Scale without losing the human thread

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At TDA, Elinor planned and delivered statewide educational conferences and outreach initiatives, from intimate gatherings of 50 to MEGACON with more than 1,000 attendees. She was the visible public-facing representative for agency initiatives, trusted by senior leadership and participants alike.

She owned logistics end to end: venues, A/V, catering, registration, exhibitors, and staffing. She led a cross-functional team of seven subcommittee chairs, oversaw 150 volunteers on site at MEGACON, and coordinated 55 volunteers for TDA’s food and nutrition exhibit at the State Fair of Texas, where the exhibit engaged 230,000+ visitors annually.

Partnerships mattered as much as production. She collaborated with Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition experts, food banks across Texas, and community stakeholders to build specialized exhibitor experiences and executive networking opportunities. In her first year she grew MEGACON attendee revenue and registration by 20%, and negotiated a $30,000 decrease in catering costs.

What this proves for museum & nonprofit leadership

Visitor experience at scale, volunteer systems, earned-income instincts, and partnership cultivation. That is exactly the operating language of museums, festivals, and mission-driven institutions.