IABC Café

I am referring to the Blue Ribbon Panel weekend. It is the weekend when judges come from all over the world–this year they came from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, Russia, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S.–to determine the 2008 Gold Quill winners.

It is always an extraordinary weekend. Under the leadership of Jeffrey Ory, this year’s Gold Quill chair, 40 volunteers traveled to San Francisco at their own expense to spend two solid days judging more than 300 award entries from 30 countries.

As one volunteer said, the Blue Ribbon Panel (and Gold Quill) represents the best of IABC. It celebrates professional excellence and deepens connections between the judges. And I might add, it couldn’t succeed without volunteers.

Hats off to those who entered and those who judged.

No, I am not going to talk about the election in the United States. Nor the election in Pakistan, Spain, Russia, Iran, Malaysia or Zimbabwe. I am going to give you an update about an election closer to home–the slates of officers for the 2008-9 International Executive Board (IEB) and the IABC Research Foundation (RF).

In late Februrary the Nominating Committee met to review the credentials of the candidates for openings on the IEB and RF in order to determine which candidates have the background and skills needed for both organizations’ future challenges. Now that the slate has been approved by the current IEB members, I would like to share the slates with you. You can learn more about the candidates by clicking the links that will take you to the IABC News Centre.

news.iabc.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=138
news.iabc.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=139

The slate of candidates for the IEB, which will be presented to the delegates of the June Annual General Meeting for ratification includes the following members:

For Vice Chair, Mark Schumann, ABC, Houston, TX
For Secretary/Treasurer Marilyn Keyes, Falls Church, VA
For Directors
Adrian Cropley, Melbourne, Australia
Erika Ruiz Ramos, Mexico City, Mexico
Paulo Soares, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

These candidates will join Barbara Gibson, ABC, Hartsford, UK, Chair; Todd Hattori, ABC, Seattle, WA, Past Chair; Colleen LeCount, Overland Park, KS, Director; Joy Capps, Mount Pleasant, SC, Director; Silvia Cambie, London, UK, Director; Arnold Kishi, Honolulu, HI, Director; and Felicia Shui, ABC, Toronto, ON, Director; to form the 2008-9 International Executive Board.

The slate of candidates for the Foundation has been approved by the Foundation Board of Trustees and ratified by the Executive Board. These individuals will take office after the June AGM:

For Vice Chair Robin McCasland, Dallas, TX
For Trustees
Greg Gordon, Chicago, IL
Cloreth Greene, ABC, Kingston, Jamaica
Ilze Raath, Brussels, Belgium

These candidates will join Irene Monley, ABC, Wilmington, DE, Chair; Jan Thibodeau, ABC, Cumberland, RI, Past Chair; Susan Solomon, Santa Ana, CA, Trustee; Todd Hattori, ABC, Seattle, WA, Trustee; Marilyn Keyes, Falls Church, VA, Trustee; and Mark Schumann, ABC, Houston, TX, Trustee;to form the 2008-9 IABC Research Foundation Board of Trustees.

These are talented, dedicated groups of IABC members. Their leadership will help guide the association and the foundation in the coming years.

I am sure that all IABC members share the concern that the IABC staff is feeling for our members in Southern California. The fires in Southern California are having a terrible impact on the lives and homes of the residents there. It is our hope that all of our IABC members are safe.

If any of you in Southern California can take time from dealing with the very important safety issue facing you, I hope you will write a post to let us know how you are doing.

In the meantime, you are in our thoughts.

Julie and the IABC Staff