Meet the Team

Amanda  is a seasoned professional with over 19 years of experience leading teams, providing strategic direction, managing projects, and organizing, managing, and delivering successful conferences and tradeshows worldwide.  

Amanda has provided strategic leadership and effective management of  engineering events business with profit and loss responsibilities exceeding $11 million. She managed an events team (product developers, meeting planners and exhibit and sponsorship sales professionals) and provided direction for developing, planning, and implementing 30 – 52 annual aerospace, automotive, defense & commercial vehicle conferences and symposia in coordination with society member activities, committees, and general/steering committees. 

Amanda evaluated current meetings and conferences for viability and sustainability and redefined the Events product portfolio by identifying and recommending improvements and innovative enhancements to existing events.  She managed and participated in the strategic transformation of three major conferences while working collaboratively with SAE membership and other industry leadership to identify and developed new event topics and innovative concepts worldwide.  

Amanda developed and managed revenue and expense budgets, reviewed forecast variances, and issued corrective action plans demonstrating fiscal responsibility.  She identified, developed, managed and supported partnerships and collaborations with other organizations, government agencies, publications, and for-profit companies globally.  Amanda actively participated in the development and administration of the DoD Maintenance Symposium & Exhibition.

Amanda holds a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and is a perpetual learner who is excited to learn about and try new technologies, processes, and ideas.  She enjoys working with and leading teams.  She is great with clients and can anticipate their needs so she can offer viable solutions.  She takes initiative, is not afraid to fail, asks thoughtful questions, and constantly seeks better ways of working and communicating. Amanda uses her problem-solving and critical thinking skills to question assumptions and find better ways to work and communicate.

Steve Fink has over 22 years of combined military service and federal government contracting experience.  

He  has extensive experience in building and selling businesses that contract with the federal government and has run projects with a cumulative value of $10M per year.  Steve is a proven business leader who understands and effectively translates policy into the delivery of mission capabilities and solves challenging problems.

In his past position as COO, he oversaw the US Marine Corps NEXLOG contract leading to multiple events each year requiring full-service event planning.  His team was carefully selected from the best in the industry to manage the events.  Through the team’s success, they are still utilized to this day by special request of the Marine Corps.

Additionally, Steve held the contract with the Enlisted Association of the National Guard (EANGUS) for 4 years and was responsible for the planning, coordination and management of their Annual Conference, Industry Days and Legislative Workshops.  The annual conferences were held in a different state each year and Steve worked closely with each state’s National Guard leadership to coordinate the conferences.  Each annual conference required planning and coordination to bring National Guard members from all 50 states, 4 territories and 1 district into the state and provide lodging, transportation, event/booth halls, speakers, etc.  Steve was responsible for all booth sales, sponsorships, partnerships and evening events during the conferences.

Steve also served as the Managing Editor of New Patriot, the flagship publication for the Enlisted National Guard.  The magazine was distributed nationwide, and Steve oversaw production, content, advertisement sales, partnership inclusion and National Guard Bureau interests.  Steve’s oversight led to the magazines increase of profitability of over 60%.  

Steve holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and continues to take on large projects requiring leadership and management.  He believes in surrounding himself with “Rockstars” who are willing to join him to go the extra mile and want to accomplish the mission to the highest standard for our clients and ourselves.