Meet the Partners
Lisa DeGolyer is a relationship-builder and a 30-year veteran in the association and event management industry. She has previously served associations in various capacities at Host Communications, Inc. (now AI) for clients such as National Tour Association, Travel and Tourism Research Association, Quest, and International Spa Association. Lisa has also provided corporate meeting support to St. Jude Medical and Tauck World Discovery. In 2003 Lisa ventured out with a partner and co-founded an association management company to take on the day-to-day operations of the Construction Owners Association of America (COAA). For nearly 14 years, Lisa used a project management approach to planning all aspects of COAA’s semi-annual 3-day conferences, including site selection, hotel contract management, sponsorship sales and fulfillment, speaker coordination, meeting planning, food and beverage, exhibitor management, and meeting execution. In addition to booking entertainment, leading on-site teams, and developing critical paths, she has the VIP-Experience “gene” ensuring conference VIPs are handled with care. Lisa’s attention to detail and onsite execution methodology have led to COAA being referred to as having the “best run conferences in the construction industry”.
Valerie Delaney brings both an entrepreneurial spirit and more than 35 years of operations and project management experience to The Valisade Group team. Her focus on customer service, project management, process improvement, and accounting and financial management has led to her success in working with both not-for-profit and for-profit organizations. Val has led 501(c)3 and 501(c)6 associations such as The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Safari Club International, Construction Owners Association of America, and Association of Destination Management Executives International in the areas of operations and infrastructure, accounting and finance, membership and chapter service, governance, database management, website development, convention sales, publications, in-house graphic design, visitor center messaging and management, special events planning and execution, warehousing and distribution, facility management, and volunteer and staff training and development. She has planned meetings, conferences, and conventions ranging in size from 25 to 20,000 attendees; developed and managed budgets ranging in size from $500K to $24M; and managed website and technology solutions for both not-for-profit and for profit institutions.