As president of the Incentive Research Foundation in St. Louis since 2009, Melissa Van Dyke helms an organization that produces some of the most prolific and influential studies and education for the incentive industry. She has been a strong advocate and ambassador -- speaking at industry events, authoring blogs, creating a robust LinkedIn community -- for this vital arm of the meetings community.

Van Dyke's background prepared her well for her present role: At Maritz Inc. she was a consultant for the employee engagement practice and also held positions in product development and business technology solution management. Under her watch at IRF, the foundation's research and education footprint has tripled.

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