New events posted for 2010! Check them out here!

Volunteer Opportunity for Facilitator - Center of Health Justice Staff/Board Retreat

Saturday, January 23, 2010
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

From the Center for Health Justice: We need a facilitator for our staff/board retreat who would be able to volunteer to help us move forward. Last year we developed our strategic plan, but we need to develop specific strategies for messaging and marketing our services. We also need help in developing/promoting volunteer opportunities. The title of our 2010 Retreat is "Marketing, Messaging, and Volunteers."

The Center for Health Justice is a small 501c3 non-profit that provides health education services in the Los Angeles County Jail System and in State Prisons. The main office is in West Hollywood, with a smaller office up in the Bay Area (San Anselmo). There are 11 staff members and a 15-member Board. Our operating budget is approximately $890,000 per year made up of city, state, and federal contracts. We also receive foundation and pharmaceutical support.

If you would like to help, please contact Vicky Lelash at vlelash@painepr.com as soon as possible.

Thank you to all who attended the Annual Holiday Event!

As you can see, a great time was had by all!

Help Judge IABC Gold Quill!

Get an inside look on what it takes to produce an IABC Gold Quill-quality project by being a judge for the Multi-Audience Communication Category in this year's competition. Bill Spaniel, ABC, will be hosting the judging at his Santa Clarita home on a Saturday in February. Judges must be current IABC members and must not have an entry in the category. For additional information and to volunteer, please contact Bill at bill.spaniel@calcpa.org. Check out the video of last year's judging event below!

Member Profile: Nicole Maury

Nicole Maury is currently a consulting business partner in DollarCamp, a company that teaches and bridges financial education tools with entrepreneurship and resourcefulness. Like other IABC professionals, her career path has been influenced by a distressed economy. However, as a diversified communications consultant, Nicole has breadth and resilience to weather any storm. Read on to see how Nicole finds stability during uncertain times.

Register for the 2009 IABC Pacific Plains Regional Exchange Conference

The IABC Pacific Plains Regional Exchange Conference is coming soon! From Oct. 11-13, 2009, in Minneapolis, MN, speakers will share the latest on social media, employee communications, measurement, strategic planning, communicating in a down economy, environment-friendly communication strategies and brand management. Already, colleagues from Illinois to Hawaii and Arizona to North Dakota have registered to attend Exchange 2009. Speakers include experts from General Mills, Expedia, HOK, Siemens PLM Software, Towers Perrin, Padilla Spear Beardsley, Larsen Design, Aon Consulting, Best Buy, and the Mayo Clinic.

To register and for more information, visit the IABC Pacific Plains website.

IABC is bringing back its popular Member-Get-a-Member promotion for a full three months starting in October. Through this promotion, members who recruit new professional members receive three free months of membership for each new member they bring in...up to a full year at no charge! Look for additional details about this program from IABC International later this month.

September is Worldwide Membership Month at IABC

No communication professional should be without the power of a network in these uncertain times. Do you know a friend or colleague who may be interested in joining IABC? For a limited time, they can access parts of the members-only content for free!

During the month of September, communication professionals can have access to a variety of tools, best practices and expert opinions on the IABC website. And if they decide to join or rejoin IABC, we’ll waive the application fee of $40 for faxed, mailed or phoned-in enrollments and $30 for online enrollments for all applications received during September.

Get more details about the Membership Month promotion and start spreading the word!

Congratulations to Pamela Corante, ABC!

IABC-LA board member Pamela Corante was recently awarded her ABC credentials, possibly the most gratifying recognition to communicators who have worked hard, passed a rigorous examination, and proved their professionalism. IABC Accreditation is the professional development program that offers communicators a way of demonstrating their ability to think and plan strategically. For more information, visit iabc.com/abc.

Member Profile: Trish Lester

President of Signature Communications and tenured IABC member, Trish Lester is an award-winning communicator with more than 30 years' experience in public relations and marketing communications. This dedicated and creative professional once chronicled the world of vegetables for a client. She is also a performing songwriter, with growing success in the music industry. In 2007, she released her debut 13-song CD, "Plymouth Belvedere." Read on to learn how a renowned radio program has recognized her for an embarrassing old car.

Member Profile: Caron Oberg

It takes innovation, passion, and versatility to communicate on behalf of the 23 campuses, almost 450,000 students, and 48,000 faculty and staff that make up the California State University (CSU) system. IABC member Caron Oberg possesses all of the above and more. As Senior Communications Manager for the CSU Office of the Chancellor, Caron supports the university by communicating the vital role it plays in the growth and development of California's communities and economy to many different audiences. Read on to see how animal care and trapeze flying help Caron meet the challenges before her.

Member Profile: Seran Williams

As Senior Communications Manager for Sun Microsystems, Seran ("see-DON") Williams defines global communication strategy for the multinational seller of computers, software, and informational technology. Read on to learn how this spirited communicator finds inspiration from a legendary R&B music entertainer.

Member Profile: Colleen Walker, ABC

Colleen Walker embodies the perfect alignment of temperament to task. This international traveler is Corporate Communications Manager for Toyota Financial Services, the financing arm of the world's largest automaker. Specializing in corporate communication, organizational communication, and change management, Colleen works with all levels of employees-from front line to CEO-to help solve business problems using communication and change. Find out why she describes Asia as "the other half of my life," where she readily applies her passion for communication, connection and community.

Member Profile: Kevin Kelley

Kevin Kelley is economical with words, yet his communications are rich with content. As Marketing Communications Manager for Beckman Coulter, Inc., a leading manufacturer of biomedical testing systems, Kevin works to enhance health care around the world. His diverse career is a lesson in adaptation with the reward of lasting and dramatic work experiences that we can all benefit from. Read on to learn how this enthusiast of musical instruments that "go twang" makes a difference in the world.

Thanks to all who came out to the 2009 IABC-LA Awards Event!

View the slide show below to see how much fun we had:

Member Profile: Kelley Haggert

A special talent is needed to manage internal communications for one of the world's largest media and entertainment businesses. A fine example is IABC member Kelley Haggert, who serves as Director of Worldwide Communications for The Walt Disney Studios. In fact, Kelley established the department to inform and engage employees in movies, music, stage plays and home entertainment divisions. Read on to learn about Kelley's progressive career path.

Save the Date: August 26, 2009

No travel budget, no worries! Leading corporate communications speaker, Steve Crescenzo is bringing his popular workshop, Creative Communications to downtown Los Angeles! The exact location will be announced soon. Steve is teaching communicators how to take the "corporate" out of corporate communications and replace it with creative. This new one-day seminar features dozens of fresh, practical, real-life case studies from the best communicators in the business. Read on...

Linda Livingstone of Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management Receives the 2009 IABC-LA SUCCESS Award

The Los Angeles Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC-LA) will honor Linda Livingstone, PhD, Dean and Professor of Management for Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management, with the IABC-LA SUCCESS Award.

Presented each year to a business leader in the Los Angeles area for outstanding and effective contributions to organizational communications, the SUCCESS award will be presented at the IABC-LA annual banquet on June 24, 2009, at Dodger Stadium.

“Dean Livingstone’s effective use of communications to further the University’s goals makes her the ideal winner of this year’s SUCCESS award,” says Jamie Lipson, President of IABC-LA. “She recognizes the power of communications to drive change and create a shared culture, while embracing all forms of communication from town halls to video to the web. She works collaboratively with her communications team to increase employee engagement and drive a greater understanding about the school’s strategy and vision.” Read on...

Member Profile: Linda Davis

IABC-LA member Linda Davis brings a distinctive blend of curiosity and technical expertise to her writing. Her consulting practice, Written Word Strategies, provides a variety of services, including communication planning, publication management, writing, and editing. Linda’s book reviews and articles have been published in magazines such as Westways, TravelSmart, and IABC’s Communication World. Read on to find out more about Linda’s creative and inquisitive qualities.

Member Profile: Alexis Goubran

What if the size of your communications community could fill several football fields? What if some of the recipients of your messages live in far-flung locations? These are a few of the challenges Alexis Goubran faces as manager of employee communications at Northrop Grumman Corporation. Read on to learn more about Alexis and how she finds balance in her career.

Member Profile: Cary Brazeman

"In today's environment, it's not enough to have a good story. The story must be told well (and told again and again) if it's to be absorbed by your targets and resonate. Ideally, it should be told virally as well, and not just by the client company but by its customers." This is the business philosophy of IABC member, Cary Brazeman, whose beliefs are brought to life through his corporate communications and marketing firm, The Corporate Storyteller. So, how do we tell the story of a corporate storyteller? It's done in his own words-one astute and clever anecdote at a time. Read on to see what we mean.

Member Profile: Kathy Malinski

When it comes to delivering outstanding customer service, IABC member Kathy Malinski works as hard as she plays. Fortunately for her clients, Kathy's playtime takes her to great heights-literally. As owner of The Wordsmith Marketing Communications, she provides a wide range of writing and communications consulting services. Kathy's clients include major corporations, mid-sized and entrepreneurial businesses, and nonprofit organizations. Read on to see why the "sky's the limit" for this daring communications professional.

Do You Have a Success Story to Share?

If you’re working with a business leader who “gets it” and champions the value of the communications you manage for your organization, IABC-LA wants to hear about it. Nominate your business leader for IABC-LA’s 2009 SUCCESS Award. The nomination process has been simplified for members this year, and submitting a nomination is a free benefit for IABC-LA members.

As organizations face continued pressure to cut costs and trim staff, here’s an opportunity for you to reinforce the value you bring as a communicator by recognizing the business leaders who support you in your efforts. Candidates for the award should be business leaders (CEOs, vice presidents of a particular operation / area of business, regional leaders, etc.) and cannot be communications, marketing or public relations professionals. Past winners have included: Peter H. Griffith, Vice Chair, Pacific South West, of Ernst & Young; and Barry Sanders, Chairman of the Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games.

Nominations are due by Friday, May 29, 2009. For information on how to submit your nomination, click here.

Get Your Resume Proofed for FREE (IABC Members only)

ProofreadNOW.com, an online B2B proofreading service, is making a special, limited-time offer exclusively to IABC members. Two expert proofreaders will proofread your two-page resume and suggest corrections for free. This offer is good until May 30, 2009. Click here for more information.

Member Profile: Nick Durutta, ABC

Nick Durutta brings an insightful voice to internal communications drawn from his experience at the venerable investment management firm, The Capital Group Companies, where he oversees company messaging for employees. As a long-standing IABC member, Nick believes advanced learning and good fortune have played parts in his success. Also, he hints that detective skills may have been helpful. Read on to “solve the mystery,” and be enlightened by the work of this senior communications manager.

Speakers Wanted!

IABC PPR is accepting RFPs for anyone interested in presenting at the 2009 IABC Exchange Conference this October in downtown Minneapolis. Read on.

Member Profile: Mary Endress, ABC

Mary Endress personifies the term “change agent” at both work and home. Mary is Principal and Group Leader for Towers Perrin’s Change Implementation practice in southern California. Inspired by a “colorful” business guru, she manages a cross-functional team of consultants representing a broad range of skills, including strategic change and communication. With over 15 years of consulting experience, Mary specializes in designing and implementing communication strategies to support benefits, compensation, human resources, and other change initiatives. Her clients include Fortune 500 companies in the financial, retail, entertainment, technology, and health care industries. As if that’s not impressive enough, Mary applies her communications expertise in celebration of family. Read on to see how she does it.

Member Profile: John Merryman

It takes a steady nature and a passion for advocacy to be a director of communications in the healthcare industry these days. John Merryman embodies these traits as Director of Community Relations at South Bay Family Healthcare Center. His work for the non-profit healthcare provider impacts more than 17,000 patients from underserved populations. As an IABC-LA member since 1993, John's communications inspire trust in patients as well as stakeholders. Here, he shares his insight on what makes this possible. Read on...

San Diego Chapter to Host ABC Accreditation Exam in March
IABC-LA Member Offers Incentive to Apply for Accreditation

The San Diego chapter of IABC recently announced that it is hosting an accreditation exam on Tuesday, March 24, from 1:00 – 5:30 p.m. at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego. Read about the IABC-LA member incentive and more.

Happy Holidays from IABC-LA!

Thank you to all who came out and made our annual holiday tea event a success! We had a great time connecting with old friends and making new ones, and of course, giving back to our honorary charity, WriteGirl. Thanks again to Toyota for sponsoring the event and donating $1,500 to WriteGirl. Happy Holidays to all our members and their loved ones and here's to a prosperous 2009!

Toyota Donates $1,500 to WriteGirl at IABC–Los Angeles’ 2008 Annual Holiday Tea

We are delighted to announce that Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. is sponsoring our annual holiday tea event and donating $1,500 to the event’s honorary charity WriteGirl. Read more...

Member Profile: Barton "Chip" Grabow, Jr.

In the fast-paced world of NPR news reporting, someone must coordinate coverage of breaking news in a timely fashion. For the venerable news program, Day to Day, that someone is Chip Grabow. With an impressive 15-year career at NPR, Chip is currently Senior Supervisory Producer. Since 2004, he has been responsible for leading daily editorial meetings; developing content to drive traffic to the NPR website; and assessing audience trends in order to achieve growth. Day to Day is one of the few national NPR programs with the distinction of originating from the West Coast. Read on...

Gold Quill Volunteer Judges Needed

IABC-LA member Bill Spaniel, ABC, is coordinating the judging for the marketing communication category of the 2009 Gold Quills and he’s looking for some volunteer judges. As a volunteer judge you will review the entries in that category and select the ones that a blue ribbon panel should review to determine the finalists. Click here for more info.

Ten Career Tips to Bring You Up in a Down Market

Click here to read how you can stay marketable in our current time of economic unrest. Written by IABC-LA member and CEO of The Repovich Reynolds Group, Smooch Repovich Reynolds.

Special Member Benefit!

Don't Talk to the Media Gerard Braud's Free 21-Day Media Relations Audio Course

Veteran Media Trainer, frequent IABC speaker, and award winning former journalist Gerard Braud opens the playbook that every executive, spokesperson, and media trainer needs.

Sign up now to receive free daily emails containing highly instructive, short audio lessons that help you improve your media relations know-how and perfect your skills as a spokesperson. (Be sure to enter discount code 406106 and clear gerard@braudcommunications.com through your spam filter).

Learn more about Gerard Braud on his website at www.braudcommunications.com

Survey: Members Value Monthly Events, Want More Local Offerings

Thanks to everyone who completed the 2008 IABC-LA Member survey! Everyone who completed the survey had the opportunity to enter a drawing for a Flip video camera, and we are excited to announce that Denise Parker from Southern California Edison was our lucky winner. Congratulations, Denise! Click here to read more about the survey.

Peter Griffith of Ernst & Young Receives IABC-LA's SUCCESS Award

Peter H. Griffith, Vice Chair and Pacific South West Area Managing Partner of Ernst & Young LLP, received IABC-LA's second annual SUCCESS Award. The SUCCESS Award recognizes a leader in business or non-profit in the Los Angeles area for outstanding and effective contributions to organizational communications. The award was presented at the IABC-LA annual Awards Banquet on June 10 at the historic Figueroa Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. “I am delighted to receive this award,” said Griffith. “The importance of building trust and connecting with internal and external audiences is vital to every organization’s success. I’m glad that organizations like IABC-LA exist to advance the practice of excellence in communications.” Click here to read more.

Be Part of the IABC-LA Community. Share Your Story Today.
Member profiles are a great way to get acquainted with IABC-LA members and promote your services or successes. Whether you work for a company or you are a sole practitioner, we invite you to fill out our short member profile questionniare today and share your story with the IABC-LA community. Click here to find out more. Download the member profile questionnaire or check out our previous member profiles.

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