Chicago, June 25, 2009 – The Chicago chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC/Chicago) today announced its board of directors for the 2009-2010 program year.
“In this difficult business environment, our new board will focus on helping IABC/Chicago’s 500 members demonstrate their successes to their companies and clients,” said Karen Utterback, ABC, chapter president. “IABC/Chicago is a wonderful resource for networking, recognition, professional and career development. Our board looks forward to an action-packed program year.”
President: Karen Utterback, ABC, editor at the Government Finance Officers Association. Utterback served as the chapter president last year and as its director of finance for two previous years.
Secretary: Gabrielle Loring, senior communications consultant, The ROC Group. This is Loring’s first year on the IABC/Chicago board.
Director, Finance: Doc Kane, president, Roscommon. This is Kane’s first year on the board. Director, Communications: Jadey Ryndak, regional manager, Paladin Recruiting and Staffing.
Ryndak also led the communication team last year.
Director, Membership: Beth Keller Legate, senior account executive, Image Base. Keller Legate was responsible for membership last year and is a past president of IABC/Chicago.
Director, Professional Development: Laurel Krasne, communication strategist and consultant. Krasne previously was associate director of professional development, which includes networking events.
Director, Educational Relations: Peg Wander, manager of external affairs at R.R. Donnelley. This is Wander’s second year of leading outreach to communication students at major local universities. She also is a past president of the Chicago chapter.
Co-Director, Accreditation: Diane Laux, ABC is a communications consultant and independent writer, as well as a past IABC/Chicago president. This is her second year heading accreditation, an IABC professional development program that can lead to the accredited business communicator (ABC) designation.
Co-Director, Accreditation: Susan D’Alexander, ABC, senior communications consultant, Motorola. This is D’Alexander’s first year on the IABC/Chicago board.
Co-Director, Marketing: Maryellen Thielen, ABC, senior manager of financial communications, Allstate. This is Thielen’s second year in chapter marketing; she previously served as director and co-director of accreditation.
Co-Director, Marketing: Thomas Keefe, ABC, enterprise communications manager, VW Credit. This is Keefe’s first year on the IABC/Chicago board, although his volunteer work on the IABC Social Responsibility Committee recently included the development of SR Link, IABC’s new web site for people interested in social responsibility communications.
Director, Sponsorship: Diane Nossem, marketing communications consultant. This is Nossem’s first year on the board.
Director, Awards: Kenneth Groh, vice president, Aon Consulting. This is Groh’s first year on the IABC/Chicago board. He led the Silver Quill committee for Pacific Plains Region this past year.
Director, Volunteers: Peggy O’Connor, independent change management and communications consultant. This is O’Connor’s first year on the board.
Acknowledgements
The current IABC/Chicago board members extend their gratitude to the following for their hard work and many contributions to the chapter:
• Mary Hills, ABC, principal, Peak Marketing and Communication and senior adjunct faculty member, Keller Graduate School of Management. Hills has been a member of the IABC/Chicago board since 2003. She has accepted a three-year commitment to serve on the IABC Accreditation Council, initially as its vice chair.
• Joanne Kitsos, ABC, senior consultant, strategic communications at the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Kitsos served on the IABC/Chicago board for a total of seven years, most recently as co-director of accreditation.
• Kathryn Jandeska, independent consultant and the chapter’s former director of volunteers (for three years) and director of membership (for two years).
• Katie Schuyler, manager, Point B Communications and director of awards for the past three years. She also has worked on the chapter’s professional development committee.
• Robert Mark, chief executive officer, CommAvia and previously, director of professional development. He is a former IABC/Chicago president and its director of sponsorship last year. Mark was elected this spring to the IABC Pacific Plains Region board as a chapter advocate.
• Elise Van Buskirk, senior account manager, Paladin Marketing Resources and previously, chapter secretary.
• Fran Zimmermann, principal, Sharp Communications and former director of sponsorship. • Susan Heitsch, vice president – communications at JPMorgan Chase and former associate
director of volunteers.
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 16,000 members in 70 countries with a multi-disciplinary approach to corporate communication, public relations, employee communication, marketing communication, media relations, community relations, public affairs, financial communications and government relations. IABC/Chicago (www.iabcchicago.com) is the oldest IABC chapter in the world and one of the largest IABC chapters in the United States, with about 500 members.