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

Shannon Bates, MBA, CMP, DMCP

Project Manager

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

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

Regional Director of Experience Design, Mid-South

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

Caroline Hunse

Event Coordinator

Born and raised in Knoxville, TN, Caroline joins the PRA Mid-South team with a passion for creating unforgettable experiences. She graduated from Belmont University with a degree in Public Relations and Creative Entertainment Industries, where she discovered her love for hospitality and event planning. Caroline has gained hands-on experience in public relations, marketing, and event coordination, working with media and entertainment companies like PLA Media and The Handbook in London. One of her favorite projects was coordinating a brand partnership event for Batiste Hair. She thrives on building strong relationships, thinking creatively under pressure, and bringing events to life. Outside of work, Caroline loves traveling, trying new restaurants, and attending hot yoga classes—she recently earned her yoga teaching certification! She’s excited to bring her enthusiasm and skills to the PRA team and help craft memorable events.

Kelly Rains

Experience Designer

An artist at heart and a planner by nature, Kelly has spent her career blending creativity with strategy. Born in Athens, GA, she earned her degree in Painting & Drawing from the University of Georgia. From there, she moved to Louisville and launched Kentucky’s first Paint & Sip Studio as Manager & Lead Artist, turning a passion for creating experiences into a thriving business. That love for immersive storytelling led her into a Creative Marketing & Event Planning role in Louisville's vibrant and constantly evolving restaurant industry, where she spent 7 years producing successful events throughout Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. She is excited to bring her artistic vision and big-picture thinking to craft unique events that leave a lasting impression on PRA clients, and celebrating those successes with her PRA teammates. Outside of work, Kelly is embracing life as a first-time mom alongside her husband Derrick, loves spending quality time with family and friends, and spoiling her senior rescue dog, Cleo.

Jurinda Ayala

Event Specialist

Jurinda’s career began with a foundation in fashion business management at the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Precollege Program. This led to an Integrated Studies degree with a focus on tourism and hospitality management and fashion merchandising at MTSU. Realizing she could combine her love of the arts, fashion and food and beverage into producing events, Jurinda’s career journey led her to serve as the Alcohol and Beverage Manager for a casual dining establishment, Event Manager for Piece of Mind Events, and most recently as the Event Lead with Constellation Brands at Nelson’s GreenBrier Distillery. She also served on MPI’s Special Events Committee and Educational Events Committee in 2022, where she helped to execute one of her favorite events, the MPI Fizz and Flannel Fall Festival. A native to Nashville, Jurinda loves to further her Tennessee spirits education and was named a 2024 “Women in Whiskey”, recognizing women in the bourbon and whiskey distilling industry across the state.