Another January is upon us! That means it’s a new APMP chapter year. I am thrilled to pen my first Letter from the President and excited to use it to introduce the incoming APMP Greater Midwest Chapter board. The individuals listed below will serve through 2024 to help bring chapter initiatives and local resources to life for our member base. The new board includes experienced proposal management professionals spread across the Midwest all with APMP certifications.
2024 Board Members
Melissa Willett, CPP APMP | Mentorship Chair
Columbia, Missouri
Melissa Willett is an experienced communications professional, team leader and people manager. For more than 20 years, she has practiced journalism, internal communications and strategic communications–nine years of which have been managing proposals and staff in the architecture/engineering/construction and consulting industries. She has a proven track record for delivering winning proposals while meeting tight deadlines, managing conflicting demands and leading cross-functional, remote teams. She is a skilled project manager, marketing strategist and data analyst.
Melissa has been a member of APMP since 2016 and holds the APMP Professional Certification. As mentorship chair, Melissa will oversee the Greater Midwest Mentorship Program. This annual program has been running for more than 10 years and focuses on pairing proposal management professionals who want to foster their personal/professional growth and build relationships with others in the industry. Space is still open for the 2024 Mentorship Program. Applications for both mentors and mentees are open through January 8. Connect with Melissa via LinkedIn or mwillett@gmcapmp.org
Kaitlin Kousaie, CP APMP | Certification Study Group Co-Chair
Omaha, Nebraska
Kaitlin Kousaie is a proposal manager with more than 10 years of experience. In her current role, she is responsible for managing and coordinating multiple proposals simultaneously, including planning, scheduling, writing/editing and the production and submission of proposals and working collaboratively with an extensive team, including subject matter experts, sales teams and senior management.
Kaitlin holds the APMP Practitioner Certification and has served on the Greater Midwest Chapter board as certification study group co-chair since 2020. Kaitlin is responsible for helping develop the Greater Midwest Chapter Certification Study Group Program. The program launched the same year offering guided study sessions and exam preparation to help members achieve APMP Foundation Certification. In 2021, the program expanded to also support members with achieving APMP Practitioner Certification. Connect with Kaitlin via LinkedIn or kkousaie@gmcapmp.org
Lindsay Lange, CP APMP | Certification Study Group Co-Chair
Omaha, Nebraska
Lindsay Lange is a proposal team manager and has more than eight years of experience in the industry. As a military wife, she continually searches for the elusive work-life balance while building her family and career.
Lindsay holds the APMP Practitioner Certification and has served on the Greater Midwest Chapter board as certification study group co-chair since 2020. In partnership with Kaitlin, Lindsay helped develop the Greater Midwest Chapter Certification Study Group Program. This program has successfully supported 29 members to achieve APMP certification. Applications are open for 2024 participants. To start 2024, Lindsay will be out on maternity leave as she welcomes her first child into the world. Connect with Lindsay via LinkedIn at llange@gmcapmp.org
Megan Large, CF APMP | Events Chair
Kansas City, Missouri
Megan Large is a pursuit strategy manager responsible for coordinating business development outreach with key accounts, government affairs outreach and overseeing opportunities and helping develop a strategy to win them. In her role, Megan supports client relationship planning, capture planning, go/no-go decision making, quality review of related proposals, event management, public relations and coordination with industry associations.
Megan holds the APMP Foundation Certification and has presented at APMP Bid & Proposal Con twice – her 2022 session was selected for the “Best of BPC” webinar series. As events chair, Megan will lead the vision, planning and execution of chapter events. This includes our Greater Midwest Chapter Symposium (anticipated to host Spring 2025) and a member meet-up at Bid & Proposal Con. Megan oversees the Events Committee and is actively looking for volunteers to support event coordination. Connect with Megan via LinkedIn or mlarge@gmcapmp.org
Danielle Boyce, CF APMP | Membership Chair
Omaha, Nebraska
Danielle Boyce has been a proposal management professional since 2015. She produces impactful work products that engage target audiences, build and strengthen relationships with key stakeholders and increase market share. Danielle employs a collaborative approach to identify and implement innovative ideas and creative solutions that will enhance an organization’s culture and reputation.
Danielle holds the APMP Foundation Certification and has served the Greater Midwest Chapter board as membership chair since 2023. Last year, Danielle established chapter Member Welcome events. These are quarterly virtual meet ups where we welcome new chapter members and overview all APMP resources available to them. As membership chair, Danielle is responsible for overseeing the active membership base and driving member growth. Connect with Danielle via LinkedIn or dboyce@gmcapmp.org
Kati Schoenwitz, CF APMP | Marketing Chair
Baroda, Michigan
Kati (Stutsman) Schoenwitz is a marketing and creative communications specialist with a background in value-add content development and exceptional client experiences. She currently serves as a proposal manager for a construction firm and takes an active role in pairing strategic messaging with strong document design to develop client-focused proposals, shortlist presentations and pre-sell materials.
Kati is an APMP 40 Under 40 recipient (2022), past Bid & Proposal Con presenter, has served on the Greater Midwest Chapter board since 2021 as publications co-chair (2021) and marketing chair (2022-2023) and holds the APMP Foundation Certification. She is responsible for launching the Shortlisted podcast and rebranding the Greater Midwest Chapter in 2021. Additionally, Kati will be presenting at Bid & Proposal Con Barcelona in March. As marketing chair, Kati will lead marketing/publication efforts including articles/blogs, a proposal-focused podcast and brand/graphic design. Kati oversees our Marketing Committee and is always actively looking for volunteers to author articles, guest star in podcast episodes or support website and social media management. Connect with Kati via LinkedIn or kstutsman@gmcapmp.org
Chang Sanders, CF APMP | Treasurer
Indianapolis, Indiana
Chang Sanders has more than eight years of experience in proposal writing, management and business development in healthcare and information technology industries. She is currently a proposal center manager at a healthcare consulting firm, overseeing the proposal team and managing the proposal process.
Chang holds the APMP Foundation Certification, supported the development of the APMP Bid & Proposal Writing Micro-Certification (2023), is a past Chapter Leader of the Year nominee (2023) and has served on the Greater Midwest Chapter board as treasurer since 2023. As treasurer, Chang is responsible for management of chapter finances. Connect with Chang via LinkedIn or csanders@gmcapmp.org
Bette Sturino, CP APMP | Secretary
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Bette Sturino has more than 20 years of experience in proposal management. She is a thought leader, coach and resource for proposal and sales teams. Bette currently serves as a proposal team manager for a financial institution. While she now lives outside of the region, she still calls the Greater Midwest home.
Bette holds the APMP Practitioner Certification, served on the APMP International Board of Directors (2021-2023) and has prior experience supporting the Greater Midwest Chapter board in various roles (2013-2021) including President (2018). As secretary, Bette will be responsible for coordinating board meetings and record keeping. Connect with Bette via LinkedIn or bsturino@gmcapmp.org
Karin Olson Held, CP APMP | Vice President
Moorhead, Minnesota
Karin Olson Held is the director of proposal and capture management for WPS Health Solutions. With 18 years of experience in federal state and nonprofit proposals, she has worked in the health care industry for over 10 years. Her areas of interest include proposal management, writing and editing, and internal process development.
Karin holds the APMP Practitioner Certifications, is an APMP 40 Under 40 recipient (2020) and has been a Greater Midwest Chapter board member since 2020 as book club chair (2020-2021) and mentorship program chair (2022-2023). As vice president, Karin will be helping guide all chapter efforts forward and supporting board members as needed. She will serve as the 2025 chapter president. Connect with Karin via LinkedIn or kolsonheld@gmcapmp.org
Alexa Ramsey, CP APMP | President
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Alexa Ramsey is a marketing generalist with extensive experience in proposal management and sales enablement. Since 2013, Alexa has supported architectural/engineering/construction firms develop effective pursuit marketing deliverables via streamlined operational processes. She is skilled in change management, cross-functional facilitation and technical writing.
Alexa holds the APMP Practitioner Certification, is an APMP 40 Under 40 recipient (2023) and has served on the Greater Midwest Chapter board since 2021 as publications co-chair (2021), technology chair (2022) and vice president (2023). As president, Alexa will lead chapter strategic planning and provide overall board management. Connect with Alexa via LinkedIn or aramsey@gmcapmp.org
Board Advisor
Bruce Farrell | Board Advisor
Detroit, Michigan
Bruce Farrell was a proposal manager and worked in business communications and development for 25 years. He was responsible for developing proposals and presentations for the management consulting practice. Bruce presented at conferences across the country on the topic of print and presentation design. In 2020, a bicycle accident left Bruce with a traumatic brain injury leaving him with aphasia. Learn more about his story here.
Bruce is an APMP Fellow, he served on the APMP International Board of Directors and helped lead the APMP International Chapter Liaison Committee and Membership Committee, and has supported the Greater Midwest Chapter board for nine years. The board advisor is a non-voting role responsible for giving insight on all chapter programs, initiatives and events. As Bruce continues his healing journey from his accident, he will act as an advisor to the board and help guide chapter decisions based on his insights as a thought leader and active proposal management industry member. Connect with Bruce via LinkedIn or bfarrell@gmcapmp.org
I am so excited to work with these individuals. We’ll be getting together on January 24 to detail our plans for the next 12-18 months. More details on what you can expect from our chapter in next month’s letter.
To close, this letter cannot be written without also acknowledging the individuals who have transitioned off from the 2023 board. Special thank you to Megan Kean, Kat Becchina, Heidi Romero and Tony Des Chenes for setting us up for success this past year (and many years prior). Additionally, this article does not feature some of our active committee members – thank you to all of you who help bring GMC efforts to life.
Best,
Alexa
