Eileen R. Lentz, a resident of Charleston, South Carolina, has over 25 years experience as a professional coordinator of nonprofit cultivation and fund raising events, travel incentive programs, and corporate meetings and special events. After moving to Charleston in 2006 she developed ERL Event Consulting and Training primarily to teach and assist non-profit organizations and corporations to better coordinate their events with “in house” staff.

In 1984 Eileen established CDK Events Management, Inc., located in Short Hills, New Jersey and remains its Founding Partner. CDK Events has created, produced and managed events throughout the United States, Europe, Canada and the Caribbean, currently focusing on corporate events and non-profit programs.  

CDK Events coordination includes international conferences, receptions, major corporate events, galas, sports events, civic festivals, concerts, and many of New Jersey's most successful fund raising events. Unique travel-incentive programs were developed in Scottsdale, Seattle and San Francisco in the United States, Dromoland Castle in Ireland and in Nevis, West Indies

From 1993 to 1999, CDK Events was involved in the development and opening of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey. Responsibilities included groundbreaking ceremonies, cultivation events and the history-making opening night in October 1997. During the inaugural season we managed the rental of space for non-performance use, and coordinated all of the Art Center’s special events.

Since 1986, CDK Events has coordinated numerous large employee events, groundbreaking ceremonies and dedications for Merck & Co., Inc. in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including the ground breaking for their corporate headquarters in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, the Teleconference Launch of the Merck Institute for Science Education and several Family Days, not the least of which was the 1991 Merck Centennial Celebration for 50,000 attendees.  

Prior to establishing the company in 1984, Ms. Lentz was responsible for the Special Events Division at IDC, a fund raising consulting firm. Ms. Lentz graduated from Washington University, St. Louis, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She is a frequent speaker in the area of Special Events and was a contributing editor to "The Nonprofit Organization Handbook."
Eileen is a member of Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and SCANPO [South Carolina Association of Nonprofit Organizations].