The social media version of this release is available at: http://socialmediareleases.x.iabc.com.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – 10 July 2008 – UK-based Barbara Gibson, ABC*, officially took the helm as the 2008–2009 chair of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), during the association’s International Conference in New York City, 22–25 June. Also during the conference, the IABC Research Foundation welcomed Irene Monley, ABC, as the 2008–2009 chair of its Board of Trustees.
Gibson has more than 20 years experience in corporate communication, public relations and internal communication and currently heads SpokesComm, a London-based independent consultancy providing both strategic communication planning and media spokesperson development. An active IABC member since 1989, Gibson has served in volunteer leadership roles as past president of the Central Florida and UK chapters, past Region Chair for IABC Europe and Middle East, and on the International Executive Board for the past three years.
As chair of the association, Gibson will be the chief elected IABC board member, presiding at board meetings, establishing committees, judging teams and representing IABC at meetings of other organizations and at public events all over the world. In her address to attendees at IABC’s annual general meeting, held at the International Conference, Gibson outlined her focus for the year – the four I’s of IABC:
• International – “My vision for strengthening the International I in IABC includes not only communicating a North-America-centric message to the world, but bringing a world of communication best practices home—wherever home is. It includes linking people and ideas worldwide.”
• Influence – “I believe that IABC should influence…we should influence the profession, the media, the business world, governments, and the public. Influence is about far more than just words. It’s about harnessing the full power of our membership base, and all the tools at our disposal, to make positive changes in the world. We should be helping set standards for things like ethical communication, not just for our members, for business and governments worldwide. We don’t have to have all the answers, our role can be to raise the questions, spark the debates, spotlight the grey areas, highlight the gaps.”
• Inspiration – “My next I is actually one that I think IABC does very well, and for which I’m eternally grateful. The third I stands for Inspiration. And again, it’s each of us that has the power to inspire.”
• Individual – “The true essence of IABC is not the programs and services, it’s not the staff, it’s not the board, or the chapters or regions. It’s the individual. It’s the 15,800 individuals, around the globe, connecting, influencing, sharing, inspiring.”
To read the text of Gibson’s speech, visit her blog at http://barbgibson.x.iabc.com.
The Research Foundation board will be led by Irene Monley who takes over as 2008–2009 chair. Monley is a senior communications professional, currently responsible for global human resources communications at Tyco Electronics. She has been actively involved with IABC for several years and has held several positions, including trustee of the IABC Research Foundation in 2002–2003 and 2005–2008, member of the international executive board, director of US district 3 and president of IABC Delaware.
In her address at the International Conference, Monley shared her goals for the Research Foundation for the next year: “For the coming year, I’m looking forward to collaborating with IABC members, executive board and staff to increase resources committed to the success of the Foundation, in order to:
• Broaden awareness of the RF throughout IABC and the communications profession
• Strengthen the RF through fundraising and partnering with organizations which support our mission and initiatives, and
• Support a continuing flow of new research projects that explore leading edge topics.”
The 2008–2009 IABC Executive Board includes:
Barbara Gibson, ABC, Chair (London, U.K.)
Mark Schumann, ABC, Vice Chair (Houston, TX)
Todd Hattori, ABC, Past Chair (Seattle, WA)
Marilyn Keyes, Secretary/Treasurer (Falls Church, VA )
Adrian Cropley, Director (Melbourne, Australia)
Erika Ruiz Ramos, Director (Mexico City, Mexico)
Paulo Soares, Director (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Silvia Cambie, ABC, Director (London, U.K.)
Colleen LeCount, Director (Overland Park, KS)
Joy Capps, Director (Charleston, SC)
Arnold Kishi, Director (Honolulu, HI)
Felicia Shiu, ABC, Director (Toronto, ON)
Irene Monley, ABC, Research Foundation Chair (Wilmington, DE)
The 2008–2009 Research Foundation Board of Trustees includes:
Irene Monley, ABC, Chair (Wilmington, DE)
Vice Chair Robin McCasland, (Dallas, TX)
Jan Thibodeau, ABC, Past Chair (Boston, MA)
Greg Gordon, Trustee (Chicago, IL)
Cloreth Greene, Trustee (Kingston, Jamaica)
Ilze Raath, Trustee (Brussels, Belgium)
Susan Solomon, Trustee (Santa Ana, CA)
Todd Hattori, ABC, Trustee (Seattle, WA)
Mark Schumann, ABC, Trustee (Houston, TX)
Marilyn Keyes, Trustee (Falls Church, VA)
About IABC
The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) is a global network of communication professionals committed to improving organizational effectiveness through strategic communication. Established in 1970, IABC serves more than 15,500 members in 70 countries and 100 chapters. For more information, visit http://www.iabc.com.
About the IABC Research Foundation
The IABC Research Foundation serves as the research and development arm of IABC. The Foundation translates communication theory into practice, providing real-world knowledge and applications for communication professionals. Established in 1982, the Foundation funds and publishes research to advance the profession and demonstrate the value of communication in organizational effectiveness. The Foundation is governed by a board of trustees that includes organizational communication professionals, senior business professionals and academic experts. For more information, visit http://www.iabc.com/rf.
*ABC – Accredited Business Communicator
