought-provoking content. I like donut-walls as much as they next guy, but what are the topics that are trending and how are they shaping our industry? And how do we respond?  Who’s best-in-class on both the planner and supplier side, and why?  That information is invaluable. It’s our goal to discover it and share it with our community.

Q: Can you give us a few details about who you are when you’re not at work: what are your passions? What do you like to read? Who inspires you and why? 

There is so much to unpack here.  While I consider myself a New Yorker through and through, on the weekends I retreat to a 3 acre compound I unofficially refer to as “The Homestead”.  I have no livestock, but I do have a 10 year old-rescue dog named Geoffrey.  I have a Culinary Arts background and so my food-passion has now migrated into sustainable gardening. Don’t be surprised if I try to push some free tomatoes on you at an industry event. I’ve also been re-building my Dad’s old Jeep for 4 years. It’s slated to be on the road by 2029.  We’ll be sure to remind you in the newsletter!  And last but not least; I am passionate about travel experiences. I have an arsenal of travel quotes but the one I relate to most is “Don’t listen to what they say. Go see.”

Who inspires me is one of the more difficult questions; not because I can’t think of someone, but because there are so many who inspire me. For some time but notably this past week, I’m inspired by Marriott’s Chief Executive Officer, Arne Sorensen. He shared the news with us just a few days ago that he was diagnosed with stage-two pancreatic cancer. I won’t get into the details of the message he shared with Marriott Associates, but the part I am compelled to share is just how amazingly positive he remained.  It just reminded me life is less about what happens and more about how we react to it.

Gayle GoldnerNew Board Member: Introducing Matthew Pizzimenti