Promoting PEI

When it comes to PEI communication, Tena Wooldridge does it all.

Whether she's promoting the annual convention, collecting dues or organizing the member directory, PEI's marketing director knows how to multitask.

Working with vendors and coordinating the Young Executives Program are just a few of the marketing director's duties, and Tena enjoys working with members in the process. “I'm very outgoing, and I like interacting with people,” she says. In fact, getting feedback from members is one of Tena's favorite parts of the job—even when that feedback isn't entirely positive. “When a member takes the time to call and point out an error, it shows us that members are really paying attention to what PEI is doing. That's a huge validation, and we welcome it.”

Tena joined the PEI staff in April 2007. When her husband, Steve, transferred jobs that spring, Tena and family moved from Dallas, Texas, to Tulsa, Oklahoma. After spending two weeks settling into the new house with her son Dylan, then age three, “running around everywhere,” the naturally social Tena knew it was time for a change. “Dylan needed some social interaction and so did I!” she says. Instantly drawn to the chemistry she found among PEI's employees, Tena jumped on board. “To me, the chemistry you have with your co-workers is more important than money or vacation or anything else, and PEI was a great fit for me.”

Before joining the team at PEI, Tena did marketing for several distributors and manufacturing companies, and she credits her corporate background for allowing her to identify with PEI members on a business level. “I can empathize with both our distributors and our manufacturers.”

According to Tena, a “typical day” at PEI headquarters simply does not exist. “If there was a 'typical day,' that would be great!” she says, “But with conferences, shows and conventions, every day is different.”

Fortunately, Tena is no stranger to multitasking. As mother to five-year-old Dylan and owner of Maggie, a basset hound, and Sandy, a toy poodle, Tena is a pro at keeping things balanced. “I'm able to juggle a lot of things at once,” she says. “Everyone gets a piece of my time.” Tena has even found the time to self-publish two children's books. She is the proud author of Sour Milk & Other Teeny, Tiny Tall Tales, a compilation of “off-the-wall” short stories inspired by Shel Silverstein, and The Unmistakable, Magnificently Mindful Martian Mannerisms, an alien's guide to good manners, which Tena wrote with Dylan's help.

As PEI's marketing director, Tena strives to make PEI the number one business resource for members. “It is my goal to make members aware of all the opportunities that PEI provides.”

In November 2007, Tena got a chance to see what PEI is all about firsthand at her first PEI/NACS show in Atlanta. In attendance at the industry reception, among nearly 700 PEI members, Tena took a moment to take it all in. “I looked around and saw all of these members who share a common interest and a true friendship,” she says. “I was simply in awe.” Tena translates that awe into action each day on behalf of PEI members around the world.

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The PEI Journal • First Quarter 2009 • Volume 3, No. 1 • Contents are Copyright © Data Key Communications, Inc.
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