CHICAGO — Chris Wehking, chief business events strategist for the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), died Nov. 28 after a long battle with cancer.
“Chris was well known throughout the ASA and the event industry for his leadership, professionalism, warmth and friendship,” said Paul Pomerantz, ASA CEO. “During his years with us, he transformed our meetings into some of the best in medicine. During his tenure, Chris also provided leadership in membership, industry relations and business development. He excelled at relationship building and was known for strengthening ties with ASA state societies, subspecialty organizations and foundations as well as our sister societies internationally.”
Wehking’s loss is felt not only at the ASA but across the business events industry, where he served as chairman of the board of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) in 2014 and received the PCMA Foundation’s 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award.
“I am deeply saddened to learn of Chris’ passing,” said Sherrif Karamat, PCMA President and CEO. “Chris made many contributions during his tenure on the board and was particularly instrumental in our efforts to become a more global association. As an executive in the medical meetings industry, Chris also helped PCMA stay at the forefront of medical events, sharing his knowledge of the latest regulations and codes that impacted these events.”
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Prior to joining the medical association events industry as director of meetings and exhibits for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Wehking worked for the American Hardware Manufacturers Association, where he served as director of meetings and exhibits from 1990 to 2005. He spent five years at ASPS before joining the ASA in 2010.
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“I had the pleasure of first meeting Chris when he was with American Hardware Manufacturers, then when he was a plastic surgeon, and then at ASA,” said Bill Grusich, CMP, FASAE, vice president of sales for Associated Luxury Hotels International. “He was always a consummate professional, an industry leader, and to many, a friend. He was an exceptional president for PCMA. He taught us all how to work together in this industry. He will be missed and certainly not forgotten.”
Chris is survived by his wife Shirley and daughters Lindsey and Madeline.
Contact Paul Pomerantz at p.pomerantz@asahq.org or (847) 825-5586; Sherrif Karamat at skaramat@pcma.org or (312) 423-7262; Bill Grusich at bgrusich@alhi.com.