Heather Matusiak, DMCP

Regional Vice President, Southern California and Las Vegas

Heather Matusiak, Regional Vice President, leads our Southern California and Las Vegas teams. With over 20 years of experience in corporate meetings and events, most of which were in the Southern California DMC market, Heather is well-versed in all facets of the events business, from operations to creative product development and sales. Heather brings a wealth of leadership and sales experience, and prior to joining PRA, she served as Vice President of Sales in the industry. She has found success in her career by focusing on relationship building and creative marketing. Heather currently serves on the Site So Cal Board of Directors as Director of Membership. She earned her Destination Management Certified Professional (DMCP) certification in 2008. She is a graduate of University of Southern California and is based in Orange County, CA.

Contact: Heather.Matusiak@PRA.com

Erin Slater

Regional Sales Manager

After obtaining a Public Relations and Marketing Communications degree in Boston, Erin moved back to her hometown Palm Springs where she began her DMC career at the local PRA office in operations. Her desire for growth created opportunities in sales and event design at PRA as well as sales & servicing positions in Los Angeles, Orange County and Palm Springs luxury and convention hotels. With over 16 years of experience in various industries both in hotels and with PRA, Erin continues to be guided by her passion for building client relationships based on communication and trust. An ability to exceed client expectations stems from providing exceptional service, being detail-oriented and customizing client experiences. A fun fact about Erin is that she has her CMS 1 Certificate (Introductory Sommelier).  Outside of work, you can find her spending time with her two little boys and husband.

Patty Kindness

Regional Director of Sales

Patty has been an active member of the hospitality industry for over 20 years with 12 years at PRA.  Born in Philly, Patty moved to Las Vegas to attend UNLV and now resides in Orange County.  She’s incredibly passionate about the industry and the hospitality community as a whole. She was just awarded the MPI Emerging Leader Awards for 2023. She is a team player, contributor, and sales leader at PRA. She looks at challenges from all angles, thinks from multiple perspectives and implements innovative ways to tackle challenges in her role as Regional Sales Director of the West Region. IMEX America continues to be her favorite annual event and client experience annually.  As their exclusive DMC partner they work collaboratively every year to bring hosted buyers unique and memorable experiences together. People who know Patty, knows that she loves to laugh and has a passion for life and family.  Whether its in the travel trailer exploring the SW and Mexico with her family, or abroad, exploring new locations, food and culture is her favorite pastime.

Contact: Patty.Kindness@PRA.com

Amy Knauf

Regional Director of Experience Design

Amy Knauf, Regional Director of Experience Design, leads the team of Experience Designers in Southern California and Las Vegas. Amy’s interest in events started in college when she interned with a boutique event management company in San Diego, where she was first introduced to PRA. After graduating from Point Loma Nazarene University, Amy started her career with PRA in the very role she now leads. Over the past 16 years, Amy has created and seen some amazing events but one of her most memorable was designing a reception and dinner space in make-shift barracks facing the ocean on the beach of Camp Pendleton, complete with amphibious assault vehicles storming the beach from the water. After many years in the Experience Design role, Amy now thrives in training and mentoring her team across the region! In her free time, Amy loves to spend time with her husband and two young children.

Hilary Pineo

Senior Experience Designer

Hilary began her hospitality career in Palm Springs after relocating to the desert area 22 years ago. Her perpetual love for sunny skies made it an easy decision after acquiring her degree in Business Administration & Marketing in Northern California at Chico State. She started out in management at a local luxury resort and two years later moved into an Account Management position with PRA working with Patti Roscoe’s team. Hilary’s talents expanded greatly as she explored hospitality in DMC Sales, Convention Center Sales, Program Management, and Creative Design. She has passion for creativity and determination to build fully immersive experiences for her clients. Fun fact – She fell in love with theme event design at a young age, exploring Halloween costume patterns and linen swatches in the fabric store.

Barry Tidwell

Event Producer

Barry was born and raised in Southern California. He is an accomplished Event Producer with over fifteen years of experience designing, producing, and managing corporate events. Before event producing, Barry was a dancer for both Disneyland (Anaheim) and Walt Disney World in Florida. But his passion for the event industry started from his over-the-top party hosting at his home as a dancer, with full-on décor and entertainment. His friends told him “Um, Barry… You need to do this for a living.” That encouragement translated to his career as an Event Producer in Las Vegas for the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Working for such companies as Disney and MGM Resorts international, truly inspires the quality of work he envisions and conjures into fruition. Barry also dabbles in writing his own novels, graphic novels, and screenplays. And he loves to travel internationally. One of his favorite travel memories was when he happened to be on vacation in Rome, 2013, touring the Vatican, and got to witness the selection of the next Pope, Pope Francis.

Kellie Collins, DMCP

Regional Director of Events

Three words to describe me: Organized. Caring. Loyal.

If you really knew me you would know: I love camping.

Restaurant on repeat: My own house, I love to cook and try new recipes.

The best part about my job is: Working with great people day in and day out.

My inspiration: Female leaders in the industry!

Contact: Kellie.Collins@PRA.com

Sondra Zepeda

Experience Designer

Three words to describe me:  Family, Loyal, Adaptive   If you really knew me you would know:  I don’t work on Sundays, Monday nights or Thursday nights when my Cowboys are playing.   Restaurant on repeat:   Las Casuelas Nuevas (Great food with a spacious and inviting patio.  Family owned-multi-generational)   The best part of my job:  Getting to create with our clients and seeing it come together onsite; that’s so gratifying.   My inspiration:  My dad taught me that my reputation is what I can control.  He was a gardener and produced beauty with color.

Contact: Sondra.Zepeda@PRA.com