Caribbean Chapters join the IABC Southern Region
To better support Caribbean chapters’ growth, the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) recently transferred the IABC Caribbean (Jamaica chapter) and IABC Trinidad and Tobago chapters and the members-at-large in the Northern and Southern Caribbean from the Canada East Region to the U.S. Southern Region, to which we are geographically closer. The move became effective June 24, 2007. The fact sheet that you will find below this e-mail summarizes some fascinating facts about the growing IABC region.
As a part of the IABC Southern Region, it will be easier for members in the Northern and Southern Caribbean to participate in programs and attend Southern Region events. Please visit http://southernregion.iabc.com for details.
As a part of the IABC Southern Region, it will be easier for members in the Northern and Southern Caribbean to participate in programs and attend Southern Region events. Please visit http://southernregion.iabc.com for details.
Chair of the IABC Todd Hattori, ABC, and Chair of the IABC US Southern Region, Carol Barreyre, ABC, gave us the news via e-mail.
The Southern Region board and chapter leaders are considering various ways to welcome and accommodate the new chapters and members, including renaming the region to better reflect its membership. Members are invited to submit suggestions for new names. These can be emailed by August 13 to nameyourregion@yahoo.com.
IABC in the Northern and Southern Caribbean islands at a glance
* 2 active chapters based in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago
* More than 120 active members (Caribbean-72, Trinidad and Tobago-40, members-at-large-12)
* Chapter and members-at-large in 12 countries and 3 territories with numerous national languages:
Antigua and Barbuda (English), Commonwealth of The Bahamas (English), Barbados (English), Bermuda Islands (English, Portuguese), Dominican Republic (Spanish), Republic of Haiti (French, Haitian Creole), Jamaica (English), Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (English), St. Lucia (English, French), St. Vincent and the Grenadines (English), Republic of Suriname (Dutch), Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (English) and Cayman Islands (English), Montserrat (English) and the Netherland Antilles (Dutch, English, Papiamento).
Overview of IABC Caribbean (Jamaica Chapter)
Headquartered in Kingston Jamaica, IABC Caribbean was chartered in March 2000 as a developmental chapter then granted full chapter status in November 2002. IABC assigned it to what is now the IABC Canada East Region. President Elaine Commissiong was installed at the official launch in September of that same year.
Public relations consultant Keith Brown (of Heineken Startime fame) is credited with introducing the chapter concept to the region, and was the first Caribbean national to become an IABC member. He is on the list of distinguished Jamaican communicators who have pioneered chapter development and/or served the chapter in the capacity of president including Berl Francis, Beverly Josephs, Alison Christie-Binger, Marcia Erskine, Gerrard ‘Gerry’ McDaniel, Patricia Tyrrell and Michael Bryce.
There are currently 72 communication practitioners spanning the countries of Jamaica, Barbados, Bahamas, St. Lucia, St. Kitts & Nevis, the Netherland Antilles, Cayman, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Montserrat, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname and Antigua. More than 60 percent of IABC Caribbean Chapter’s members are Jamaicans.
IABC Caribbean has eight Accredited Business Communicators (ABCs).The chapter year begins each October, and members meetings are convened on the third Wednesday of each month at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel. Chapter calendar highlights are: the annual conference, professional development workshops and the exploration of topical issues at members’ meetings.
Overview of IABC Trinidad and Tobago
In the past 12 months IABC Trinidad and Tobago’s membership has grown by grown by 145 per cent. The chapter currently has 54 members, (having started with 22 members) a remarkable feat considering that the chapter celebrated its first anniversary just 2 weeks ago in July 2007. Since its inception, the chapter has placed focus on its professional development programming. Dubbing it the “Engine Of Growth,” the chapter has hosted ground-breaking and mind-expanding programmes such as, Communicators, Meet the Business Press, Forging New Paradigms for the Communication Profession and The Future Is Not That Scary, an all day workshop where members hosted close to 100 communication students at the University of the West Indies.
The chapter will welcome its first five student members in August 2007.
IABC Trinidad and Tobago specialises in helping people and organizations make business sense of and think strategically about communication, measure and clarify the value of communication and build better relationships with stakeholders. The chapter provides Southern Caribbean communicators with a channel to global excellence through community, content and credibility. Its mission is to:
* Provide lifelong learning opportunities that give IABC Trinidad and Tobago members tools and information to be the best in their chosen disciplines.
* Share among our membership best global communication practices, ideas and experiences that will enable us to develop highly ethical and effective performance standards for our profession.
* Shape the future of the profession in the Caribbean through ground-breaking research.
* Lead the way in the use of advanced information technology in the profession.
* Unite IABC Trinidad and Tobago with the communication profession worldwide in one diverse, multifaceted organisation under the banner of the IABC.
The Chapter hosts its blog at iabctt.blogspot.com and will launch its first podcast in September.
Contacts
Carol Barreyre, ABC Chair
IABC Southern Region
(214) 629-5157
Cloreth S. Greene, ABC, MCIM
President IABC Caribbean
(876) 981-4506
Judette Coward-Puglisi
President IABC Trinidad and Tobago
(868) 621-3830
Source: This entire post is taken from correspondence from the IABC Southern region.
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