IABC, INC.
BREVARD, NC

Extensive research has defined four major stages that constitute the career path of a communication professional regardless of country, business type, industry or other variables. The career paths are neither contingent on years of service, nor are they sequential or hierarchical in nature. They simply define a range of milestones within the career journey. (senior level professionals who are ready to manage complex, multi-faceted programs and relationships and provide counsel and advice to senior executives) Business Leader (trail blazers who use their communication-based strategic expertise to lead organizations and clients through multiple business and communication challenges) Alice Brink, ABC, IABC Fellow – Chair | is an internationally recognized communications consultant. Her firm, A Brink & Co., works with businesses and non-profits to clarify their messages and communicate them in ways that change people’s minds. Her clients have included Shell Oil Company, Sysco Foods, and Noble Energy. Prior to launching A Brink & Co. in Houston in 2004, Alice honed her craft both in corporate settings (including The Coca-Cola Company, Conoco, and First Interstate Bank) and in one of Texas’ largest public relations firms, where she led the agency’s energy and financial practices. Alice has been active in IABC for more than 30 years, including serving as chapter president, district director, and Gold Quill chair. She is the incoming chair of the IABC Academy. | Judith Sparkes is a seasoned professional with a passion for delivering strategic communication that adds value to organizations. Currently a Director of Communications at Suncor Energy, she has over 20 years’ experience working in a variety of sectors –government, non-profit and corporate – and disciplines within Communications and Human Resources. Judith’s contributions to the Communications profession include volunteering on and serving as president of the Calgary IABC chapter. She has been guest speaker, lecturer and presenter at various conferences and currently instructs in Mount Royal University’s continuing education faculty in the Public Relations Certificate program. | Mark is owner of On The Point Communications, LLC, which specializes in public relations, crisis communication, social media and corporate communications. He is a 25-year veteran of the public relations/strategic communications industry and advises clients on a wide variety of topics, including messaging, issues management, marketing/communications program development and digital/social media strategy. He also teaches business communications at Texas State University and previously taught media writing at Texas A&M University. He holds a master’s degree in science/technology journalism and bachelor’s degrees in biology and journalism from Texas A&M. Saima is the Co-founder and Director of Crimson Communicare LLP – India’s first Integrated Internal Communications Agency. She has twenty years of experience in managing Corporate Communication for diverse industries – process, chemicals, fertilizers, durables, industrial and service sectors. She was earlier heading Corporate Communications at Chambal Fertilisers and has also been associated with organizations like Su-Kam and Bry-Air (Asia) amongst others. An Accredited Business Communicator, Saima is also Director-at-Large at IABC Asia-Pacific Board. Tamara Gillis, Ed.D., ABC, FRSA, IABC Fellow | Tamara is a communication consultant and professor at Elizabethtown College. She has served as faculty at Royal Roads University, Semester at Sea, and on special projects in Swaziland and Namibia. Her professional experience and research includes work in change management, corporate sustainability, organizational design, and the impact of new media. She is a Page Legacy Scholar of The Arthur W. Page Center, a Lifetime Friend of the IABC Research Foundation, an IABC Fellow, recipient of the Ernest R. McDowell Award for Excellence in Public Relations, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts. | Michael Nord, Principal Consultant with The Fifth Business, lives in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and works in London, where he facilitates and steers strategic large communications projects in blue-chip companies across the globe. He has previously worked for Philips, Belkin, IAVI, PR-agencies and the Danish Government. Michael was co-founder of the Dutch IABC chapter in 2007 (the year he joined IABC), and is currently Chair of the Nomination Committee for the EMENA region. He chaired EuroComm 2015 and supported EuroComm 2016 and 2017. He has served on PACs, and sit on the taskforce for global sponsorships. Michael is a member of the Programme Advisory Board for Offshore Energy. IABC Staff Liaison: The Academy is a supporting committee of IABC that provides guidance and strategic direction to ensure that IABC’s educational curriculum is aligned with the Global Standard for the profession. It will also ensures that the curriculum supports a communication professional’s journey towards certification and continuous professional development. In June 2015, IABC proudly unveils its new brand. IABC’s first re-branding initiative in the 45-year history of the organization began over two years ago with the formation of a volunteer brand taskforce. Following an extensive, global research program, IABC then partnered with Our new logo represents the “globe” that is IABC, with the openness of the letters running over the edges of the circle representing the values of transparency of communication, connection and community that IABC holds dear. An example of how IABC’s new look and feel can be implemented. But the new brand is far more than just a new logo. It’s a confirmation and restatement of the values of IABC and its members. Who is IABC? A broadly diverse community of communication professionals, IABC connects members to ideas, job opportunities, and people, through professional learning and a generous culture of sharing.