Our Events Team

Courtney Barnes

Courtney

Barnes, CMP

Senior Event Manager

Lover of all things food & wine, & dazzling theme queen.

Courtney Barnes, Meydenbauer’s fearless Senior Event Manager and seasoned hospitality expert, has been making client’s event dreams a reality since 2015. Prior to excelling at Meydenbauer, Courtney worked as a Scroll Mistress at Medieval Times, interned with SeaWorld’s Marketing Department and most importantly, she worked at the Walt Disney World Resort! In fact, Courtney has over 18 years of hospitality experience and 10 years of  experiencing working in events. In her free time, Courtney loves to travel, try fun new cocktails, and embrace every season to the fullest. She is also a dedicated dog mom and a Disney enthusiast.

Rachel

Hunter

Event Manager

Has a cup of tea in hand while sprinkling pixie dust over every event

Rachel Hunter is Meydenbauer’s skilled Event Manager. Rachel has over 6 years of industry experience with a focus in hospitality and customer service. Prior to joining the Meydenbauer Center team, Rachel obtained a Bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from Brandman University. After graduating, Rachel worked at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge as the Private Event Services Manager. However, the highlight of her career was having worked at the Walt Disney Company for 5 years. It was through working at Walt Disney that Rachel feels she learned invaluable skills, and top-notch guest services training that helped to build the foundation she uses when working and connecting with clients today. Particularly, serving guests with a smile as she creates the foundation for a magical and memorable event. Rachel was born and raised in Washington, and is close to her family and friends. In her free time, Rachel enjoys giving back to others, being a Diversity and Inclusion Ally, and learning Sign Language. Whenever she gets the chance, Rachel can be found in her happy place, Disneyland. In fact, Rachel says if ever she can’t be found, Disneyland is the place to look for her.

Alyssa Jensen

Alyssa

Jensen

Event Manager

Event enthusiast, hospitality professional, relationship builder

Alyssa Jensen is Meydenbauer’s skilled Event Manager with more than 10 years of invaluable industry experience with a focus in hospitality and events. Alyssa learned how to offer unparalleled customer service while working at Hotel 1000, where she was given opportunities to go above and beyond in order to create impactful memories. While working at Bell Harbor Conference Center and the World Trade Center Seattle she gained imperative skills in bringing events to life and exceeding client’s expectations. This helped Alyssa develop her client service mantra of delivering a seamless experience as she believes every interaction is an opportunity to create a positive memory. Alyssa has lived in the PNW most of her life and earned her BAS in Hospitality Management from South Seattle College before joining the Meydenbauer team. In her free time, she loves unplugging and exploring with her dog Coco- camping, hiking, mountain biking, and enjoying good food!

Helen Kwon

Helen

Kwon

Event Coordinator

Traveling and food are her therapy

Helen Kwon is Meydenbauer’s expert Event Coordinator. Helen has more than 6 years of invaluable hospitality industry experience. Prior to working at Meydenbauer center, Helen attended Calvin University in Michigan, where she graduated with a double degree in Human Resources Management and Organizational Communication. After graduating, Helen worked at Mariott International Hotels and the Seattle Convention Center, where she gained fantastic experience doing what she loved. Helen truly enjoys interacting with customers and learning about their events, ensuring the best possible experience for her clients. Helen also prides herself on finding creative ways to make clients feel valued and goes above and beyond to ensure they feel cared for. In her free time, Helen loves trying new cuisines, taking care of her plants, crocheting, and pursuing her MS in Business Analytics. A fun fact about Helen is that she is trilingual and lived in South Korea, Peru, Surinam, and the States.

Shehalee Smyer

Shehalee

Smyer

Event Sales Manager

Dot-connector, relationship accelerator, and lover of serving and building communities.

Shehalee Smyer is Meydenbauer’s dedicated Event Sales Manager. With over 5 years of industry experience, Shehalee works diligently to build relationships with her clients, that are forged in empathy, connectedness, and harmony. Prior to joining the Meydenbauer team, Shehalee achieved an Associate of Arts from Olympic College and a Meeting and Event Planning Certificate from Edmonds College. Shehalee then went on to become an Events Intern at Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA), a Membership Coordinator at BIMA, and later, climbed the ladder to Development Manager of Signature Events at JDRF. One career highlight Shehalee is proud of, is fundraising $3.7 million at the 2023 JDRF Dream Gala to find cures for type one diabetes. It is with this invaluable work experience and work ethic that Shehalee serves her clients at Meydenbauer. In her free time, Shehalee loves growing dahlias, veggies, and houseplants. She also says her two cats Hyde and Seek, are her whole world and bring her interminable joy. A fun fact about Shehalee is that she and Shaquille O’Neal were the same height and weight when they were born, but he grew a little taller than she did.

Meydenbauer Center