by Megan Patterson, IABC/Tulsa President

Happy New Year friends! I hope your 2017 is off to a great start and is full of all the excitement and promise that new beginnings bring. Keeping with the New Year’s spirit – I’m kicking the clutter from this letter and keeping it short and sweet. Please take a few minutes to read the remainder of our newsletter; it is jam-packed with information about upcoming IABC/Tulsa events, international conferences and ways to make the most of your IABC membership in 2017.

To kick off our programing this year, we’re offering a fantastic free event on Jan. 25 with IABC/Tulsa’s very own Joe Williams, founder of Joe Williams Communications, recipient of more than 125 national communications awards and an IABC Fellow (the highest honor given by IABC). Grab “A Cup of Joe with Joe” and gain valuable advice and perspectives learned from his diverse 40-plus year communications career.

Don’t forget to turn in your Bronze Quill Award entries by Jan. 16 to get recognized for your hard work in 2016, and join us in February to learn more about crisis communication planning and management.

We have great events lined up this year and hope you will join us as we all work to improve our communications skills and expand our professional networks in 2017.

Title: Communications Consultant

Company: ONE Gas

Why do you love your job? I work with amazing people who I learn from every day.

How long have you been a member of IABC? I joined when I started with ONEOK in 2011.

Have you ever served on an IABC Board? Yes, I’m on the board now as the VP of Special Projects.

What is the best IABC meeting/conference you have attended? Why? The Bronze Quill awards are always a great time to celebrate and meet new people. I also really loved the writing workshop with Ann Wylie – I still keep her suggestions in mind when crafting messages.

How has IABC played a part in your professional development? IABC has been incredibly valuable for me professionally. The monthly events always have a lot of great information I can use at work, and I’ve met many wonderful people through my involvement with the organization.

What is your favorite thing to do outside of work? I love to travel and go to concerts.

What’s your favorite vacation spot? For me, it doesn’t get much better than Hawaii.

Who is your favorite musical artist? I’m not sure this is my favorite artist, but I’m on an American Aquarium kick at the moment.

Which website do you visit daily? Does Instagram count? I’m amazed at people who are able to make a career out of their social media presence.

What is your favorite restaurant? I’m from California, so I love In-N-Out and this little Mexican restaurant called Miguel’s. They are mandatory stops every time I go back.

How will we recognize you at the next IABC function? I’ll be the short girl with my hair in a giant bun who is likely cracking a joke about something.

Complete the following: The future of the field of communications is…increasingly strategic. People want to feel like they’re part of the conversation, so communicators have to find a way to speak to and with their audiences rather than at them. And sometimes that means getting creative and finding new ways to reach them.

What advice would you give to new communications professionals? Keep looking for opportunities to learn. Whether that means taking the lead on a new project, finding a mentor at your place of work or attending one of the monthly IABC events, arming yourself with information will pay off in the end.

Title: Senior Learning and Development Specialist

Company: Direct Energy

Why do you love your job? The people! The culture here at DE is amazing. The leadership team is passionate about personal and professional growth and providing the necessary tools to do so. The unlimited vacation is also a major bonus!

How long have you been a member of IABC? I’m a newbie. I joined in 2015.

Have you ever served on an IABC Board? I just recently joined the board and serve as VP of Awards.

What is the best IABC meeting/conference you have attended? Why? I have to say, the Spelling Bee(r) held at Fassler Hall was a blast! But, I’m generally impressed by anyone who can spell “definitely” on the first try and without autocorrect.

How has IABC played a part in your professional development? The articles in the resources page on IABC.com by itself are a goldmine. They are endless and have helped out tremendously in a pinch. Don’t know a lot about crisis communication? No sweat. Type it into the search and off you go!

What is your favorite thing to do outside of work? Travel and eat.

What’s your favorite vacation spot? It’s a tossup between Ireland and Thailand. I can eat my way through both.

Who is your favorite musical artist? This question is too difficult. There are too many amazing artists to choose just one.

Which website do you visit daily? Right now, ESPN. I am getting KILLED in my fantasy league!

What is your favorite restaurant? Stonehorse in Utica Square.

How will we recognize you at the next IABC function? I’m short but loud. If you can’t see me, you can certainly hear me.

Complete the following: The future of the field of communications is…evolving. It wasn’t too long ago when the mindset was that communicators were simply informers (or event planners). Today’s leaders now view us for who were are — strategic partners who are vital to the success of the organization.

What advice would you give to new communications professionals? Seneca, a Roman philosopher, once said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” This is also one of Oprah’s favorite quotes. My advice is to really chew on this quote. Consider what “luck” means to you and what you can start doing today to influence your own success as a communicator.

by Megan Patterson, IABC/Tulsa President

Holiday cards are ordered, gifts are purchased and my stretchy pants are easily accessible. Christmas prep is nearly complete. But Christmas is one thing…preparing for a new year is quite another.

Most people love the start of a new year. I’m typically one of them. But what if the current year was really great? Do we always have to be so ready to move on? Personally, I need a little more time to step back, reflect and thank the people who helped make 2016 a year to remember.

It’s been a year of firsts for IABC/Tulsa, and a year that our board and membership should be proud of. Our professional development schedule was jam packed with high-caliber events such as February’s inbound marketing luncheon with Jesse Boudiette of Propeller Communications; September’s meeting with Rhett Laubach on presentation secrets; and the November Communicators Summit focused on reputation management. In March, we held our annual Bronze Quill Awards ceremony where we received the highest number of award entries and had the highest attendance in IABC/Tulsa history. August brought IABC/Tulsa’s first Adult Spelling Bee(r) with more than 50 participants and a packed house. So F-U-N!

IABC/Tulsa also was internationally recognized for its outstanding work in communications and professional development at the annual IABC Leadership Institute in February. More recently, we held our annual Gift of Communication event and we joined forces with Tulsa’s top professional organizations at the Acronym Mixer networking event.

I could keep going, but I’ll stop here. See why it’s difficult to say goodbye to 2016? These successes wouldn’t have been possible without our IABC/Tulsa board of directors. These dedicated volunteers choose to give their time to IABC/Tulsa in addition to their already busy work, family and life schedules – and for that, I’m so very thankful.

Happy holidays from all of us at IABC/Tulsa, and cheers to many new adventures in 2017!

by Megan Patterson, IABC/Tulsa President

October is finally here, bringing with it cooler weather, pumpkin patches, football-filled Saturdays and… Member Month at IABC! If you’ve been on the fence about joining or your current membership is up for renewal, October is the perfect time to invest (or reinvest) in IABC. Join or renew during October and you’ll receive 10 percent off international dues, pay no application fee and be entered into a drawing to win one of two $500 Amazon gift cards. Are you already an IABC member? Don’t worry; there are great incentives this month for you as well! Refer your peers and receive a $10 Amazon gift card for every member you refer – no limit!

Join or renew this month and take advantage of all the amazing benefits of membership including discounts on webinars, online research materials, access to an active online job database, great local and international conferences, not to mention all of the networking benefits and fun events hosted by your local Tulsa chapter.

Check out the calendar of upcoming events and member webinars below. IABC/Tulsa’s very own Rhonda Rathje from Walmart is conducting a multi-session online workshop beginning Oct. 20 – The ABCs of Strategic Communications. Learn more about Rhonda below in our “Meet a Member” feature.

If an in-person workshop is more your style, we have a great line-up of those as well. You won’t want to miss our upcoming professional development events including our half-day Communicator’s Summit – Rumor Has It – co-hosted with Tulsa PRSA. Early-bird registration ends Friday, Oct. 14.

There’s no better time to join or renew with IABC/Tulsa. Gain access to the area’s top communications professionals and receive discounts and membership benefits that will help you fine-tune your communications skills, no matter where you are in your career.

If you have questions about membership or Member Month incentives, click here or contact Hayley Westwood or Natasha Mitchell.

Presented By

Platinum Sponsors

Join IABC and PRSA at the annual Communicators Summit to learn all about successfully managing rumors and your reputation. Our experts have weathered the rumor mill and will share their insights, tips, tricks and lessons learned.

Speakers:
Mayor-Elect GT Bynum 
G.T. Bynum was elected the 40th Mayor of Tulsa on June 28, 2016. He will be sworn in to that office on Dec. 5, 2016. During his presentation, Bynum will share his experiences during the political campaign, including his winning strategy to stay positive. He will discuss some of the PR and communication challenges his team faced along the way and how they managed them. He will also share ways companies can educate their employees about candidates and their issues, without violating ethics.

Vision Tulsa Team

• Nick Doctor — Director of Government Relations, Tulsa Regional Chamber
• Trebor Worthen — Senior Partner, AH Strategies
• Jesse Boudiette — President, Propeller Communications
• Barrett Waller, APR — President & CEO, Waller & Company Public Relations
• Sheila Curley, APR — Principal, Owner, SixPR

On April 5, 2016, voters throughout Tulsa County approved a renewal of the original Vision 2025 funds. The new Vision Tulsa package will address Tulsa’s needs for public safety, streets and transportation, while also generating jobs and economic impact. Meet the campaign team who successfully convinced voters to say “yes” by wide margins. The campaign was a huge success, but it certainly wasn’t easy. The team will explain how they used research, paid advertising, social media, special events, earned media and employee communications to educate Tulsans about the vote and manage misinformation and rumors.

Bonnie Caver
Whether you are running a campaign, gaining support for a major initiative or managing a company, your reputation with stakeholders can make for smooth sailing or an uphill battle. In this session, we’ll learn about what you can do every day to improve your reputation and make the reputation you have positively impact the bottom line. We’ll also look at how to insulate your reputation so you survive the daily hurdles of business and come out even better on the other side of crisis.

Ticket Prices:

• Members – $50
• Non-members – $60
• Students – $25
• Journalist – $25 (Must be currently employed by a media outlet)

Click Here to Regsister

Sponsored by Williams

Are you ready to submit a winning Bronze Quill – one that can also win Silver and Gold? This session will cover what you need to consider when writing your work plan. Understand what the judges are looking for and how to structure your submittal for success.

Ginger D. Homan, ABC, is founder of Zia Communications, a firm specializing in changing behaviors, building communities and transforming thinking. Her award-winning communication model has been used by foundations and corporations to grow brands and align cultures. Ginger serves as secretary/treasurer on IABC’s International Executive Board. Her work has been honored with Bronze, Silver and Gold Quills. She is a recipient of the IABC Chairman’s Award, Tulsa Chapter’s John Hartman Professional Communicator award and Leadership Tulsa’s Paragon Award for her board service with nonprofits.

Click here to register