About Us

Debert Cook, CMP
President/CEO

Debert Cook is a Certified Meetings Professional (CMP) and has over 15 years of experience planning and executing successful programs and events for a variety of public and private organization and institutions. 

Her firm was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in New York City's financial district.  Ms. Cook is a native of West Virginia, born into a proud family of coal miners, ministers and entrepreneurs. 

Growing up in a small mountain valley town, she demonstrated her creativity early and, at age 8, produced and performed with her first musical variety group in the area's local talent show.

Upon graduating from South High in Youngstown, Ohio, she was voted 'most talented' among their peers and she went on to perform and tour as an alto saxophonist and trumpet player with several R&B bands and even auditioned at the world-famous Motown Studios in Detroit, Michigan.

While a college student, Cook completed an internship with TV-Channel 33 (NBC-TV Affiliate) in Youngstown, Ohio and has held positions as a morning news anchor, audio broadcast technician and disc jockey for local stations in the Ohio and Pennsylvania Allegheny valley prior to launching her company, Cook Marketing Corp. in 1987, specializing in helping minority-owned businesses with local economic development initiatives in her community.

Cook holds an Associate degree in Music Business from Georgia State University in Atlanta (1981), a certificate in Radio and Television Broadcast Production from the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts (1983) in Detroit, Michigan, a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Youngstown State University (1988) in Youngstown, Ohio, and a Master of Arts degree in Liberal Studies/History from the City University of New York (1994) in New York. She has also serveed as an adjunct professor in African American art history and music at the South Bronx campus of The College of New Rochelle in New York City.

She obtained her CMP Certification in meeting planning from the Convention Industry Council in August 2000 and has been featured in the meeting planner profile section of Black Meetings & Tourism magazine (2001). She was nominated by Meetings South magazine for the "Rising Star" award (2000) and cited by Hon. Howard Golden (D-NY), President of the Borough of Brooklyn, NY (1999) who recognized her firm for its top performance and new business achievement. 

Cook has worked in communications and administrative capacities for several fortune 500 companies including, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Avon Products, Philip Morris USA, Chase Manhattan Bank and Business Week, prior to establishing her own firm.

Cook is a tenacious, "Type-A" personality with strong attention to detail and shares her knowledge in the meeting and tourism industry by contributing travel-related articles to business and leisure publications. Her firm provides on-the-job experience to up-and-coming' planners through year-round project internships and mentoring opportunities.

The company's client list includes The Caribbean-American Chamber of Commerce  & Industry, Empire State Medical Association, The Power Business Breakfast Series, The Network Journal, General Services Administration (GSA), WBLS Radio, Black Enterprise, Black Expo New York, the office of the New York State Comptroller, H. Carl McCall, Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program, and many others.

Cook is a frequently sought after speaker and serves as Publisher and Editor-In-Chief of the African American Golfer's Digest, a PGA of American Diverse Suppliers and the nations leading print publication and online portal for avid Black golfers. 

She is a member of the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce & Industry Inc., the NY/NJ Minority Purchasing Council, National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners, NYC & Company - the NY Convention Bureau and has served on its Meeting and Event Coalition Committee, and numerous other women and professional-based organizations. 

She is resident of Staten Island, NY and in her leisure time enjoys golf, adventure travel, tennis and comedy clubs.

PREVIOUS CAREERS

 
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