A benefit of IABC membership is the opportunity to participate in free professional development webinars.

Introduction to visualization
May 14, 2013, 10 a.m. CDT
Presented by Alberto Cairo, Lecturer, University of Miami, School of Communication and author of “The Functional Art: An introduction to information graphics and visualization”

15.7 Ways to maximize your IABC World Conference experience even before you start packing
June 5, 2013, 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. CDT
Presented by Karen Susman, speaker, author and coach, Karen Susman and Associates

Change Communication that Creates Value

Communicating change in organizations is a constant challenge. As the C-suite has gotten more sophisticated, so too are its expectations of communication in a change effort. Senior leaders/executives want real value and measurable results. Understanding the dynamics of change, types of changes and how communication can push the change process forward makes us more valuable to those leaders. In this interactive session you’ll learn:

1. The seven planning steps that ensure consistent response to change
2. How to focus on behaviors that deliver business value
3. How to respond to changes that occur within your larger change effort

Plus, you’ll participate in exercises you can take back to help others in your organization be more responsive to change when it comes to your door. As a bonus, you’ll get a valuable tool for use in your next change initiative.

All about Stacy

Stacy Wilson, ABC, founded Eloquor Consulting, Inc., in 2001, to help large companies communicate more effectively with employees. Eloquor specializes in intranet/portal governance, usability and content, and change communication. Stacy has 25+ years of communication experience. Clients include XL Group, ConocoPhillips, Pitney Bowes and Newmont Mining. Stacy is a past IABC International board member and past chair of the IABC Southern Region Conference. Stacy has a bachelor’s in public relations from SMU, is a frequent speaker and published author.

Register Today!

The annual World Conference is scheduled for June 23-26 in New York City, and IABC Tulsa wants to help send one lucky member to this big event. It’s easy to enter, simply follow these guidelines:

IABC Tulsa members may nominate themselves or other members for this contest.

Send an email to iabctulsa@gmail.com and answer these three questions (150 words or less for each question):

1. How have you (or the person you are nominating) participated in IABC?
2. How will the opportunity to attend World Conference 2013 benefit your career?
3. How will you use this experience to give back to your work team and other members of IABC Tulsa?

Nominations must be received by 5 p.m. CT Thursday, April 18. Late entries will be disqualified.

Nominees must have a currently active membership with IABC Tulsa from the time of entry submission through the World Conference in June. Active membership will be confirmed through the current chapter roster maintained by IABC Headquarters in San Francisco.

Entries will be reviewed by a small group of judges with representatives from IABC Tulsa’s Board, and possibly leaders from other chapters. The winner will be notified by April 30.

In addition to receiving a World Conference registration (valued at more than $1,000), the winner will be granted a $400 voucher from IABC Tulsa to help cover other travel costs.

The winner must be willing to share stories from his/her World Conference experience with other IABC Tulsa members via one or more of the following options:

• Writing daily posts on the chapter’s Facebook page
• Sharing photos via Twitter or Facebook
• Writing an article for the July edition of the chapter newsletter
• Possibly giving a download at a monthly meeting
• Or another option to be agreed upon with the winner and the chapter’s board

The chapter also will promote a profile of the winner through its various communications channels. The winner must be willing to provide a bio and photo for these promotions.

Good luck to all of the entrants, and please email iabctulsa@gmail.com if you have any questions.

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
By Shannon Frederick, ABC, IABC/Tulsa President

There are only a few moments in my life where I’ve truly been shocked:

1. At age 15, after a brutal spill on my bicycle that resulted in some nasty injuries.
2. The night my husband got down on one knee and popped the big question.
3. A few weeks ago, when IABC/Tulsa not only received its third, back-to-back Small Chapter of the Year Award, but was also recognized as the International Chapter of the Year.

Now don’t you be shocked because, yes, you read that right: IABC Tulsa is the best IABC chapter in the whole wide world!

This is the first time in history that our chapter has received this distinction – and, it’s worth noting, this is a distinction that isn’t often given to smaller chapters.

The big reveal of our awards came during IABC’s annual Leadership Institute (LI) conference.  Each year during LI, IABC holds its Chapter Management Awards (CMAs) ceremony. For those who aren’t familiar, the CMAs recognize leadership abilities, management skills and creativity of chapter leaders around the globe.

Chapters can receive awards for their efforts in various areas, and those that exhibit the best work across the board are recognized with the Small Chapter (less than 75 members), Medium Chapter (76 to 200 members) and Large Chapter (201 or more members) of the Year Awards. From those winners, one chapter is selected as the International Chapter of the Year.

That’s us!

And the fun didn’t stop there. The Tulsa chapter was also recognized with Awards of Merit for our work in Leadership Development and Financial Management, and Awards of Excellence for Communications and Professional Development.

In other words, we cleaned up.

But back to the shock … IABC Tulsa was well represented at LI. Angela Byers, Ginger Homan, ABC, Rachel Wagner and I were all in attendance. With the four CMA awards and the Small Chapter of the Year designation, the four of us had spent a lot of time on the stage with IABC International leaders. Yet, when they called out “IABC Tulsa” for the big International Chapter of the Year award, I still couldn’t register what was happening. A few seconds had to pass before I could react with pure joy. Here’s a picture that captured the moment pretty well.

The fact of the matter is that I shouldn’t be shocked that we won. None of us should be shocked. There are amazing things going on with IABC Tulsa, and we’ve been doing lots of award-winning work for several years now.

It’s just nice to finally see the rest of the world recognizing us for what we already knew: that we are the best of the best.

Thanks for all you do to make this possible.

IABC WORLD CONFERENCE
June 23-26, 2013
Hilton New York
1334 Avenue of the Americas, New York

It only takes a minute for New York’s energy to infuse your very bones.

It’s New York! Times Square, billboards on Broadway, restaurants flowing with international conversations and everywhere a confidence and community of spirit that will catch you and welcome you in.  New York’s heart beats with a diversity of flavor that will quicken your pulse and sharpen your mind.

And it’s IABC. A passion for what’s new, the best ideas and the latest trends. It’s all waiting for you this June.

And it’s a world of opportunity you won’t want to miss.

• More than 70 educational sessions in 7 tracks;
• Over 1,500 communication professionals giving you new connections from right next door and around the globe; and
• A host of interactive panel discussions featuring the senior business leaders you want to know.

Register here: http://wc.iabc.com/register/

As announced last month, CW magazine will become a digital-only, monthly publication starting with the May 2013 issue.

The new CW will include interactive, multimedia features and will be shareable through email and social media and optimized for on-the-go access. CW will also combine with the CW Bulletin e-newsletter. The January/February issue is the final print issue of the magazine, and the March issue will be the final issue of CW Bulletin.

The new digital edition will:

• Add rich layers to content—including audio, video, slideshows and infographics—that will make it more dynamic and informative.
• Better serve our international audience with faster and more reliable delivery.
• Speed content development so that members can access the latest innovative ideas more quickly.
• Be more cost-effective in the long term, as printing and postage costs continue to rise.
• Allow us to invest the cost savings into improved and more diverse story development.
• Help IABC and its members lead the way in the use of innovative new communication methods and technology.

For those who still prefer print, all articles as well as full issues will be available in a printable PDF format. While content will be optimized for mobile devices, members will still be able to access the full range of features from a desktop or laptop.

You can find answers to FAQs about the transition in the IABC News Centre. If you have additional questions about the transition, please email member_relations@iabc.com.

By Shannon Frederick, ABC, IABC/Tulsa President

There’s something refreshing about the start of a new year.

With calendar full of untouched months, you can work to change something in your life for the better.

Ironically, while many of us as individuals are likely full-swing into our new year, IABC also seems to be taking advantage of the clean slate of 2013.

If you’ve been reading your emails from International or following the IABC LinkedIn group, then you know that big changes are happening for our professional organization. Here are summaries of just a few:

• In late November, World Headquarters restructured its staff. This change had been a point of discussion for much of 2012, as IABC had identified the need for different skill sets among its staff in order to deliver the promised new strategy. Still, this change sparked a lot of conversation in the world of social media – if you’ve been on LinkedIn, you’ve likely seen it. IABC did release an official statement, which can be found here: http://news.iabc.com/index.php?s=66&cat=56.
• The Gold Quill program has had a makeover! It sounds like members are excited about better judging, less restrictive work plans and better use of technology. My hope is that in 2013, we will see at least one member – hopefully more – from Tulsa win a Gold Quill. We had so much success from our Bronze Quill program, which proved that we have the highest caliber of talent right here, that our winners should take the time to consider entering Gold Quill. Find out more here: https://gq.iabc.com/info/.
• IABC seems to be making progress on its work to change the ABC (Accredited Business Communicator) certification/accreditation program. At the beginning of January, all current ABCs received an email outlining the proposed new direction of the program, which includes a two-tier process. (Of course, Ginger Homan, ABC, already knew about the proposal because we’re lucky to have one of our local members serving on IABC’s Accreditation Board.) While IABC hasn’t yet widely released a lot of detail about the proposal, it is another hot topic of discussion in social media. Once decisions appear to be formally made, I promise to share more information either in this newsletter or via another chapter channel. If there’s interest before that time, we could ask Ginger to give a download at an upcoming meeting. Let us know by emailing iabctulsa@gmail.com.

When you take a step back and look at all of these changes as a whole, it’s really exciting to know we belong to an organization that is focused on the future – and being the best it can be for our profession. And, of course, we try to mirror that here in Tulsa. If the past is any indicator, 2013 will be yet another successful year for this amazing small chapter.

With each of you in our corner, I’m sure it will be.

“The New Generation of Communicators”
Presented by: Mackenzie McDaniel and Gina Noble
Wed., Feb. 20, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
OSU-Tulsa, 700 N. Greenwood

In a few months, a new crop of communications graduates will enter the job market. Sure, they’ll be well-versed in communication theory and writing in AP Style. But, this new generation of communicators has grown up with email, smartphones, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. What new ideas, skill sets and experiences should you expect of them? And besides a job and a paycheck, what attributes and qualities might recent grads be seeking of your organization as a prospective employer?

Join us Feb. 20, as Mackenzie McDaniel and Gina Noble team up to share the perspectives of a future college graduate and a professor tasked with educating and helping students prepare for communications in the real world.

All about Mackenzie
Mackenzie McDaniel is a senior at Oklahoma State University – Stillwater, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Strategic Communications. Following her upcoming graduation in May, she plans to pursue a career in the communications, marketing or public relations fields. Mackenzie has been involved in a variety of organizations and has held numerous leadership positions. She also was one of 48 OSU students recognized as a “Senior of Significance” based on her leadership skills, academic excellence and community service.

All about Gina
Gina J. Noble is a clinical assistant professor in the School of Media & Strategic Communications at OSU. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she serves as the Strategic Communications internship adviser, Public Relations Student Society of America adviser, and adviser for Innovative State Student-Run Strategic Communications Firm. Before becoming a professor, Gina spent more than 10 years working in nonprofit public relations, advertising, marketing and development.

IABC WORLD CONFERENCE
June 23-26, 2013
Hilton New York
1334 Avenue of the Americas, New York

It only takes a minute for New York’s energy to infuse your very bones.

It’s New York! Times Square, billboards on Broadway, restaurants flowing with international conversations and everywhere a confidence and community of spirit that will catch you and welcome you in.  New York’s heart beats with a diversity of flavor that will quicken your pulse and sharpen your mind.

And it’s IABC. A passion for what’s new, the best ideas and the latest trends. It’s all waiting for you this June.

And it’s a world of opportunity you won’t want to miss.

• More than 70 educational sessions in 7 tracks;
• Over 1,500 communication professionals giving you new connections from right next door and around the globe; and
• A host of interactive panel discussions featuring the senior business leaders you want to know.

Register here: http://wc.iabc.com/register/