April 2015                        Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter View our videos on YouTube View our photos on flickr
 
Western University Wins Gold Quill

Last week, the winners of the 2015 Gold Quill Awards were announced.  IABC London is pleased to announce Fred DeVries of Western University has won an Award of Merit for a writing entry titled: Impact Western: Donor Communication at Western University.  Fred recently sat with IABC London to talk about this honour.

 

Q. You won Silver Leaf Awards in 2014. Did these recognition's convince you to submit an entry for the Gold Quill Awards program?

 

A. Being a Silver Leaf Award recipient definitely prompted me to consider a Gold Quill submission. I knew it would offer a great opportunity for Western to be recognized globally. And the positive and constructive feedback I received from both the Virtuoso and Silver Leaf evaluators was amazingly helpful in moving to the next level.

 

Q. What was some of the feedback on your Gold Quill entry?

 

A. The entry is based on donor relations communications at Western University. The judges highlighted how the work sample scored "better than average due to the quality of the writing...the result is a very readable title that delivers a set of clear messages to a defined target audience." 

 

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Three Lessons I've Learned So Far: Musings from a 

Mid-Level Professional


 
Submitted by: Sonya Gilpin

 

I have officially entered the no-man's land.  It's the seemingly endless catch-all between the juniors and the boss. It's dominated by ambiguous titles like Specialist, Strategist, and Consultant.  I've reached the dreaded five-seven year mark.

 

The fear of getting lost in the void can be gripping, but I take comfort in the little modest learning I've collected so far.  I would like to share them in the hope they bring some shred of reassurance to those of you in my tribe:

 


 
1.  I don't always need to be the successful candidate. I learned the most about myself when I didn't get the job. I won't pretend it wasn't a bit disappointing, or that self-doubt didn't take over for just a split second. But the experience also gave me a strange sense of ownership. What I'm great at, where I can improve (*cough* math), the type of mentorship I want, the type of structure I need, the dynamics I value, and how I value myself: reflecting on where I don't fit has helped guide me to where I do. 


Member Celebration: March

Welcome to new members who joined IABC London:


 
Brent Alden, Kate Huner

 

Thank you to members who renewed their IABC membership:


 
Jane Antoniak, Caroline Bonham, Keith Brooks, Adina Chirita, Kristine Dundas, Katrina Fortner, Julie Franchuk , Ericka Barrett Greenham, Tea Hadwen, Teresa Hollingsworth, Tristan Joseph, Andrew Kaszowski, Laurie Lashbrook, Laura Naus, Adam Nyp, Matthew Quin, Michelle Stubnya, Katherine Thompson, Robert Way

 

Congratulations to the following members with a recent membership anniversary*:


Jane Antoniak - 2 years

Sarah Carruthers - 2 years

Sandra Coulson - 8 years

Christine Dirks - 4 years

Julie Franchuk - 2 years

Shawn Gibson - 9 years

Richard Hoffman - 6 years

Teresa Hollingsworth - 22 years

Andrew Kaszowski - 10 years

Maryellen Khan - 5 years

Laurie Lashbrook - 27 years

Jennifer MacRae - 10 years

Shannon Sasseville - 5 years

Kenneth Steele - 19 years

Tina Romano - 10 years

Laura Tyrrell - 6 years

Jackie Westelaken - 8 years

 

*2+ years IABC membership

 

IABC is recognized as the professional association of choice for communicators who aspire to excel in their chosen fields. Our members represent a diverse range of professional experience, educational background and fields of expertise. Each member contributes to our community, offering support and working to elevate our profession. We sincerely appreciate your commitment to IABC!

 

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IABC Welcomes New Gold Sponsor to Virtuoso

 

IABC London is pleased to welcome Gotham Studios as an in-kind sponsor this year for video and photography services for the 2015 Virtuoso Awards.


 
"Why Gotham?' is a question we hear a lot.  It has to do with both the style of our work and who we are," says Gotham founder Steven Domjancic. 

 

Shortly after it's conception in 2012 Gotham Studios was based in Taipei City, a sort of Gotham City in its own sense with all the skyscrapers and the fact that it gets dark so early everyday.   "It gets dark around 6 pm in Taipei so there is a real nighttime culture." Combine that with a cinematic, edgy style of photography and the name Gotham Studios makes perfect sense. 

 

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Interviews - Making This Crucial Conversation Count

Submitted by: Matt Quin, IABC London Chapter President

 

This month there is a lot of talk about careers - the transition, the paths, the interviews. Our  April PD event features a lively discussion on managing career transitions and the IABC London website has been full of career opportunities with London's finest teams and organizations.


 

If you have the opportunity to participate in an interview this month, below are a few tips (gathered from our IABC executive team), that may turn a seemingly stressful event into one you may remember (for good reasons) for the rest of your career.
  • Talk about your team and coworkers. Of course we mean in a positive way! There is nothing more impressive than a positive team member who spreads credit to teammates, suppliers and partners.
  • Get to know your prospective team and employer. This conversation is also an opportunity for you to get to know the leader, team and organization on the other side of the table. Don't be afraid to ask ask questions - about the business, leadership style and about the values of the organization. You might find that the fit is perfect, or more importantly, that this role isn't for you.
  • Prepare for the one question you hope that they don't ask. Not only will this help you to be prepared, it will help take the edge off. Maybe there was a project that didn't go as planned, a period of inactivity in your resume, or a quick transition from a role that wasn't a great fit. Handling tough questions with poise and professionalism is a skill that will serve you well in the interview and when you are seasoned in your new role.

New Certification Program Launched

 

After many months of work and consultation with communicators worldwide, the Global Communications Certification Council has launched the first level of a new certification program based on the Global Standard for communication developed by IABC. 


 
The "Communication Management Professional" - the first of four anticipated levels - is aimed at the Generalist/Specialist with between 6 and 10 years of experience. The first examination will take place at IABC's 2015 World Conference in San Francisco.

 

Certification is open to any communicator - whether an IABC member or not. In fact, it has been designed to encompass the essential skills and knowledge of communicators around the world and volunteers from many different professional organizations were involved in the development of the Global Standard and the examination.

 

The certification examination will assess communicators in the areas of:

* ethics

* research and analysis

* strategy and engagement

* consistency and strategic implementation

* communication measurement

 

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Managing Career Transitions

 

When: April 23rd, 2015 at 5:30 pm

 

Where: Joe Kool's Restaurant (Back Room)

595 Richmond Street

 

Tickets: $20 Students | $25 Members  

$35 Non-members

 

RSVP required by 3pm Tuesday, April 21st

 

How do I know when it's time to take the next step in my communications career? Where do I start? Who can I talk to?

 

If you're a communicator in London, Ontario and looking to take the next step in your career, these questions might be swirling around in your head. Managing a career transition can seem daunting, but we're here to help!

 

Learn from some of London's communications superstars about how to best manage your career transition at our next professional development event. Wear your learning cap and bring your questions as these communications superstars walk you through their personal career transitions that got them to where they are today. 

 

Our communications superstars are: 

 

Christina Nurse, Director of Operations at ON Communication

 

Matthew Quin, Director of Ivey Publishing

 

Michele Martin, ABC, Manager of Internal Communications & Strategic Priorities at London Health Sciences Centre

 

We hope to see you there!  Register online

 

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Top Five Reasons You Can't Miss The 2015 Virtuoso Awards Gala

 

Now this is a story all about why you should come out the fourth of June, and I'd like take a minute, just sit right there ... wait, did you just find yourself humming the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song?

 

If you, like us, quite enjoy a bit of quality 90s programming, we're certain you'll also enjoy reminiscing about the era that brought us cultural icons like Carlton and uncle Phil at the 2015 Virtuoso Awards Gala. Here are the top five reasons you don't want to miss this year's Virtuoso awards.

 
 
1.  Work the room - The gala is THE night to network with the cream of the creative crop. You never know who you'll meet or what doors you might help each other open.


 
2.  Bust a move 90s style - Fancy a little *NSYNC, Spice Girls, Oasis? Our DJ will be spinning the top hits from 1995 and beyond all night. Bring your A game to the dance floor.

 

Thank You to our Volunteers!

 

IABC London is supported by a volunteer workforce of more than 50 local communicators. This includes board members, committee members, liaisons, and award program judges.

 

In honour of National Volunteer Week (April 12-18), we would like to thank the many committee members who support our 2014-2015 activities:

 

 

Professional Development Committee

Megan McIllmoyl

Shobhita Sharma

 

Virtuoso Awards and Gala Committee

Tracy Bucholtz

Agnes Chick

Andrea Henderson

Ann Joliffe

Tristan Joseph

Andrew Kaszowski

Julie Kiser

Joyce Kmith

Tori Laird

Andrea Lukac

Maya Nikolovski

Lindsay Palerma

Jeannette Palmer

Calista Powell

Kaleigh Rodgers

 

We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to the judges of this year's Pinnacle Entries, the senior communicators on our Blue Ribbon Panel, and the chapters across Canada who evaluate our Virtuoso Award entries.

 

Each you play an important role in our chapter. We thank you for sharing your time and expertise with our community!

 

Take Time To Mentor and Be Mentored - Meet IABC London Member Carrie Dudley-Tatsu

  

 

Carrie Dudley-Tatsu is the Manager of Internal and Executive Communications with Union Gas, a major Canadian natural gas storage, transmission and distribution company based in Ontario with over 100 years of experience and service to customers.

 

"My role is one part of a broader Public Affairs team that supports Union Gas.  Our goal is to promote, protect and enhance the company and its employees by communicating concise, accurate and timely information to all of our stakeholders," explains Carrie.

 

More specifically, the Internal and Executive Communications team is responsible for planning, developing and implementing internal communication strategies that will advance corporate goals and objectives.  Her work includes internal crisis communication planning, critical and general communications approval, executive communications, corporate events, and general communication strategy planning and governance.

 

What excites Carrie about her job? Taking something that is complex, technical and full of jargon, and turning it into something that everyone can understand and relate to. "It is like an art and I love it!"


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About Connect
Connect is the monthly newsletter of IABC London.
Feedback and news ideas are always welcome. Please contact Jamie Gill (jamiegill4@gmail.com).

Editor: Mary-Ellen Willard, maryellen@adHOMEcreative.com

About IABC
IABC London is a chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. We are a volunteer-run, non-profit organization that fosters business communication excellence in southwestern Ontario by providing professional development, recognition, accreditation and networking opportunities through a local, national and international network of communications professionals.