Pilot wins participants’ rave reviews as coordinators recruit for “round two” starting in Fall 2010

Would you like personalized support from a seasoned communications expert who can help you define and reach your career goals? Or, are you an old hand with years of experience who wants to share your wisdom with the next generation of leaders? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, then SF-IABC’s Mentoring Program can help!

As a free resource available to all SF-IABC members, the Mentoring Program carefully matches mentors with mentees in mutually-beneficial partnerships that foster skill building, professional growth and community connections. Participants then schedule meetings at least monthly for six months, either in person or by phone, to discuss the mentee’s career objectives and create a concrete plan for achieving them. Having recently passed the halfway mark of its first year, the program has already proven successful, with a survey administered to the eight pairs of mentors and mentees indicating that 100% of respondents would recommend the program to others and consider participating in the next round.

Jane Jordan-Meier, the initiator and director of the Mentoring Program, is proud of the project’s progress. “I am extremely pleased at the midpoint of the program,” she said. “It’s definitely meeting the goals we set, which means so far, so good.” But even more persuasive than the survey results are participants’ positive personal testimonies—mentees’ in particular. Jordan-Meier’s own mentee, Marla Pugh, offered effusive praise for both the program and her adviser.

“Benefiting from the guidance of someone with many more years of experience in the business is like having a secret weapon at my workplace,” Pugh said. “Jane is a great sounding board: her input helps me handle challenging situations better, and she has opened my mind to new ways of looking at my role as a Communications Manager. Her guidance often validates my instincts and ideas, giving me the confidence to try different approaches.”

Another mentee, Elisabetta Ghisini, a communications industry veteran with two decades of experience, joined the program to connect with someone who could help her make a career transition to full-time consulting. According to Ghisini, her mentor provides invaluable strategic and tactical advice that has enabled her to see the “big picture” more clearly. “She has helped me with practical matters like how to generate new business, and introduced me to many interesting colleagues,” Ghisini said. “Our conversations and the peer-to-peer confirmation I receive from her continually motivate me to reach my objectives.”

Those on the mentoring side of the program, like Marketing Communications Manager Sue Stoney, are also quick to proclaim the rewards of volunteering their time as mentors. “Everything in my experience tells me that this is a valuable program for mentor and mentee alike,” Stoney said. “Both benefit from the experience in ways you can’t predict going into it.”

SF-IABC is now accepting applications for the Mentorship Program’s next round beginning in Fall 2010. If you’d like to participate, fill out the on-line application form and email it to Jane Jordan-Meier. To learn more, call her at 707-386-9864 or 707-646-2897.

Michaela Hayes, 2009-10 Past President and Chair of the Succession Planning Committee, reported that the SF IABC board slate for 2010-11 was approved by chapter members. Thank you to all who voted!   Board service is a significant commitment and we appreciate the contributions of our board members. Please join us in congratulating SF IABC’s new executive board – these officers will serve from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011:

• President: Chris Johnson, ABC, Internal Revenue Service
• Executive Vice President: Margan Mitchell, Consultant
• Past President: Elizabeth Williams, AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah
• Vice President, Communications: Kamna Narain, McKesson Corporation
• Vice President, Member Outreach: Tess Robeson, Kaiser Permanente
• Vice President, Operations (shared role): Ed Kamrin, Wordwright Communications, Inc. and Peter Speliopoulos, Business Communications Professional
• Vice President, Professional Development: Terry Peckham, ABC, Rainin Instrument
• Vice President, Programs: Mimi Gorin, Marketing Communications & Events Consultant

On Friday, January 29, SF IABC was recognized at the IABC Chapter Management Awards, a special ceremony recognizing the leadership abilities, management skills, creativity and teamwork of outstanding volunteer chapter leaders worldwide. The event was held at Leadership Institute, a two day conference for IABC chapter leaders.

SF IABC was recognized in the following areas:

Merit Awards: Student Involvement, Leadership Development

Excellence: Membership Marketing

Student Chapter of the Year: UC Berkeley

In addition, the following individuals were recognized for their
exceptional contributions.

Chapter Leader of the Year: Honorable Mention: Molly Walker (2008-2009 Past President, SF IABC)

Student Chapter Leader of the Year: Honorable Mention: Rajiv Eluthesen

“Anyone who volunteered with SF IABC over the past 18 months played a part in winning these awards,” said chapter president Elizabeth Williams. “A big thank you to our board members and volunteers for all you’ve done to make our chapter thrive.

I’d also like to recognize Molly Walker on her much deserved award. We are grateful to Molly for her years of inspirational leadership and support. Congratulations, Molly!”

See a full listing of CMA recipients.

By Paul Matalucci, ABC, 2009 Gold Quill Chair

Gold Quill has launched a new Mentorship Program pairing past winners, judges, and Accredited Business Communicators (ABCs) with any communicator who has not previously won a Gold Quill Award.

Your mentor is available to answer your questions, review your draft work plan and work samples, and to provide you with feedback and suggestions. Keep in mind that your mentor is offering guidance and support, but will not rewrite or directly alter your entry. When you win, we want the credit to be completely yours.

It’s also worth mentioning that your mentor is investing his or her time in your success. Once you commit to using a mentor, please make every effort to complete and submit your entry or entries. After your first get-acquainted meeting or call, consider scheduling regular check-ins. Use those check-ins to give yourself personal deadlines.

The program runs until January 15, 2009. We will not be assigning mentors after January 15, so please send your request today. Mentors will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

Program details can be found on the Gold Quill Awards web site, or you can e-mail a mentor request to quill@iabc.com.

Start preparing your Gold Quill entry today! The early-bird deadline is January 27, 2009, and the final deadline is February 3, 2009. Complete entry details are available on the Gold Quill web site.

Board members of SF IABC and University of California, Berkeley, IABC enjoyed their second annual dinner on October 27. “We relish every opportunity to get together and talk shop with this great group of young communicators,” said SF IABC Past President Molly Walker. “We share our expertise and knowledge with them, and they energize us.”

The students worked closely with SF IABC’s VP Programs Peggy Schuerholz, moderator Liz Guthridge and others in presenting the successful October 21 event Bridging the Gap: A Communications and Technology Panel Discussion, held on the UC Berkeley (Cal) campus. SF IABC members have participated in several career panels at Cal as part of the UC chapter’s professional development effort.

PHOTO: Back row, from left, UC’s Brian Jang (Student Board Advisor); SF IABC’s Molly Walker, Elizabeth Williams and Lauren Alexander; UC’s Sheng Huang (VP of Professional Development), Donovan Yu and Daniel Yang (Co-VPs of Finance), Jimmy Tran (VP of Communications); (middle row) Stephanie Leung and Tiffany Shieh (Co-VP’s of Internal External Affairs), Eterna Tsai (VP of Special Events and Membership), (front row) Christina Lee (president) and SF IABC’s Tess Robeson.