Jean Cormier named IABC Fellow

Jean Cormier APR, of Cormier Communications, was given the honour of being named IABC Fellow. Becoming a Fellow denotes a body of achievement by a communicator who has had a significant impact not only on their organization and IABC, but also on the communication profession at large. Jean is pictured at a CPRS event in 2008 when he was made a CPRS Life Member.

Master Communicator Honour given to Karen Lee, ABC, MC

Karen Lee, ABC, MC, was given the honour by the national body in 1994, having been a member since 1987. She is a communications and public affairs consultant, specializing in strategic communications for the not-for- profit and public sectors. As leader of communications, she was a member of the executive team for Providence Health Care from 1998-2002. Prior to that, Karen was owner and principal consultant of The KJ Lee Group, a public relations and graphic design agency that was ranked the 10th largest agency in Vancouver when it closed and through which many local chapter members got their start in the profession.

BC chapter's Jobline launched

IABC/BC Jobline launched and a total of 10 jobs were posted during the chapter year.

IABC held its World Conference for the first time in Vancouver, BC

Peter Roaf was chair of the local host committee which he dubbed the “Dream Team”. He said: "The team delivered a highly rated program for conference visitors to an excellent professional standard, including the night out at Science World, Dine Around and tours of the city. At the end of May, it rained much of the time. As soon as everyone went home, the sun came out and essentially stayed out through early Fall. Barbara Puffer and Tom Puffer, both from Connecticut, were married during the conference."

Professional and social connections

Peter Roaf didn't know it then, but 1990 would change his life - that was the year he met his wife - then Elise Stoesser - through IABC. He says: "A Carleton University Journalism School student colleague, then IABC Regina member, introduced me to her chapter colleague, Elise Stoesser, at the 1990 IABC world conference in Vancouver. Then we crossed paths at Canadian and International conferences of IABC and at Canada District One (now Western Canada) and International Executive Board meetings, on which I served four years. Elise was on the Executive Board with a portfolio position and I, for two of the four years, as Canada District One Director, then she succeeded me as District Director. I attended the 1996 IABC Canada Conference in Regina. Elise co-chaired that conference. Then the following year she moved to the Vancouver area. And the rest is history." The couple are pictured here in 2001 at Peter's son's wedding.

The start of a journey

John Almond was first involved with IABC/BC this year. He said: "In 1990, I moved to Vancouver and I became a partner in Vision Communications, which specializes in digital communications and data services for homes and businesses. One day, as I was chatting to my neighbour, I was generously offered a ticket to a breakfast event for communications professionals that was organized by IABC/BC. I went to the event knowing absolutely nothing about the Association or the BC chapter. Little did I know that this one event would have a transformative impact on my future both professionally and personally." John's first event as a sponsor was working with Gail Pickard, ABC, on the Communicator of the Year Award. John has been a member since the 1990s and was President in 2010/11.

Tour of Grouse Mountain

Peter Roaf (left) on Grouse Mountain touring Vancouver with Sue Hamilton and IABC Chair Al Wann, both of Washington, DC, at the1990 IABC World Conference in Vancouver.

IABC World Conference was held in San Fransisco

Gail Pickard said her first conference as an IABC/BC member opened her eyes: "I just remember my mind being completely blown. And coming back to work, I was like, 'OK, we have to get rid of this substandard newsletter'. I was just kind of on steroids about all the things we had to fix. I had found my profession at that conference. Before it was a job, but at the conference I found my profession."

Sticky notes

During the early 1990s people communicated with the contacts they met at World Conferences through Post-it notes on a conference notice board. Many social and business meetings were set up this way.

New Ragged Right editor

Peter Hammond took over responsibility for the Ragged Right newsletter.

Communicator of the Year

The Communicator of the Year Award went to Ray Smith, President and CEO, MacMillan Bloedel

Meeting a mentor

Gary Carr on what meeting Terri Smolar through IABC/BC meant for him: "Terri Smolar was one of those people. She spoke at the first ever recruiting event I went to and I remember just graduating from SFU Communications and listening to her and staring up at her like she was this big light. I was like 'I don't know what you're saying, but I want to follow you like this big light'." Terri would eventually go on to offer Gary his first communications role.

IABC/BC Chapter Awards

Chapter awards were a way for members to celebrate each other's successes. Prior to the awards being rebranded as the Blue Wave Awards and then the Wave Awards, each year had its own theme and visual identity.

Former President, Erika Wah's IABC/BC experience

Erika Wah joined the chapter as a student member in 1993. "I am so grateful for all my leadership development at IABC/BC - both formally at Dare to Lead and the Leadership Institutes and informally at every meeting/event/afterparty/sunset with fellow IABC/BCers! I'm grateful for that amazing herd around me - we roamed together for many years and while I relocated to California many years ago now, IABC/BC is still home."

Jean Cormier named IABC Fellow

Jean Cormier APR, of Cormier Communications, was given the honour of being named IABC Fellow. Becoming a Fellow denotes a body of achievement by a communicator who has had a significant impact not only on their organization and IABC, but also on the communication profession at large. Jean is pictured at a CPRS event in 2008 when he was made a CPRS Life Member.

Master Communicator honour given to Karen Lee, ABC, MC

Karen Lee, ABC, MC, was given the honour by the national body in 1994, having been a member since 1987. She is a communications and public affairs consultant, specializing in strategic communications for the not-for- profit and public sectors. As leader of communications, she was a member of the executive team for Providence Health Care from 1998-2002. Prior to that, Karen was owner and principal consultant of The KJ Lee Group, a public relations and graphic design agency that was ranked the 10th largest agency in Vancouver when it closed and through which many local chapter members got their start in the profession.

International Chair visits BC chapter

IABC International Chair Marcia Vaughan visited the BC chapter.

Jobline launched

IABC/BC Jobline launched and a total of 10 jobs were posted during the chapter year.

New Technology portfolio created

The Technology portfolio was created in the chapter to help members respond to the rapid adoption of newer technology such as email.

Chapter materials re-designed

The Ragged Right newsletter was redesigned in the fall, as was the Member Directory, which shifted to a binder format.

IABC/BC Chapter Awards Rebranding

Gail Pickard, ABC, was Past President for the 1995/1996 year. "In the prior year we had done a re-branding exercise as the chapter logo at that time was a simple text version of the IABC International logo. The resulting design was a blue “swoosh” which some people – much to the designer’s chagrin – thought looked like a wave!" The chapter decided to name them the "Blue Wave" awards.

New Student Scholarships established

New student scholarships formed and Gail Pickard, ABC, was able to secure sponsorship from his employer at the time, Richmond Savings (later to become Coast Capital Savings).

IABC/BC Policy and Procedures Manual

In 1996, the IABC/BC Board of Directors identified a need to pass on the valuable experience of each year's chapter board; both to help avoid 're-inventing the wheel' and to ensure that the operation of the chapter is consistent from year to year. The IABC BC Policy and Procedures Manual was created to capture the formal policies and day-to-day operating procedures of the BC Chapter of IABC.

DeNel Sedo pursues PhD

DeNel Sedo, IABC/BC member and co-coordinator of the communication co-op education program at Simon Fraser University, was accepted to SFU into the PhD program in Communications. Shown here with Jennifer Wah (left) and Eduarda Hodgins.

Communication World Magazine goes electronic

IABC International launched a pilot, electronic version of its print magazine Communication World.

Now You Know fax newsletter

Canadian Corporate News sponsored the faxing of the mini newsletter Now You Know, a supplement to the Ragged Right newsletter. Parallel Strategies stepped in as sponsor.

New SIG "Club Tech" formed

“Club Tech” was formed as a new Strategic Interest Group (SIG) headed by Nancy Grenier, co-director of the chapter’s technology committee with Erika Wah. The group’s aim was to network and discuss issues related to communications and technology.

Jeff Howard takes over Editors' Club

The Editors’ Club lived on, despite the departure of member Ron Shewchuk, ABC, MC, from Westcoast Energy and BC. Ron and his wife relocated to Calgary for Ron’s new job at Suncor. Jeff Howard took over leadership of this popular club which Ruth Raymond,ABC helped to form.

The excitement of the win

Chapter members have historically performed very well at national (Silver Leaf) and International (Gold Quill) awards. Jennifer Wah, ABC, MC, IABC Fellow, recalls her first international win: "I think I was doing some work at Vancouver General Hospital. I was on site there and there was a professional development session at lunchtime. I came in, and I might as well have won an Oscar, I was so excited. I saw my peeps and I was like 'I've won!' It really meant a lot."

IABC/BC newsletter - Ragged Rights - Diary of a Crisis

The sudden death of Richmond Savings' CEO Kirk Lawrie accelerated the need for professional development on creating a crisis communication plan.

New IABC Code of Ethics

A new IABC International Code of Ethics was completed by Canada District 1 member Moses Kanhai and introduced at the Canada Conference and the Dare To Lead workshop that same year.

Joining the Vancouver Board of Trade

IABC/BC became a member of the Vancouver Board of Trade.

Rick Hansen named Communicator of the Year

Rick Hansen, known as the Man in Motion, was presented with the Communicator of the Year Award for his work raising awareness for people with disabilities. Chapter president Gary Carr said at the event, held at the top of Grouse Mountain, “No individual’s determination or accomplishments better represent the theme of this year’s Blue Wave Awards – View from the Top.”

Important bylaw change approved

Three bylaw changes were made this year at the Annual General Meeting. Two were simple correction to typos, but the third was to enshrine the succession of the Executive Vice President into the President Elect role.

Elise (Stoesser) Roaf, ABC, named Master Communicator

Accreditation Challenge launched

The Accreditation Challenge launched with a goal of increasing the number of chapter members with their ABC to 10% of members by the year 2000 (from 5%). Gail Pickard, ABC and Jennifer Wah, ABC achieved their ABC designations this year.

Ragged Right goes online

Ragged Right, the chapter newsletter, went online, but was still being printed and mailed directly to members.

Volunteer of the Year Award established

The “President’s Award” was proposed by Jennifer Wah, ABC, MC, IABC Fellow to recognize the outstanding volunteer achievements of an individual chapter member. The award was presented to the first recipient, Barb Winegar, at the Blue Wave Awards in June.

Planning for Y2K under way

Planning had already started for the impacts of Y2K and a Strategic Interest Group (SIG) was created for Year 2000 Communicators.

Two editors bond over IABC

Fred Dawkins, ABC, was chair of the Editors’ club, and meetings averaged approximately 10 people throughout the chapter year. Ruth Raymond was a long-time volunteer involved with the Ragged Right newsletter, and the two became a couple.

IABC BC Management Award of Excellence

IABC/BC received the international Chapter Management Award of Excellence for Professional Development in 1999.

Peter Roaf, ABC, receives Master Communicator honour

Peter Roaf (pictured with Elise Roaf, who was given the MC honour the previous year) held senior management positions in communication for the regional healthcare system and later had his own consulting business. He now serves the Rotary Club of Ladner as a past president and public relations chair and the local Delta Foundation as board director. He also serves Rotary as Public Relations Chair for the 49 clubs from Greater Vancouver up the coast to Kitimat.

Elise Roaf appointed local lead for 2000 International conference

Elise Roaf, ABC, MC was appointed the local chair for the 2000 IABC International Conference.

International dues increase

An IABC International dues increase was a hot topic of debate, following 10 years with no increase, leading up to the International Board meeting in February 1999. The $25 annual dues increase was subsequently approved.

Virtual Portfolio launched

The chapter launched its Virtual Portfolio, a dedicated space on the IABC/BC website for communication professionals to showcase their work and market their services.

Web sites new Silver Leaf Awards category

Web sites were added as a new category to the national IABC Silver Leaf Awards.

New Ragged Right sponsors

Rainbow Press took over printing of Ragged Right and Wood Overnight Distributors took care of delivery.