OLC’s event management team are corporate and association meeting planning and medical/surgical education specialists, drawing on nearly 50 years of professional experience to handle all of your meeting or event needs. We customize to meet your needs including hybrid meetings with a smaller number of in-person attendees and HD livestreaming to a larger audience who may not be able to travel.
Whether the goal is to produce a laboratory skills training for medical professionals, a corporate offsite or a livestream educational event viewed internally or worldwide, the OLC event management team works with you to create and facilitate an ideal learning and meeting environment.
Your concierge event management team works with you throughout the event planning process to understand preferences and specific requirements as the event or training takes shape. With ongoing communication and collaboration from the initial scheduling to the final follow-up, our event management team ensures every aspect of the planning, timing and execution of your event at the OLC Education & Conference Center meets the highest standards and delivers a successful outcome.
Please also see more about the OLC’s preparedness and GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation – our commitment to keeping both attendees and staff safe.
As CEO of the OLC Education & Conference Center, Lisé manages and oversees day-to-day operations. She has worked in the meetings and event industry for more than 20 years, with extensive experience in event planning and education management, including serving as the global event strategist for the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM), senior vice president of event services at SmithBucklin, and working at AT Kearney and the Chicago Convention Bureau.
With over 15 years in the events industry, Josh brings a wealth of AV experience to the OLC as. Josh doesn’t just manage the technical aspects of client events – he elevates them. Through his innovative approach he architects immersive learning experiences with cutting-edge technology. Josh was most recently at the Q Center in St. Charles, IL and for the past nine years, has worked with the OLC as an independent contractor. Beyond the control room, Josh thrives on an active family life with his wife Erin, their energetic kids, and their two dogs. They cherish the outdoors, sports, and getaways to Georgia and South Carolina.
Ellen began her career in the healthcare industry, working in sales support, bio-skills events and planning meetings. A former client who hosted medical education events at the OLC for over 15 years, Ellen joined when the opportunity arose to direct lab events and manage the lab team. She enjoys working with clients to address the ever-changing needs of medical education and meetings. Ellen also recently completed a Healthcare Meeting Compliance Certification program so that she help ensure our clients are aware of and remain in compliance with the latest healthcare meeting compliance regulations throughout the event planning process. Ellen spends her time outside of the lab working on her micro-farm and making home-grown salsa and garlic powder.
Kathy understands the importance of strategic pre-planning to deliver meetings that exceed expectations, drawing on her experience as a medical meeting planner before joining the OLC. Kathy is a member of The Association for Bioskills Laboratory Excellence (ABLE). She leverages this expertise to identify the best ideas and solutions to achieve goals on time and within budget. Outside of work, Kathy’s passion for the outdoors has taken her to 34 U.S. national parks—a little over halfway to her goal of visiting all 63.
Working behind the scenes at the OLC for the last four years, Josh ensures all meeting and event orders are followed to a “T” – determining the best set-up and timeline, managing the execution, and directing final tear-down and clean-up. Josh’s extensive background includes mortuary science experience and is a published author who collects and restores old video games.
Grace Nelson is a BioSkills Lab Associate at the OLC, supporting ACFAS, SVS, and our other vascular clients alongside other specialty programs. As part of the team, Grace supports lab preparation, day-of program execution, and all equipment needs. She brings advanced experience in medical operations, technical preparation and hands-on attendee learning.
Grace holds a Master’s in Neurobiology from Northwestern University, where her work in the Woolley Lab focused on neural tissue imaging, chemical assays, and estrogen-receptor neurobiology. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Health Biology from Kansas State University and contributed to several research labs while mentoring pre-health students.
Outside of work, Grace enjoys spending time with her two cats, hosting board game nights, crocheting, reading, and playing video games.
Michelle Gorges is a BioSkills Lab Associate at the OLC, supporting our research partners in delivering high-quality BioSkills programs. In her role, she coordinates event preplanning, on-site coordination, and all lab equipment readiness. She brings deep expertise across scientific research, clinical operations, and lab workflows.
Michelle earned her Master’s in Biotechnology from Rush University, where she conducted infectious disease research focused on antibiotic resistance in patients with chronic kidney disease. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from North Park University. Before joining the OLC, Michelle worked for five years in Emergency Medicine in both technical and patient-facing roles.
Outside the OLC, Michelle leads a high school youth group and enjoys traveling, Pilates, discovering new restaurants, and spending time with her family.