YCC Project Team

Kathleen McCasland – Founder & CEO
Kathleen is founder and CEO of YCC and has more than twenty years of experience in association and conference management. Prior to founding YCC in 1992, Kathleen served for six years as the executive director of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, where she directed an annual conference of more than four thousand participants. She also served as the conference division program director for a consulting firm in the Washington, D.C. area. In this capacity, she managed more than twenty meetings a year ranging in size from one hundred to five thousand participants.

Kathleen has extensive experience in all aspects of conference planning including site selection/hotel negotiations, preconference planning, agenda development, special event planning, exhibit marketing and management, budget preparation and monitoring, and on-site management. Her understanding of the conference business, coupled with her dedication to providing the highest quality of services, has led her to create a company that provides the full-range of services needed for effective conference management. Kathleen holds a BA in social work from Western Michigan University.

Wendy Fletcher – Director of Finance and Administration
Wendy oversees all financial aspects of the company and YCC clients. Her duties include processing payables and receivables, reconciling monthly bank statements, preparing monthly financial reports, preparing conference breakeven analysis, preparing and monitoring conference budgets, and assisting with the preparation of year-end tax returns. Wendy has more than seventeen years of accounting and office management experience. She earned her BA in industrial relations at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has an MBA with a concentration in finance and accounting from Wake Forest University.

Lindsey Jacks – Project Assistant
Lindsey is the newest addition to YCC, assisting all project managers with membership and speaker coordination, technology management, and data entry. Prior to joining YCC, she managed large equine facilities and coordinated horse shows with one hundred to four thousand attendees. Lindsey graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a BA in business administration with a concentration in management.

Kate Kassens – Database Specialist
Kate is a computer programmer and technical support specialist. She is an expert in C++, C, Visual Basic (VB/VBA), SQL, Java, SAS, JavaScript, and HTML languages, and is familiar with several others. Her software applications include Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Microsoft FrontPage, and Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0 Professional. She works on the Windows 98/NT/XP/Vista/7 and UNIX platforms. Kate’s specialties include providing technical support, modifying and/or creating databases, and familiarizing office staff with new system hardware and applications. She received a BS in Mathematical Sciences/Computer Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Lauren Prezby – On-Site Logistical Manager
Lauren specializes in pre-conference material development and onsite logistical organization. She has a background in graphic design and project management. Lauren is proficient in the Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, and Corel. Lauren attended the University of North Carolina Wilmington and received two degrees; one in studio art and design, and one in creative writing.

Lisa Ramsey – Publications Manager
Lisa, YCC’s publications manager, is responsible for proofing, editing, and coordinating printed materials and assisting with Web site maintenance. Prior to joining YCC, she produced the membership newsletter, Web site, presentations, and flyers for a country club in Wilmington, NC; contributed to Web site copywriting and editing for First Union Corporation’s Internet department in Charlotte, NC; created marketing material for a car auction company in Charlotte, NC; and was a freelance writer for Encore Magazine, Current Diversions, the Daily Athenaeum, the Dominion Post, and Trip Magazine. Lisa graduated from West Virginia University with a BA in news-editorial journalism and a minor in English. She also has a BA in Spanish from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Veronica Snow – Registration Manager
Veronica is the registration manager for all conferences managed by YCC. She also has experience in Web management and is certified in Dreamweaver MX. Veronica has more than eight years of experience with event planning and on-site coordination. Prior to joining YCC, Veronica was the senior national sales executive for Image Products, a company specializing in marketing incentives for financial institutions. She was also an executive and marketing assistant for Clarks Companies, NA. Veronica attended Framingham State College where she majored in business administration.

Larissa Skipper Stamey – Technology Manager
Larissa has been with YCC for ten years and serves as a project manager, on-site logistics specialist, and on-site technology specialist. She is responsible for project timelines, speaker coordination, database creation, registration procedures, and overall project management. She has also been involved in the on-site management of more than three dozen conferences and she is proficient in Office 2007, Adobe PhotoShop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe PageMaker, and Dreamweaver.
Larissa graduated from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill with a BA in communication studies, with a concentration in organizational and interpersonal communications, and a minor in anthropology.

Crystal Walton – Senior Project Manager and Web Manager
Crystal, YCC’s primary Web specialist, maintains the major Web sites managed by YCC, and stays on the cutting edge of emerging technologies online. She is also the managing editor of ODTUG’s Technical Journal. With a background in community journalism, she is fluent in AP and Chicago styles. She is also proficient in graphic design and Web software, including Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Quark Express, and Dreamweaver. She received a BA in journalism with minors in geography and international relations from Elon University.