Will Tigley, centre, with IABC chapter leaders at Leadership Institute in early 2020 (in his words, back when we could still hug each other).
I hope everyone has been enjoying IABC’s Membership Month, celebrating 50 years of IABC. I’m glad to see that, despite the challenges of operating in a pandemic, IABC chapters and our International organization are pursuing new opportunities to engage and connect with our members.
As the Chair for IABC Canada West Region, I strongly encourage you to consider renewing your membership in this final week of IABC’s promotional membership month.
I know we’ve all changed how we engage with each other, but I believe the best thing for us to do as a group of professional communicators is to remain connected. Belonging to an organization like IABC allows members to reach out to other international members and chapters to maintain your network, learning and career development.
We’re on the edge of a new era for IABC. While we recognize COVID-19 has shifted many of our regular behaviours, our International organization is in a strong position to enhance what we can expect from IABC. Earlier this year IABC moved to an association management model run by Smith Bucklin, a strategic firm that will manage many aspects of IABC’s operations.
We’re eagerly awaiting more details on the strategic and operational plans from our new leadership team, but I’m personally excited about how this new management model can help us better run our chapters and meet the needs of professional communicators around the world.
So, with only a week left of Member Month, I hope you consider renewing at this time, whether as a member-at-large with the Canada West Region or a specific chapter closer to home.
As a member you have access to your local chapter network and events, but also resources from IABC.com like the IABC Academy and The Hub to connect to other members internationally. Also consider the number of webinars and access to events (now available online more than ever before) around the world offered by a variety of chapters on a number of communications topics.
I’d like to highlight that IABC/BC, celebrating its 40th year as a chapter, has also started a creative opportunity to connect to members around the world with their Pen Pals program that I highly encourage everyone check out.
Finally, consider pursuing your certification as a professional communicator through the Global Communication Certification Council (GCCC). Our profession continues to grow and certification will be the foundation that allows us to be trusted advisors held to an international professional standard.
The next few months are going to be interesting for our organization and professional communicators around the world. I hope you renew as an IABC member as we continue to stay connected and build relationships that will strengthen our industry.
Regards,
Chair, IABC Canada West Region