We had a great turnout in June for the annual Bronze Quill celebration, during which turned the spotlight on communicators who excelled in 2009. Congratulations to all award recipients. In keeping with the event’s space theme of “2010: The Year We Make Contact with Excellence,” the featured speaker was Josh Byerly, Public Affairs Officer for NASA. Also known as the Voice of Mission Control, Byerly spoke to the crowd about the past, present, and future of the space program. He entertained with great facts and figures about astronauts, the International Space Station, and upcoming shuttle launches.

Our next event will be held at Studios 121, the company that also sponsored the Bronze Quill luncheon. More information will be coming soon.

Our slate of officers for this year includes Past President Cheryl Hart, Treasurer Tim Tune, Membership Vice President Sara Reynolds, Accreditation Vice President Lori De La Cruz, Programming Vice President Silver Vasquez, Secretary Ken Roberts, Webmaster Betsy Deck, Student Relations Vice President Kay Colley, and Creative Consultant April Eubanks, who also serves on the Scholarship Committee. A special thanks to Cheryl Hart for her leadership, volunteerism, and friendship throughout this past year.

If anyone wants to get more involved in IABC this year, we have plenty of opportunities for volunteerism – assisting with special events like Bronze Quill, serving on a committee, etc. We’ve got a great group of folks, so it’s a perfect time to jump in. You’ll be able to network, enhance leadership skills, and make some new friends along the way. To learn more, contact Cheryl Hart, at Hart Marketing at 972-691-3209 or Cheryl@hartmarketing.biz

I hope everyone is having some fun this summer. We won’t have a meeting in July, but we will be refreshed and ready to go in August! I’m looking forward to a great year.

In addition to being an OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD celebration of the best work of some of North Texas’ best communicators, IABC/Fort Worth’s 2010 Bronze Quill Awards event also features a first-hand, OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD look at the inner world of the nation’s space program.

Guest speaker Josh Byerly — NASA Public Affairs Officer who is better known worldwide as the Voice of Mission Control — will give us a rare glimpse into the inner workings of NASA. He will touch on the final flights of the space shuttle, project the revolving future of the International Space Station, and discuss the President’s plans for the space program in the upcoming years. Josh also will reveal how NASA leverages its brand and name recognition in its strategic communications programs, including how the agency has learned to harness the power of social media to fuel its success. It should be quite a star trek!

Josh Byerly brings full-spectrum experience to his role at NASA. A former television journalist, Josh has served as head of global communications for Flowserve Corporation, a $4 billion manufacturing company in Dallas, and as a senior executive at two leading PR agencies in  North Texas. His clients have included local and national accounts like Centex Homes, Texas Instruments and Sprint.

The 2010 Bronze Quill celebration is being sponsored by Studios 121, Fort Worth’s elite video production and broadcast center. Studios 121 serves national cable networks like PBS, History Channel, TNT, Telemundo, DisneyXD, Direct TV and the Cartoon Network with broadcast production and transmission services. Studios 121 also serves national, regional and local companies, advertising agencies and nonprofit organizations with video needs like production, broadcast services, graphic design, network origination, Web design, animation, original television program production, intra-corporate training, events, etc. etc. etc.  We are proud to have Studios 121 as our event sponsor and as a long-term corporate friend of IABC/Fort Worth.

Eager to see the award-winning works that your colleagues are creating and to get lost in space with an expert tour guide?  Then make your reservations now for IABC’s Bronze Quill Awards celebration.

Did we mention that it’s going to be OUT-OF-THIS-(well, you get the idea…….)

Join us for the next IABC Fort Worth luncheon on Tuesday, June 22, at the City Club, 301 Commerce Street in downtown Fort Worth from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $25 for IABC members, $30 for nonmembers and $20 for students with early bird registration.

RSVP by noon on Friday, June 18. Pay for the luncheon online!

Seems like I just started my term as IABC President. What a memorable and wonderful experience the past year has been.

The final event on this year’s IABC calendar is the Bronze Quill Awards luncheon. The theme of the 2010 Bronze Quill competition is 2010: The Year We Make Contact with Excellence. At IABC’s June luncheon, Bronze Quill will showcase many of the finest communications and marketing materials that were produced in 2009 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In addition to superlative work, exceptional networking and good company, this year’s luncheon offers a rare opportunity to hear from a communications pro, Josh Byerly — NASA Public Affairs Officer. Josh will give us a rare glimpse into the inner workings of NASA. He will touch on the final flights of the space shuttle, and project the revolving future of the International Space Station program in the upcoming years. We will also learn how NASA leverages its brand and name recognition in its strategic communications programs, including how the agency has learned to harness the power of social media to fuel its success. It should be quite a star trek!

I would like to thank our sponsor for the Bronze Quill ceremony, Studios 121– Fort Worth’s elite video production and broadcast center. Studios 121 serves national cable networks like PBS, History Channel, TNT, Telemundo, DisneyXD, Direct TV and the Cartoon Network with broadcast production and transmission services. They also serve national, regional and local companies, advertising agencies and nonprofit organizations with video needs like production, broadcast services, graphic design, network origination, Web design, animation, original television program production, intra-corporate training, events, etc. etc. etc.  We are proud to have Studios 121 as our event sponsor and as a long-term friend of IABC/Fort Worth.

Be sure to make your reservations now for IABC’s Bronze Quill Awards celebration. Check iabcfortworth.com for more information and to reserve your spot at the June 22 event at City Club. See you there!

As I mentioned earlier, my IABC presidency has been a rewarding and eye-opening experience. I worked with the best folks in the business who also are wonderful people. I’d like to thank my Board members and all of the volunteers who gave their time, energy and talents to make this year successful and rewarding for the organization.

This year’s outstanding Board included: President-Elect Laura Hanna; Past President Betsy Deck; Secretary Pam Fry; Treasurer Tim Tune; Membership Vice President Sara Reynolds; Accreditation Vice President Lori De La Cruz; Communications Vice President Paul Sturiale; Marketing Vice President Pam Huff; and Student Relations Vice President Kay Colley. There were so many other wonderful people and volunteers along the way who are too numerous to mention by name.  I can only say a sincere THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to IABC’s success in 2010.

Now I happily turn the reins over to Laura Hanna, 2010-2011 President, confident that Laura, her Board members and volunteers will keep IABC on the go and on the grow.

Whether you’re an independent practitioner or a corporate communicator, one of the top priorities is always keeping the customers happy. How do you go about doing that? What are the best practices? Join us May 25 when Michael Blachly describes the Art of Creating the Exceptional Customer Experience.

Michael is the Director of Client Development for Looper Reed & McGraw, a full-service, Texas-based law firm with nearly 100 attorneys. He brings more than a decade of experience in brand marketing, client development and corporate communications.

Michael is responsible for the firm’s strategic marketing plan, public relations, branding campaigns, market research, advertising, client feedback programs, and attorney training programs as well as development of promotional materials, newsletters, proposals and presentations, and client development events.

Prior to joining Looper Reed & McGraw, Michael directed the marketing and communications for the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, the Texas Credit Union League and his own political consulting firm, Hamby & Blachly. He has produced numerous award-winning pieces and has been instrumental in managing many successful marketing campaigns around Dallas and the state of Texas.

Michael graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in journalism and from the SMU Cox School of Business’s Graduate Marketing Certificate Program.

Join us for the next IABC Fort Worth luncheon on Tuesday, May 25, at the City Club, 301 Commerce Street in downtown Fort Worth from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $25 for IABC members, $30 for nonmembers and $15 for students with early bird registration.

RSVP by noon on Friday, May 21. Pay for the luncheon online!

Following the morning-long presentations, an interactive panel discussion at lunch included spirited exchanges between the panelists and audience members, who shared their knowledge and experience as they asked questions of each other and the panelists.

The wide-ranging discussion focused on practical applications for Social Media and real-world solutions to the challenges that Social Media offers. It was easy to see why several attendees mentioned afterward that they picked up helpful tips that they could apply right away in their jobs.

Special kudos to all of the panelists; Laura Hanna, President-elect of IABC, for organizing the event; and Paul Sturiale, IABC Board member, for serving as moderator of the luncheon panel.

May also means we have passed the first milestone in the Bronze Quill process. April 23 was the closing date for entries for the 2010 Bronze Quill competition. A surprisingly large number of entries were received from communicators in public, non-profit and private organizations and companies throughout Tarrant County. We all are eager to see who walks away with this year’s coveted awards.

The theme of the 2010 Bronze Quill competition 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 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.

By the way, if you’re looking for a way to get actively involved in the Chapter, consider joining the Bronze Quill Committee. It’s not too late to contact me, Cheryl Hart, at Hart Marketing at 972-691-3209 or Cheryl@hartmarketing.biz to explore ways you can share in the fun.

Sincerely,

Cheryl Hart
IABC Fort Worth President

IABC Fort Worth is sponsoring a half-day program of presentations/panel discussions on how professional communicators are using Social Media to do their jobs more efficiently; reach customers more cost-effectively through personalized media; and promote better communications and relations within their organizations.

What started out as a little-known social phenomenon has evolved into a major communications channel that is redefining how communicators and marketers are using online tactics. It also has brought about a revolution in measuring campaign effectiveness and accountability, which directly impacts communicators’ perceived contribution to the bottom line and corporate image.

Participants include:

Betsy Pasley, Director of Employee Feedback, USAA.

Betsy Pasley, ABC is a senior communication practitioner for USAA, a Fortune 200 U.S. financial services company. She has more than 30 years experience in business technology marketing and corporate communication. In her three years as Director of Employee Feedback, she has gathered and reported on employee data to help USAA leaders and clients plan and execute effective communications; including creating space for employee communities to form and engage in driving business results. Her current focus is on supporting one of the largest operational changes in the company’s 88-year history – using the tools and processes she helped design to drive dialogue and buy-in around the initiative. Betsy will help us learn innovative ways to use Social Media to open and maintain meaningful channels of communications within organizations.  Betsy is also an active member of IABC, and current chair for IABC’s Southern Region executive board.

Jerod is acknowledged as a guru of using online media in business and social circles to create communities that share values, interests and ideals. CorporateComplianceInsights.com is rated as the second highest influencer for corporate compliance on Twitter and MidwestSportsFans.com is a nationally recognized sports blog that has been featured on ESPN, the Huffington Post, the Sun Times and numerous regional and special interest sports programs and Web sites.

In addition to being one of the Star-Telegram’s most prolific print columnists, Bud also maintains a hectic schedule of online columns, blogs and communications to stay a step ahead of his deadlines and fans. Bud has perfected the fine art of mixing journalistic objectivity with personal passion to produce some of the most memorable online pieces in the Metroplex.

RSVP by noon on Friday, April 23 or Pay NOW by PayPal!

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