Merry Green is the President/CEO of MGPG Events, Inc., a 14-year old Special Events, Marketing/Promotions and Public Relations firm headquartered in Chicago. She has an extensive background and expertise in community relations and outreach, conducting public relations campaigns, and producing special events within and targeting the African American community. Merry has a wealth of knowledge and experience in event budget development and management, projecting revenue potentials, sponsorship development and sales, promotions and marketing, developing advertising campaigns, venue and talent negotiations, design and production of collateral materials, hotel and travel arrangements. At MGPG, she has developed successful community relations campaigns for the following events: V103’s Expo for Today’s Black Woman, The National Reparations Convention under Ald. Dorothy Tillman, the Annual Chicago Football Classic, Tavis Smiley’s Blacks in Technology Conference, and Philadelphia Eagle’s Donovan McNabb Foundation All-Star Weekend to name but a few.

PRIOR HISTORY

Before the inception of MGPG Events, Inc., Ms. Green worked in both television and radio.. In 1982, she became the first African American Assistant Program Director for the ABC-network affiliate in Rochester, New York, WOKR-TV, before coming to Chicago where she joined NBC 5 as Administrator of Community Programs producing local community affairs specials. Ms. Green received several local Emmy nominations for her outstanding documentaries on Chicago neighborhoods.

From NBC, Ms. Green honed her talents as a Producer for the nationally-syndicated Ebony Jet Showcase, a top-rated entertainment program produced by Johnson Publishing Company in 1986. She later moved to radio and became the Director of Advertising & Promotions for WVAZ-FM (V103 Radio) where she was known for the creation and production of unique marketing/promotions campaigns and special events, including the “Expo for Today’s Black Woman,” the first radio-generated USO tour, “The Transatlantic Jam” to England and West Germany, and “The World’s Largest Steppers Contest” an African American dance phenomenon.

The success of the annual “Expo for Today’s Black Woman” has spawned spin-off events, “The Black Women’s Expo” and “Family Expo” that have premiered in several other major markets including Detroit, Orlando, Atlanta and Biloxi, Mississippi, with a four-city tour slated for 2007. In 2008, “The Black Women’s Expo” became a national destination event welcoming African-Americans women to Chicago from around the country.

OTHER INFORMATION

Ms. Green’s work in Chicago African American community has garnered her numerous awards including the Legacy Award/Boys & Girls Club of Chicago, Woman of the Year/Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Women’s Day Award/Rainbow Push Coalition, Women at the Top of their Game, Kizzy Award/Revlon, the Rising Sun Award/ABJ Community Services, Inc., the Inspirational Trailblazer Award from Illinois State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, and most recently, the Chicago Defender’s Women of Excellence Award. Ms. Green presently serves as the Vice President of the National League of Black Women; and she is a founding member of Sisters on the Move, a charitable giving circle in Chicago’s African-American community.