by Steve Higgins, IABC/Tulsa President

‘Tis the season for year-end lists: top movies, top albums, even top tweets.

In this spirit of reflection, I’d like to offer my top IABC Tulsa moments of the past year:

1. At OkieSMart 2010, Steve Crescenzo’s hilarious, provocative, inspiring plea to replace the “corporate” in “corporate communication” with “creative.”
2. Walmart senior vice president Roger Cude’s revealing discussion on how he recognizes and coaches top executive talent at the world’s biggest company, and the sad-but-true reason why communicators rarely make the short list.
3. IABC Tulsa’s ranking in the top 20 of the fastest-growing chapters worldwide for the second straight year. Way to go, Ginger and Nathan!
4. At our 2010 Bronze Quill Awards, naming the very deserving Shannon Frederick as recipient of the Leon Bolen Chapter Service Award while Leon himself looked on, smiling in the back of the room.
5. Schnake Turnbo Frank president – and former IABC Tulsa president – Russ Florence sharing his theories on why famous people screw up so much, and then screw up even worse when they try to cover their tracks.

I could probably pick 50 more favorites, but I’ll end here. Special thanks to our creative, hard-working and dedicated executive board: Dena Wind, Shannon Frederick, Tom Droege, Stephanie Cole, Ginger Homan, Megan Lewis, Lucia O’Connor and Nathan Harmon. You guys have managed to make hard work a whole lot of fun this year.

We have some cool stuff in the works for 2011, so stay tuned. In the meantime, have a great holiday season and a happy New Year.

December is our membership month and not only will the Tulsa chapter waive the $40 application fee for new members, but everyone who joins during the month of December will be eligible to win an iPad – PLUS all IABC/Tulsa members who recruit the new member will have their name thrown in the hat too!!

Just tell your recruits that their annual dues of $287 can be split out into four payments. For that price they get membership rates to our monthly lunch sessions, free access to our regularly scheduled webinars with national speakers, an invitation to our monthly happy hour for fun and networking, and access to the online database of research and case studies available only to members through IABC’s website.

To qualify, applications must be received at IABC’s San Francisco Headquarters office during the month of December.

To get an application, visit www.iabc.com/join. Once your recruit submits their application, e-mail Ginger Homan and let her know. We’ll enter you and the new member into the drawing for the iPad.

Then come to the January meeting and we will hold the drawing for the iPad. Oh, just think of all those glorious apps.

Thursday, Jan. 13
5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Fassler Hall
304 South Elgin Ave.
918-576-7898

It’s time to grab some business cards and join IABC/Tulsa for a Happy Hour Thursday, Jan. 13 at Fassler Hall in downtown Tulsa. Networking begins at 5:30 p.m. Register now, spread the word and bring your friends.

Please RVSP through IABC/Tulsa’s registration system. Attendees may purchase their drinks at the bar. Come and enjoy!

It’s time to prepare for the 2011 Gold Quill Awards. Enter this global competition to receive the highest level of professional acknowledgment within business communication. Choose from 27 categories to get recognized for your stellar communication work. The awards are open to IABC members and non-members.

The Student Gold Quill Awards competition recognizes excellence in communication at the undergraduate and graduate school level. Full- or part-time students should consider entering their original work. Entering is a great way to help start a portfolio and the experience gained from entering an international competition looks great on a résumé. Encourage students in the Tulsa area to enter and/or promote IABC’s Student Gold Quill Awards.

Early bird deadline: Jan. 28, 2011
Final deadline: Feb. 4, 2011

Visit the Gold Quill Awards website for details.

The IABC Fellow Award is a professional career award, although the designation is by no means limited to communicators nearing the end of their careers. The Fellow designation acknowledges outstanding leadership, contribution to the profession and service to IABC. All IABC members are invited to nominate another member for the IABC Fellow Award.

Nominations must be received by Jan. 7, 2011. Visit the Fellow Award website for further information and the nomination form.

Each month, IABC/Tulsa features one of its members in the “Meet A Member” section of the newsletter. In this issue, we learn more about Rachel Payne, a “Walmartian” who is new to IABC and to IABC/Tulsa.

IABC/Tulsa: We hear that you write children’s books and work in communications at the Walmart Home Office. Tell us about your jobs.
Rachel: I love my jobs because I get to pursue my ultimate passion for writing. I created a children’s book series – Iggy Colvin Adventure Series – in 2003 and have held several writing positions in the news business and the creative marketing field. Now that I’m writing for corporate communications, it feels like the perfect extension to my prior experience.

I am so fortunate to be surrounded by some of the smartest people in the industry. It feels fantastic to be part of a team that has such a positive reputation. Everyone works hard, are detail-oriented and a joy to work beside. I find myself continually raising my own bar by surpassing my clients’ expectations.

IABC/Tulsa: How long have you been a member of IABC?
Rachel: I have been a member for one year, just recently transitioning over to the Tulsa chapter.

IABC/Tulsa: What is the best meeting/seminar/conference you have ever attended?
Rachel: I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Steve Crescenzo when he spoke at OkieSmart in Tulsa in August.

IABC/Tulsa: Even though you’re fairly new to the organization, can you tell us how IABC helped with your professional development?
Rachel: The CW magazine has proved to be priceless. I’ve been working on a Communications 101 curriculum for our global officer population and have tapped into the content of this trade publication in both the print version as well as online.

IABC/Tulsa: What’s your favorite restaurant?
Rachel: I cannot get enough Thai food, and there are some really yummy places to eat it in Northwest Arkansas. I really like Mama Fu’s and Taste of Siam. The thai basil with chicken (5 stars) makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over. All of you Tulsa people – come over and have lunch with me! Mmm!

IABC/Tulsa: How about your favorite vacation spot?
Rachel: My 12-year-old daughter and I started a tradition in 2007 where we visit a big city together every year – aka “The Girls’ Big City Tour.” We’ve been to Chicago, St. Louis and were planning to go to San Diego when plans changed slightly. This year we’re turning that up a notch and going on our dream vacation to Europe. We’re starting in London before hopping on the Eurostar Chunnel to Paris. From there we’re heading to Bern and Lucerne, Switzerland via the TGV. After a couple days there, we’re off to Venice, Florence and Rome, Italy. Both of us are giddy with excitement.

IABC/Tulsa: The future of the field of communications…
Rachel: …can be summed up with two words: social media. If you go back five years ago, imagine the response you would have received if you uttered the words Facebook and Twitter. It would have been followed by either a raised eyebrow or a blank stare. Communicating via a social network has changed the way we share and disseminate information.

IABC/Tulsa: What advice would you give to communications professionals who are just entering the workforce?
Rachel: My advice is twofold. One, be flexible, organized and detailed. Even the most well-developed communication plan will go through continuous changes. As an initiative unfolds, opportunities and obstacles present themselves and one must be able to refocus and readjust midstream. Two, fine tune your ability to build lasting relationships with both your team members and client base. Creating a positive rapport and connection based on respect and honesty goes a long way.

Thursday, Dec. 16
6 to 8 p.m.
Ralph and Stephanie Cole’s studio/home
615 E 4th Street
Tulsa, OK 74120

Join your IABC/Tulsa friends to celebrate the season! The party is free for IABC/Tulsa members, who may each bring one guest. Beer, wine and light hors d’oevres will be served. The attire is casual.

To RSVP, click here.

by Steve Higgins, IABC/Tulsa President

At our annual strategic planning session in August, the IABC Tulsa executive board set a goal to address the issue of our monthly lunch meeting location.

Since moving to D’Novo a couple of years ago, we’ve heard mixed reviews from members and guests. Some like the convenient parking, modern décor and lighter menu. Others, though, simply don’t like the food and find the drive from downtown too far.

We decided to quantify those perceptions by conducting a survey, which we limited to chapter members.

As expected, the results were … well, mixed. Here are some of the significant numbers:
• Half of respondents rated the geographic location “poor” (14 percent) or “fair” (36 percent).
• Food quality was rated “fair” by 36 percent, “good” by 29 percent and “excellent” by 21 percent.
• When asked how much the location influences your decision to attend a meeting, half said “not much,” while 31 percent said “somewhat” and 19 percent said, “a lot.”

In the end, 75 percent said they would support IABC Tulsa exploring new meeting venues, and 76.5 percent said they would support alternating meeting locations (i.e., between downtown and south Tulsa).

As one survey respondent acknowledged, “There is no perfect solution.” But certainly, if some of our members avoid lunch programs solely because of the location, then we need to address it.

Look for us to try out a new meeting location in January, closer to downtown. Depending on how it goes, we’ll either move permanently, or alternate months with D’Novo.

Thanks for your input on this and for your support of the chapter.

IABC is now accepting nominations for members of the 2011–2012 International Executive Board (IEB) and Research Foundation Board of Trustees. Any interested IABC member can nominate himself or herself for a board position.

The nomination process is comprised of three steps, an application, interview and vote. Completing the application is the first step of the process, which must be accomplished by Dec. 1. Once you have submitted your application and are chosen for the next round, a current IEB member or Research Foundation Trustee will conduct a 15 minute interview. The process then concludes with a review and vote on the remaining applicants.

Get more details and download the application on the IABC website.

It’s time to prepare for the 2011 Gold Quill Awards. Enter this global competition to receive the highest level of professional acknowledgment within business communication. Choose from 27 categories to get recognized for your stellar communication work. The awards are open to IABC members and non-members.

The Student Gold Quill Awards competition recognizes excellence in communication at the undergraduate and graduate school level. Full- or part-time students should consider entering their original work. Entering is a great way to help start a portfolio and the experience gained from entering an international competition looks great on a résumé. Encourage students in the Tulsa area to enter and/or promote IABC’s Student Gold Quill Awards.

Early bird deadline: Jan. 28, 2011
Final deadline: Feb. 4, 2011

Visit the Gold Quill Awards website for details.