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

Malinda Lenzo, CMP, CTA

Regional Sales Manager

With 20 years of experience in the luxury hospitality and DMC industries, Malinda Lenzo knows what it takes to create memorable moments.  She is a savvy and knowledgeable event professional with a background in hotel sales and operations, catering management, entertainment, venue sales and event design.  She earned her Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation in 2015.  Malinda is a graduate of Richmond, The American International University in London. Her warm and sunny disposition shines through in the relationships she builds with her clients.  She offers an authentic approach to designing and executing events with her keen eye for detail and a logistics driven perspective on sales. Malinda has orchestrated successful experiences that have given guests the opportunity to mingle with celebrity chefs, professional athletes, and the world’s largest entertainers in some of the most iconic and beautiful venues in Los Angeles. An Angeleno since 2006, she knows her way around this vast and sometimes overwhelming city (without the use of Waze!).  She has a strong insight of the locations, restaurants, and unique activities that give LA its personality. As a native Southern Californian, Malinda is a lover of the beach, local cuisine, and wellness workshops.  An avid runner, you’ll find her training for her next marathon on Saturday mornings in Santa Monica.  She is a mother of 2 toddlers and wife to an amazing 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.

Kathryn Sweeney

Senior Event Producer

Kathryn grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia; the proud daughter of a Navy fighter pilot & Pan Am Stewardess.  After earning her degree from Scripps Women’s College, she began her career as a theater stage manager. She has found that those same skills have translated beautifully to event production particularly when combined with her love of hospitality, no doubt gained through years of helping her mother & grandmothers host parties in their homes. She has an extensive background in catering, working with some of the best chefs in Southern California; and spent more than a decade producing events for a major film & television studio. She enjoys watercolor painting, camping, and supporting the Angel City Football Club!

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.

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

DeAnne Millais

Experience Designer

DeAnne Millais is a lifelong Angeleno and proud Bruin. After graduating from UCLA, she interned at a corporate event planning firm and has been hooked on events ever since. Working in many facets of the industry over the years -- from fundraising to entertainment – she has planned and produced galas, sales meetings, incentive trips, golf tournaments, receptions, product launches, and much more. In 2011, she began to volunteer at a local theater and developed additional skills in set design and decoration. This later led to prop styling and set decoration for large scale live shows and brand activations in tandem with continued event production. One of her favorite projects to date has been the ABC Abbott Elementary experience at San Diego Comic-Con, for which she sourced and decorated an entire immersive experience with hallways, lockers, principal’s office, and classroom to match the TV show. A career in events suits DeAnne because she enjoys organizing and managing projects just as much as conceptualizing experiences and designing spaces. Further, she has found that she has some natural skills that lend themselves to the work: empathy and curiosity; the ability to put herself into the shoes of the audience; anticipating issues before they arise; and adding extra levels of interest by bringing in psychological factors, symbolism, and Easter eggs. In her spare time, she can be found in museums, at the theater, walking in new-to-her neighborhoods, or at home, with her cat Lily, learning the electric bass.