The 2011-12 board slate for IABC/Tulsa was announced at the chapter’s May meeting. In case you missed it, here’s what was announced:

• President: Shannon Frederick
• Past President: Steve Higgins
• VP, Finance: Tom Droege
• VP, Professional Development: Phillip Harris & Rachel Payne
• VP, Communications: Jennifer Pigeon
• VP, Membership: Summer Austin & Stephanie Cole
• VP, Hospitality: Lucia O’Connor
• VP, Special Projects: Dena Wind
• Member at Large: Megan Lewis
• Secretary: Amethyst Cavallaro
• VP, Awards: Angela Byers

The chapter will vote on the board slate at the June meeting. Make plans to attend and cast your vote!

Each month, IABC/Tulsa features one of its members in the “Meet A Member” section of the newsletter. This month, we learn more about Amethyst Cavallaro, who works as a communications specialist at Williams.

IABC/Tulsa: You have a very unique name. Tell us about it.
Amethyst: Yes, I do. It came from my mother’s birthstone.

IABC/Tulsa: It’s been a while since we highlighted someone from Williams. Tell us why you love your job.
Amethyst: My colleagues. I have such professional and accomplished communicators in my department. They each have a great sense of humor too.

IABC/Tulsa: How long have you been with IABC?
Amethyst: I joined IABC not long ago – a little over a year. Steve Higgins invited me to a meeting as soon as I joined Williams. The sincerity and kindness from the club members convinced me it was the right place for me. I’ve been nominated to serve as IABC secretary and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to get more involved.

IABC/Tulsa: What is the best meeting/seminar/conference you have ever attended?
Amethyst: It was an honor to hear Julie Freeman, IABC president, in person last month. She’s a skilled communicator and had interesting thoughts on the future of our field. I also enjoy our informal gatherings. It’s always great to get to know our members better.

IABC/Tulsa: When you’re not working, what do you like to do?
Amethyst: Go to the lake with my husband and our two goofy golden retrievers. I like outdoor activities: hiking, running, sailing. And yoga keeps me sane.

We also love to visit Vieste, Italy where my husband is from. It’s really beautiful with pebble beaches, brilliant blue sea and vibrant green hills surrounding it all. Makes visiting my in-laws not such a bad deal.

IABC/Tulsa: What’s your favorite restaurant?
Amethyst: My house. My husband is a fantastic and inventive cook. Just don’t ask him to grill anything.

IABC/Tulsa: The future of the field of communications…
Amethyst: …will continue to evolve technologically, but there are time-honored basics that are true no matter what medium you use. Make sure you’ve got the basics down and be adventurous on how you use technology to deliver your messages to the right audience.

IABC/Tulsa: What advice would you give to communications professionals who are just entering the workforce?
Amethyst: Find a mentor. And be patient with yourself. You can’t know everything right away. Ask questions. You’ll find your veteran communicators want to mentor you just like they were mentored.

Thursday, June 9
5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Kilkenny’s Irish Pub & Eatery
1413 East 15th Street
Tulsa, OK 74120
(918) 582-8282

It’s time to grab some business cards and join IABC/Tulsa for a Happy Hour Thursday, June 9 at Kilkenny’s Irish Pub. 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!

Wednesday, May 18
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Philbrook Museum of Art
2727 South Rockford Rd.
Tulsa, OK 74117

We’re rolling out the red carpet…

IABC President Julie Freeman will make her first trip to Tulsa next month and will be the featured guest at a very special chapter luncheon.

Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to hear from our organization’s international leader. Julie will talk to us about international trends for our industry, and offer advice so we can all stay ahead of the game. She’ll also talk about ways to get involved in IABC international without having to travel beyond our local chapter.

Be sure to reserve your seat today. Space will be limited.

by Steve Higgins, IABC/Tulsa President

To celebrate IABC/Tulsa’s award for Small Chapter of the Year, our chapter and the IABC Southern Region are pairing up to give one person an opportunity to attend his or her first IABC World Conference. We’re offering one free registration plus $800 in travel money to this year’s conference in San Diego June 12-15.

To enter, simply tell us in 140 characters or less why you should represent IABC/Tulsa at this fabulous event.

To be eligible:

• You must be a member of IABC/Tulsa.
• You must be able to cover all expenses beyond the free registration and $800 travel stipend.
• You may not have attended a previous IABC World Conference.
• Your entry must appear on Twitter and include @iabctulsa – or be posted on the wall of IABC/Tulsa’s Facebook page.
• The deadline to tweet or post your entry must is midnight CT, April 28.

The IABC/Tulsa president, VP of communications and past president will select the winner to be announced Monday, May 2. For more information about the World Conference, click here.

Good luck!

Thursday, May 12
5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Vintage 1740
1740 South Boston Avenue

It’s time to grab some business cards and join IABC/Tulsa for a Happy Hour Thursday, May 12 at the Vintage 1740 wine bar. 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!

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 IABC President Julie Freeman, who will visit Tulsa for the first time in May. (Be sure to RSVP for the meeting!)

IABC/Tulsa: Your job has to be so interesting – getting to connect with communications professionals from around the world. Why do you love it?
Julie: The best part about my job is the people. I work with a great staff and the IEB keeps me on my toes. But what I really enjoy is meeting members. I have learned that communication professionals throughout the world face similar issues, but with a slightly different twist. My contacts with members have broadened my view of how communication can and should be practiced, not to mention what is going on in the world.

And on the personal level, I have found that IABC members are just plain nice people!

IABC/Tulsa: How long have you been with IABC?
Julie: I’ve been the president of IABC for 10 years.

IABC/Tulsa: What is the best meeting/seminar/conference you have ever attended?
Julie: It’s hard to choose just one. I like the World Conference because the general session speakers are so inspiring and thought-provoking. However, I am never able to go to the break-out sessions at World Conference. Therefore, I also really like the small conferences because I CAN hear the speakers and get to talk to the attendees.

IABC/Tulsa: When you’re not working or traveling for official IABC business, what do you like to do?
Julie: I love to cook, get together with friends, go to the theatre or movies, and see my family who live in Chicago and Indianapolis. I am addicted to crossword puzzles and trying to learn Spanish.

IABC/Tulsa: Sounds like you’re a busy woman. Where’s your favorite spot for some R&R?
Julie: That’s another question that makes it hard to choose just one answer. I loved Oaxacca, Mexico, when I was there. I have enjoyed Italy and Ireland. I would love to go back to Spain and France, and South Africa is fascinating and beautiful.

IABC/Tulsa: IABC’s headquarters are in San Francisco. When people visit you there, what do you take them to do?
Julie: There is a restaurant in San Francisco called Foreign Cinema, with an outside eating area (rare in San Francisco which has cold nights) where they show Foreign movies. I don’t usually watch the movies, but I like the concept, the food and the atmosphere. I always take out of town visitors there.

IABC/Tulsa: The future of the field of communications…
Julie: …is about engaging audiences in conversations. A speaker I heard recently described it as “from storytelling to story building.”

IABC/Tulsa: What advice would you give to communications professionals who are just entering the workforce?
Julie: Learn everything you can – about business basics, about your audiences, about other cultures. You never know where your career will take you, and it is important to be ready for the next challenge.

A Leader’s Role in a Strategic Communication Plan

Wednesday, April 20
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Tulsa Press Club
415 S Boston Ave #23
Tulsa, OK 74103-5016
(918) 583-7737

There are thousands of naturally effective leaders in corporate America who excel and thrive on motivating their organizations. And then there’s the other half.

For years we lobbied, cajoled and begged that latter group to embrace the value of two-way communications to dial up employee engagement. After all, hamstrung by one-dimensional e-newsletters and other limited tactics, we knew the business leader’s active participation was imperative to move any measurement dial from “inform” to “engage.”

With the explosion of effective social media and other web-based tactics in the last five-plus years, we now have more engagement tools in our arsenal. Given that, what role do leaders play in communications plans today?

What you will learn:

• Three responsibilities every leader should has in any communications plan
• Choosing the best communications tactics for four leadership styles
• How best to engage (even reluctant!) leaders in social media

Guest speaker, Angie McCoy, president of Mayben/McCoy Communications, works with leaders and leadership teams to shape and deliver communications that connect people in a way that improves business performance. After four years with a boutique PR firm in Houston, Texas, Angie joined Kimberly-Clark in 1995. For 14 years, she supported and then led Internal Communications there, ensuring message alignment and employee engagement from the C-suite to the factory floor.

Be sure to reserve your seat today, and we look forward to seeing you there.�

Note: During the April meeting, IABC/Tulsa President Steve Higgins will also present the certificate of accreditation to Shannon Frederick, director of Global Associate Communications for Walmart and IABC/Tulsa board member. Shannon became the Tulsa chapter’s second Accredited Business Communicator (ABC) when she earned this distinction from IABC in January. (Ginger Homan is the chapter’s other ABC.) To learn more about accreditation, visit www.iabc.com/abc.

Tuesday, April 19
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Brady Tavern
201 N. Main Street
www.bradytavern.com

Just in case you haven’t heard, IABC/Tulsa was awarded the prestigious Small Chapter of the Year Award from IABC International at the February Leadership Institute meeting. Additionally, President Steve Higgins received International’s Chapter Leader of the Year Award.

To recognize these wonderful accomplishments, IABC/Tulsa is hosting a members-only celebration from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, at Brady Taven in Tulsa’s Brady district. The chapter will cover the cost of one drink per member at this special happy hour to show our gratitude for all of your support over the past year.

Please RVSP through IABC/Tulsa’s registration system and we’ll see you there!

by Steve Higgins, IABC/Tulsa President

During a fun, long weekend in Chicago recently, I spent some quality time with an old friend who happens to be one of the most respected and accomplished communication scholars in the country, Dr. Steve Jones of the University of Illinois-Chicago.

A pioneer in the study of the Internet and online communities, Steve nonetheless declared himself a skeptic when it comes to the influence of social media.

After all, he pointed out, only 6 percent of the U.S. adult population is on Twitter, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center. How influential can a medium be when it only reaches a small fraction of the general public?

Maybe he’s got a point. In our headlong rush to embrace – and make others embrace – this exciting new communication channel, we may well be overestimating its reach and impact.
It’s an intriguing, provocative point of view. For the past few years, we’ve been talking about almost nothing but social media. Because many of us have been so immersed in it, it’s quite possible we’ve just assumed everyone else is, too.

Make no mistake, the evidence of social media’s power is everywhere. Recent events in the Middle East are just one example.

Fortunately, my friend and I spent much more time talking about March Madness, da Bears, music, travel, etc., than the reach of social media. But his comments stuck with me.

Perhaps as we devise effective communication strategies for our organizations, we should make social media like Twitter a key component – just as long as we don’t overlook that other 94 percent.