Honoring the Past, Moving Toward the Future

BY ALISON BAGUIO

Thank you, Kris. I feel incredibly honored you have chosen me to continue the legacy you created at Illusions of Grandeur.

But before I share a few quick details about myself, we are excited to shift this evening into a different kind of event… Kris’ retirement party… one, very fittingly, she designed herself! Trying to squeeze 40 years of this amazing woman’s career into 5 minutes is no easy task, so forgive me if there are key details I have left out.

Kris is more than our boss and the owner, but first and foremost, each and every one of us is privileged to call her a family member. We lovingly refer to her as our queen.

Kris is one of the most fluent and creative writers I have ever read, which is probably why she is such an amazing storyteller (have you ever heard her Mr. Machine Halloween costume story?). As a self-proclaimed James Taylor groupie, she and her sisters travel all over to hear him perform. Luckily, traveling the world is another one of her favorite hobbies, having recently visited New Zealand, Spain, and France.

She is truly gracious, classy, loving, and extremely fashionable. The woman behind the owner really cares about inequities, politics, and injustices. Integrity is not just a word in her vocabulary but a lifestyle she lives and breathes on a daily basis.

Growing up in Greeley, Colorado, Kris inherited her love to throw a great party from her father Hank, who loved to entertain his business clients. She inherited her strong character and ability to multitask from her hardworking mother, Karen, a school teacher, who not only cared for Hank’s mother but raised three amazing daughters.

Professionally, Kris sets a high bar. The company culture she has instilled is one of strong empowerment, which brings out the best in us, as displayed in the strong loyalty we offer in return. The word “micromanager” is not in her vocabulary. Our goal is to make her proud and make her shine through the amazing events we are a part of.

Having been the CEO and owner of a small business for 40 years hasn’t always been easy. There were times Kris had really tough decisions to make to keep IOG afloat, but she continued hanging in there and never gave up on us. Even during the rocky times, Kris gave us a supportive foundation of security and freedom to create amazing, out-of-the-box events.

Kristin Markus will always be the heart, soul, and Queen of this incredibly creative business, one I am more than excited to follow in her footsteps and continue to lead, her way.

Now, even though I have been the General Manager for the last 21 years, many of you don’t know me. My job title has been referred to as “glue,” and I consider myself the woman behind the woman, running IOG from behind the scenes. But rest assured, Kris has trained and groomed me to be the next owner. I plan on running the company the way she has for the last 40 years. What an incredible example she has set!

A little about me: I am a California native, having lived in both Southern and Northern California, but proud to have called the Monterey Peninsula home for the last 25 years. Last week my husband, Senen, and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. Our sons are both graduating at the end of the month. Our 18-year-old will be graduating from high school and starting Chico State this fall, while our 14-year-old is graduating from middle school and heading into high school this August. So much to celebrate indeed!
Although I know it will be impossible to fill the queen’s shoes, I am extremely devoted to continuing the legacy Kris has created. We feel so blessed the IOG family has been incredibly supportive of the next generation we all are about to embark upon together. I look forward to meeting and working with you all.

Congratulations on your upcoming, well-deserved retirement journey, Kris. We love you!