IABC's international committees are a critical component of our governance structure. International committees and task forces help develop programs, represent members in decision-making and help further the goals of the board and the association at large. Serving on an IABC international committee is also a wonderful opportunity to gain leadership experience, refine skills and work hands-on with leaders around the world.
IABC has two different types of committees: board committees and programmatic committees. While all committees report to the international executive board (IEB) and work in alignment with the board approved strategy and budget, there is a difference. Board committees work as an extension of the IEB and carry out the work of the board. Some of these committees are chaired by a director from the board. Programmatic committees work closely with, and act as an extension of, staff to help accomplish the goals of the organization.
Click on a link below to see the current IABC volunteers who are giving their time to further the IABC mission.
IABC Board Committees
Programmatic Committees
Task Forces/Short-Term Committees
IABC Board Committees
Ethics Committee
The IABC Ethics Committee is responsible for input to the IABC International Executive Board (IEB) on policy, standards, strategic development, education and monitoring in relation to ethical matters and upholding the IABC Code of Ethics.
- Malar Ramalingam | Chair
- Andrew Morrison, SCMP | Vice Chair
- Jennifer Wah | Past Chair
- Jesus Uranga, SCMP | Committee Member
- Judy Dobbs | Committee Member
- Simon Murphy | Committee Member
Finance Committee
The committee's role is to review regular financial results: oversee preparation of an operating budget for the fiscal year adopted by the executive board; to annually review IABC's policy on reserves; and to recommend reserve amounts for the Operating Reserve Fund and Special Project Fund. The finance committee may from time to time submit amendments to the budget for the current fiscal year, which may be adopted by a majority vote of the executive board, and shall report as defined in IABC policy.
- Ann-Marie Blake, Chart.PR, MCIPR |IABC Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair
- Alexia Malamis - Senior Finance Manager | Staff Liaison
- Kamyar Naficy | IABC Vice Chair
- Maliha Aqeel, PMP, SCMP, MC | IABC Chair
- Cyrus Mavalwala, ABC, MC | IABC Board Director
- Amanda Hamilton-Attwell ABC, CPRP, IABC Fellow | Africa Region Representative
- Minsi Chung | APAC Region Representative
- Michael Nord SCMP, MBA | EMENA Region Representative
- Gloria Walker, ABC, FRSA, MPRCA, MCIPR | EMENA Region Representative
- Jodi Tauber, BCom | Canada West Region Representative
- Linda Andross | Canada East Region Representative
- Kay Lacoe | Pacific Plains Region Representative
- Jackie Fajt | Heritage Region Representative
- Ashley Council | Southern Region Representative
Audit and Risk Committee
The committee's role is to act on behalf of the International Executive Board (IEB) to bring objective oversight to material aspects of the association's financial reporting, internal controls and external financial audit and identification, evaluation and (where relevant) mitigation of risks, by management, the IEB and its committees.
- Julie Ludwig, ABC, SCMP | Chair
- Alexia Malamis - Senior Finance Manager | Staff Liaison
- Nancy Arab, APR, ABC, FCPRS, CMP, SCMP
- Mark Evans, SCMP
- John Harris
Council of Regions
The Regions are designed specifically to safeguard the link between Chapters and the IABC Executive Board. IABC’s Regions will at a minimum, fulfill the roles that are outlined in the IABC Bylaws. Recognizing the value of opportunities for region leaders to meet face-to-face, the Council of Regions (COR) is a development of the “swap shop” concept, through which region chairs will engage in informal discussions prior to International Executive Board (IEB) meetings. The COR will also focus on facilitating two-way communication between the IEB and IABC regions and on identifying leaders to participate on task forces as requested by the IEB.
- Kamyar Naficy | IABC Vice Chair
- Paige Schafer - Membership & Operations Coordinator | Staff Liaison
- Kane Choa | APAC
- Camilla Osborne, SCMP | Africa
- Richard Kies | Canada West
- Marie Fitzpatrick, ABC | Canada East
- Catalina Gardescu, CMP | EMENA
- Jackiedra Wilson, SCMP | Heritage
- Ellen Vander Linden, SCMP | Pacific Plains
- Linda Wesley | Southern
Go to the top
Programmatic Committees
Professional Development Committee
The Professional Development (PD) Committee oversees IABC’s professional development platforms and sets strategy with regard to IABC’s educational offerings to members and non-members. The committee ensures that IABC’s offerings are consistent and high-quality across platforms, including: World Conference, monthly webinars and other presentations offered to members and fee-based offerings for non-members, IABC Academy courses, and tutorials and other training provided and designed to lead to GCCC certification.
- Donna Itzoe | Chair
- Kelli Cargile Cook | Vice Chair
- Kimberly George, SCMP | Past Chair
- Kristen Frankiewicz, Editorial Manager | Staff Liaison
- Peter Finn | IEB Liaison
- Dan Walraven
- Joe Bobbey
- Shaniek Parks
- Zameena Dadani, MPP
- Nkem Emezie-Ejinima
- Erin Baxter Melo
- Kim Strickland
- Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku
- Justine Costigan
Awards Committee
The IABC Awards Committee provides leadership and vision for the IABC Gold Quill Awards. It is responsible for ensuring that the Gold Quill Awards program is the leading awards program for business communicators, that chapters and regions have the information they need to align with the Gold Quill standards and processes and appropriate governance and strategic documentation are in place.
- Sylvia Link, MC, ABC, APR | Chair
- Anthea Cudworth, ABC | Vice Chair
- Theomary Karamanis, PhD, SCMP | Past Chair
- Paige Schafer - Membership and Operations Coordinator | Staff Liaison
- Pamala Proverbs, Ph.D. ABC, APR
- Paula Bernardino, MCM, CSR-P, SCMP
- Adrienne Jackson, ABC
- Cynthia Schmieg, SCMP, IABC Fellow
Membership Committee
- Kamyar Naficy | Chair
- Wendy Snyder
- Kaleigh Maclaren, CMP
- Kristie King, SCMP
- Monique Zytnik
- Ross Monaghan
- Wendy Thatcher, SCMP
- Cynthia South
- Deanna Biros
- Yemi Adeyemi
Fellows Selection Committee
The Fellows Selection Committee is a regular standing committee of the Board responsible for evaluating annual nominations and making recommendations to the IABC Executive Board (IEB) for new IABC Fellows each year. This committee is also responsible for input to the IEB on policy, standards and strategic development of the IABC Fellows Designation.
- Martha Muzychka, ABC, MC, IABC Fellow | Chair
- Jane Mitchell, FRSA, IABC Fellow | Vice Chair
- Neil Griffiths, ABC, Chart.PR, IABC Fellow | Past Chair
- Kara Laue - Membership and Operations Associate | Staff Liaison
- Alain Legault, SCMP | IEB Liaison
- Rajeev Kumar, ABC, IABC Fellow
- Sarah Andrews, CMP
- Dianne Chase
- Russell Grossman, DipPR, ABC, FRSA, FCIPR, FCIM, IABC Fellow
Global Communication Certification Council (GCCC)
To align career paths of the communication professional as defined by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Career Roadmap, the Global Communication Certification Council (GCCC) was established to define, administer and uphold a certification program for practitioners in the communication field. Each path reflects the growth of knowledge, skills and experience that practitioners undergo during the evolution of their careers.
- Sharon Hunter, SCMP | Chair
- Ginger Homan, ABC, SCMP, IABC Fellow | Vice Chair
- Mark Evans, SCMP | Past Chair
- Yenny Caceres - Certification Manager | Staff Liaison
- Peter Finn | IEB Liaison
- Paula Bernardino, MCM, CSR-P, SCMP
- Edward Dixon, SCMP
- Bonnie Caver
Program Advisory Committee
The Program Advisory Committee (PAC) works collaboratively with staff to ensure that IABC World Conference is a high-value professional development experience aligned to the needs of the global profession.
- Teresa Zumwald | Chair
- Mark Evans, SCMP | Vice Chair
- Beth Levine | Past Chair
- Emily Uligian - Education Manager | Staff Liaison
- Maliha Aqeel, PMP, SCMP, MC | IEB Liaison
- Renee Wood | Member
- Natalie Pastuszak | Member
- Lauren Westbrook, CMP | Member
- Arnab Roy Choudhury | Member
- Gurminder Marwaha | Member
- Wendy Snyder | Member
- Mary Francis | Member
- Kimberly George, SCMP | Member
- Dierdra Yates, CMP | Evaluator
- Olga Mikh | Evaluator
- Justine Costigan | Evaluator
- Marie Soleil-Pepin, MBA, SCMP | Evaluator
- Daniel Paulling | Evaluator
- Jill Hoven, SCMP | Evaluator
- Elizabeth Sargis, MBA | Evaluator
- Kari McLean, CPSO | Evaluator
- Christal Austin | Evaluator
- Lydia Peddicord | Evaluator
- Chris Lee | Evaluator
Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Committee
The IABC Diversity and Inclusion Committee is a time-limited action team tasked to develop recommendations for how to integrate D&I into the fabric of our organization and culture.
In 2018, IABC developed a Code of Conduct as first steps in this journey to create a more effective organization. The IEB has stated that they want an organization that supports and reflects diversity and inclusion at all levels and at all events; including staff and volunteers. We also know we need a recruitment process that supports diversity.
- Matisse Hamel-Nelis, ADS, CPACC | Chair
- Timothy Chan | Vice Chair
- Anuja Kale-Agarwale | Past Chair | IEB Liaison
- Kara Laue - Membership and Operations Associate | Staff Liaison
- Nithi Suppiah
- Dana Maxwell
- Mischa Milne
Go to the top
Task Forces/Short-Term Committees
Foundation Grant Selection Task Force
The IABC Foundation Grant Selection Task Force is a time-limited action team who conducts the evaluation, selection and recommendation of all IABC Foundation grants or scholarships. All recommendations are sent from the task force to the Foundation Trustees for final approval.
- Chris Saxby | Chair
- Kara Laue - Membership and Operations Associate | Staff Liaison
- Andre Oberholzer
- Karen Mericsko
- Susannah Towne
- Valerie Picher
IABC (Stronger Together) Organizational Design Task Force
In 2022, the IEB set up an IABC Organizational Design Task Force to help the executive leaders and staff consider how we can best organize ourselves structurally and operationally to thrive in the future and deliver on the Stronger Together strategic plan introduced in 2021.
- Alain Legault, SCMP | Chair
- Brad Whitworth, ABC, SCMP, IABC Fellow
- Danielle Bond, SCMP
- Jordan Nagel
- Jyoti Khan
- Amanda Atwell-Hamilton
- Karen Matthews
- Jackie Fajt
- Gabrielle Loring
- Ann-Marie Blake, Chart.PR, MCIPR
- Michael Blackburn
For additional information, contact member_relations@iabc.com
Go to the top