President’s Message

IABC has combined our April member luncheon with a much-anticipated professional development seminar on Social Media. The half-day seminar – A 360º Look at Social Media – features communications professionals who use the medium at work, after work and everywhere in between to promote their companies, perform their jobs and brighten their lives. Our panelists include corporate internal social media specialist, Betsy Pasley, Director of Employee Feedback, for financial giant USAA; Jerod Morris, Managing Editor of two high-profile social media Web sites; and Bud Kennedy, the prolific and popular columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, who uses social and online media to stay a step (or two) ahead of his many deadlines.

We are especially pleased to feature Jerod Morris, because his Web site: CorporateComplianceInsights.com has been rated as the second most popular and influential site for corporate compliance on Twitter. His other web site: MidwestSportsFans.com is a nationally recognized sports blog that has been featured on ESPN, The Huffington Post, the Sun Times daily newspaper and scores of specialty and regional sports programs and blogs.

In addition, we expect the panels to feature specialists in several other types of social media applications.

The workshop will be held on Tuesday, April 27, between 8:30 AM and 1 PM in the Baker Building at Texas Wesleyan University. Attendees can register for the full half-day event or strictly for a high-energy luncheon panel discussion. Check iabcfortworth.com or call Laura Hanna, IABC President-Elect, at 817-531-5810 for details or to reserve your spot.

April also means we are in the final stage of the entry period for the IABC’s Bronze Quill Awards competition. The theme is 2010: The Year We Make Contact With Excellence. At IABC’s June luncheon, Bronze Quill will showcase the finest in communications and marketing materials that were produced in 2009 by many of the best professionals in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In addition to superlative work and good company, this year’s luncheon offers a rare opportunity to hear from a communications pro who literally practices out of this world.

Josh Byerly, Public Affairs Officer for NASA, is the main speaker. Josh is the nationally known spokesperson for NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. He is one of the communications team who serves as the “Voice of Mission Control” and provides commentary from inside NASA’s Mission Control Center during space shuttle and International Space Station flights.

The entry deadline for Bronze Quill is End-of-Business on Tuesday, April 20, so you are encouraged to enter your pieces as soon as possible. If this year’s competition is anything like 2009, you don’t want to wait until the last minute. Check iabcfortworth.com for entry forms and details.

We have expanded the competition to new categories in order to accommodate internal and external communicators and to recognize the growing importance of social media in the communications mix.

By the way, if you’re looking for a way to get actively involved in the Chapter, consider joining the Bronze Quill Committee. Please contact me at Hart Marketing at 972-691-3209 or Cheryl@hartmarketing.biz to explore ways you can share in the fun.

IABC is a great way to get involved with Tarrant County’s professional communications and marketing community. Our membership includes professionals from some of the best companies, organizations and agencies in the area. There’s always room for more. No (April) foolin’.

Sincerely,

Cheryl Hart
IABC Fort Worth President