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he and his wife are planning permanent retirement in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina. "There is a period of adjustment," Haydu said. "It's like leaving home to start your life… the excitement of the unknown, but the sadness of leaving what you've known all your life." "It's been a great run at the Gray Center for nearly 11 years, and we will miss the wonderful place and all the great guests we have served," he said. "MSAE has been Both said relationships forged through MSAE have a tremendous vehicle connecting me and the center to been beneficial to them in their new jobs. professional areas of the whole state. "There are many similarities to what I was doing and "I have especially enjoyed the Lunch and Learn sessions what I am doing now, just on the opposite side of the and have always left knowing something I didn't know fence," Sampson said. "Jack Coppenbarger, our executive before we met." director, and I have worked together over the past 26 years planning meetings and conventions for the society." Trading places Mary Sampson and Kimberly Haydu worked together for many years on the annual Mississippi Press Association Mid-Winter conferences before they effectively decided to trade places on opposite sides of the MSAE membership fence. Sampson, longtime association catering manager for the Jackson Hilton, was a 25-year employee of the hotel who also served as an Industry Partner member in MSAE. She worked with Haydu, former business and events manager for MPA, on many conferences through the years. Haydu said the relationships forged through MSAE have been important professionally and personally. "The support of your peers and the great friendships that I've made during my time with this association are MSAE's greatest benefit," she added. Change on the coast Brenda Taylor, a longtime MSAE member and current board member, traded jobs across town in Biloxi earlier this year. After a long tenure as senior sales manager with the IP Casino, Taylor joined the new Golden Nugget as director of sales. In April, Sampson left the Hilton to become the certified professional education registrar for the Mississippi The former Isle Casino took its new name after its Society of Certified Public Accountants. Haydu, in turn, purchase by Golden Nugget Biloxi, Inc., a subsidiary then was offered the position of association catering of Landry's, Inc. manager at the hotel. "Watching the property transform into what will be "It's hard for me to think of myself as an executive a 4-diamond resort with over 23,000 square feet of member; I was an industry partner for so long!" fabulous new meeting space, 730 rooms and suites, and famous Landry's restaurants like Morton's and Sampson said. Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. is exciting," Taylor said about "It is interesting to see the differences between making her career change. "Learning new things is always a an event a success for your organization at a planned challenge, but it keeps me on my toes." venue, knowing what has to happen behind the scenes," she added. "There is that much, if not more, that goes The resort is 21 years old and was one of the first to open on the Gulf Coast after the state legislature into booking events from the association side." legalized gaming. But, in many respects, it's new from Once only concerned with meetings at the hotel the bottom up, Taylor said. on County Line Road in Jackson, Sampson now has responsibility for coordinating CPE events at the "It's like opening a new property in many ways." MSCPA office in Ridgeland and other sites throughout Phase one of construction will be complete in late the state. summer, Taylor said. The facility will then boast 15,000 square feet of meeting space, which the property has Haydu agreed there is a definite learning curve. lacked since Hurricane Katrina caused extensive damage and subsequent rebuilding in 2005. 24 CONNECTIONS | FALL 2013