Bio – Jan Peters, President

Jan Peters brings to her clients over 25 years of experience in meeting planning, special event management, tourism, and the performing arts. Qualified in the areas of general management, logistics and financial management, strategic planning, organizational development, marketing, fund raising, media relations, public relations, personnel, and entertainment booking. Jan is a proven leader with integrity and the ability to effectively get the job done in a timely manner.

Prior to the creation of Projects by Design, Jan was the Executive Director of Hutchinson’s Historic Fox Theatre where she and the board were successful in raising nearly $1 million dollars to keep the theatre from closing. In addition, she booked three seasons of outstanding artists such as Dionne Warwick, Judy Collins and AJ Croce, The Vienna Boys Choir, and Marvin Hamlisch.

Jan also served as the Director of two Convention and Visitors Bureaus – Lenexa, Kansas and Hutchinson, Kansas and served on the Board of the Travel Industry Association of Kansas (TIAK). In 1994 she was elected President of the Association and was presented as the Outstanding Tourism Professional in 1995. As a leader in the tourism industry Jan worked with the Kansas Legislature to increase funding for the state tourism marketing efforts, and the creation of the Tourism Committee in the Kansas House and Senate. She was appointed by Governor Bill Graves as the tourism representative on the Kansas State Fair Board and served on the entertainment and facility masterplan committees.

Other career highlights include three years as the Special Events Coordinator for the Kansas State Fair and the Assistant General Manager of the KC Renaissance Festival. Jan also toured for three years with Up With People where she traveled to 11 countries and 23 states in the US.

Currently Jan serves on various non-profits boards, is active in local political races, and is a member of several networking and business organizations, such as The March of Dimes, Netweave, and The Lenexa Chamber of Commerce.

In every position, Jan always created new and innovative programs that would further enhance the organization and she could often be found "mind-mapping" a new strategy or project that would recognize others and their accomplishments.

Jan sees her work with people as her greatest joy, her greatest gift, and her greatest accomplishment. As she works on creating special projects and events, her dog Oreo can be found sitting quietly at her side … and encouraging her every step of the way.