Shannon Bates, MBA, CMP, DMCP

Regional Director of Experience Design, Mid-South

Jill of all trades? Shannon has the corner on this market. Shannon fancies herself a foodie, but she is an expert in every aspect of events from creative design to painstaking logistics. Originally from Alabama (no Roll Tidin’ here), Shannon received a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management from Auburn (War Eagle!) University. She began her career as a catering manager at a resort in Destin, Florida and went on to work in convention services at the Birmingham Convention Center. A move to the Nashville Convention Center in 2003 led Shannon to her adopted hometown.

Shannon next made her mark on Music City as the Director of Catering and Event Production for Nashville’s top special event catering company. After collaborating with the PRA Nashville office on many events, Shannon officially joined the team in 2011 and is now proud to be PRA's Regional Director of Experience Design for the Mid-South Region including the Nashville, Louisville and Atlanta offices.

Contact: Shannon.Bates@PRA.com

Courtney Hudson

Regional Director of Sales, Mid-South

Home is where the heart is, and you will never find more heart in a hometown girl than you will in Courtney.  Born and raised in the Nashville area, she is a living example of the amazing hospitality you will find here in our beautiful Music City. Courtney began her career in event planning as a wedding and event planner. Her attention to detail and genuine care for her clients is evident in all she does. Her contagious enthusiasm and upbeat personality allow her to immediately connect with people and put them at ease making her a perfect fit for the client based relationships here at PRA. Courtney was also instrumental in vetting and selecting talent for event entertainment as well as for major events, such as CMA Fest. These experiences helped her to fine-tune her skills in logistics and created in her a greater love for music and a good challenge. Driven by her talents, her desire to see everyone succeed, and her eternal optimism, she looks forward to each and every day, whether at work or at home with her husband, Nick, and daughter, Millie. Contact: Courtney.Hudson@PRA.com

Jacqueline Marko, CMP, DMCP

Regional Vice President, Mid-South

Jacqueline Marko, Jackie to her colleagues and friends, joined the Nashville office in 2011 as their Senior Sales Manager and was later promoted to Associate Director of Sales. Shortly after her move to Nashville, Jackie co-founded the ILEA Nashville chapter, serving as its first President from 2012-2014. In 2016, Jackie earned both her Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and Destination Management Certified Professional (DMCP) designations and in 2017, Jackie was named the Association of Destination Management Executives International’s (ADMEI) “Rising Star” at the annual conference and awards. Jackie now oversees the offices in Louisville, Nashville and Atlanta as the Regional Vice-President, Mid-South Region.

Contact: Jacqueline.Marko@PRA.com

Abby Strawser

Regional Director of Events, Mid-South

Some people are lucky enough to know in their soul what they are meant to be – and Abby Strawser is meant to be a meeting planner. For as long as she can remember, she has been known as the planner to her family and friends – coordinating family vacations and birthday parties whenever she could. As she entered her professional career, Abby used that same passion and energy for planning to kick start her career – working in various industries that allowed her to perfect her craft, from sports organizations to media companies and even PRA Events! After spending the last few years getting the amazing opportunity to work for her family’s business, she is excited to return home to PRA Events as the Director of Events for the Nashville team. Each day, Abby brings a positive, joyful attitude to her work and programs, knowing just how lucky she is to get to plan meetings and events for a living. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Abby can be found on the weekends running at Shelby Park with her sweet rescue pup, Dot, spending time with her family at the lake, or cheering on her beloved Bengals (Whodey!) from her favorite East Nashville sports bar.

Taylor Rasak

Associate Director of Experience Design

Born in Plymouth, Michigan and having attended the University of Michigan, Taylor has been working in the event industry since 2016. She spent time in her career on both the client side, and the DMC side of the industry & and has found true passion in the DMC world. She started working for PRA in 2019 and has loved working for the company and the clients we service. She loves to work with clients to bring their event ideas and inspirations to reality. She truly values being part of the planning and design process, allowing her knowledge of the region and industry to shine and support clients in their corporate event ventures. Being part of PRA was a perfect way to wrap her passion, skills and experience into a dream career. Taylor is CTA Certified in Louisville, and when not designing events, loves to cook, travel and spend time with her family (her husband, son and 2 dogs). She also loves to attend local festivals! If there's something fun going on in her city, she wants to be there! Fun fact – Taylor has lived in 6 different states in the US and has traveled to multiple countries. Her favorite travel experience was learning how to make pasta in Amalfi, Italy. Contact: Taylor.Rasak@PRA.com

Samantha Ward

Event Producer

Samantha Ward, better known as Sam to her friends and colleagues, was born and raised in the beautiful bluegrass state of Kentucky. After graduating from Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville, she earned her college degree at University of Kentucky in Lexington with a degree in Learning Behavioral Disorders. While attending college, Sam began work in the hospitality industry as part of the team producing a large-scale Kentucky Derby event – and she was hooked after that! She was fortunate to produce events across the country for companies such as Rolling Stone Magazine, Barstool Sports, MLB.com, Doing Things Media, etc. In her spare time, Sam enjoys personal travel, especially internationally. In 2019, she accepted an English teaching position in Madrid, Spain where she worked for a year and has since traveled throughout Northern Europe, and most recently to Africa! Sam enjoys living a very active lifestyle and she loves being able to focus her high level of energy on invigorating projects.

Contact: Samantha.Ward@PRA.com 

Michael Costa

Senior Vice President, Business Operations

Michael brings more than twenty years of experience in executive management to the PRA team. In his role as Senior Vice President, Business Operations, Michael is responsible for developing and implementing business strategies to support company initiatives, while creating synergies and leverage opportunities throughout the PRA system.

Contact: Michael.Costa@PRA.com