Kowana Ragland, CMP

As Vice President of Training & Operational Excellence, Kowana leads Etherio’s learning and development initiatives for its event management teams, helping team members strengthen their skills, advance their professional development, and consistently deliver exceptional service. She oversees competency development, training programs, individual development planning, and ongoing coaching while advancing operational excellence through standardized best practices and continuous improvement.

Prior to joining Etherio, Kowana planned city-wide conferences in major US cities for a North Carolina association. Most recently, Kowana has done extensive work within both the meeting planning and association management divisions at Etherio. She was a senior event manager for several years, planning and implementing many large conferences before being promoted to senior director. Kowana earned her B.S. in Administrative Services from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She has twice been named a “Meeting Professional to Watch” by ConventionSouth Magazine. Kowana is currently active in her alma mater’s local alumni chapter executive board, serving as corresponding secretary. She also serves as the lead ambassador for Ladies of A&T (LOAT, LLC) in Atlanta.

When she’s not working, Kowana enjoys spending quality time with friends and family — that is, when she’s not watching reality TV!