Welcome the 2001-2002 Research Foundation Board.

Chairman

Tamara Gillis, ED.D., ABC, is assistant professor of communication and director of student publications at Elizabethtown College (Pa.) and owner of Wordsmiths, a communication consultancy. She has also held a number of positions in community relations and public relations for associations, educational institutions and hospitals.

She has participated in international education and communication projects in Namibia (Africa) and Russia. Current areas of interest include media literacy.

An IABC member since 1986, Gillis has held a number of offices in IABC/ Harrisburg and in U.S. District 3, including district director in 1998-99.

Gillis has a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree in communication studies from Shippensburg University (Pa.). She earned her doctorate in administration and policy studies from the University of Pittsburgh.

Vice Chairman

Warren E. Bickford is director of communication and public education for the Saskatchewan Department of Justice. Previously, he was communication advisor and acting executive director of communication and public information for the Saskatchewan Department of Health. From 1992 to 1996, Bickford was on the senior management team of the Regina Health District as director of public affairs.

Bickford has served in a number of volunteer leadership positions, including president of IABC/Regina; director of Canada District 1; director, Children's Health Foundation of Saskatchewan; director, Regina Volunteer Information and Training Centre; director, Regina South Rotary Club; vice president of the Health Care Public Relations Association of Canada; and representative to the Prime Minister's National Forum on Health.

Past Chairman

John J. Gerstner, ABC, is manager of electronic communication for Deere & Company, Moline, Ill. In 1996, Gerstner was named to lead the launch of John Deere's web site and create an enterprise-wide strategy for Deere's intranet, JD Online, now a key communication and HR tool for 20,000 employees representing eight divisions in 10 countries.

Gerstner has received more than 50 communication awards during his career, including 13 IABC Gold Quills. In 1992, he received the IABC U.S. District 4 Director's Award. In 1994 he was named IABC/Iowa Communicator of the Year.

Gerstner has served on the IABC executive board and is a frequent speaker and workshop leader on the Internet, intranets, organizational writing, photography and editing. He also contributes articles to Communication World.

Gerstner recently completed a special assignment to produce a John Deere coffee table history book. He has also launched a new web site for intranet information sharing at www.intranetinsider.com.

Trustees

Shelley J. Griewahn is a consultant in Arlington, Va. Formerly she was practice leader for the communication unit of Towers Perrin in Rosslyn, Va., where she was responsible for strategic planning, project management and implementation in a variety of areas.

Active in IABC since 1981, Griewahn has been a member of two chapters and served on the U.S. District 3 board. She has held a number of leadership positions in IABC/Washington, including president. She also served on the IABC/Philadelphia board.

In her tenure in Washington, a "twinning" program, connecting IABC/Washington and IABC/London as twin chapters, was instituted.

Griewahn received her bachelor's degree in communication from The College of Wooster.

Stephanie M. Griffiths is the senior partner of Material Assistance, Johannesburg, SA, an organisational development and applied communication practice.

Before founding Material Assistance 10 years ago, Griffiths worked in communication, human resources and organisational development with the Star, South Africa's leading daily newspaper, and edited various consumer and financial journals within the Barlow Rand Group.

Griffiths served on the IABC Research Foundation research committee. She has served on the IABC/Southern Africa board since 1994 and is a past chapter president. She has served on the board of SAAIE (South African Association of Industrial Editors) and on a regional board of SACOB (South African Chamber of Business).

Her tertiary studies have been in behavioural science and organisational communication, and she is currently completing an MBA.

Carol A. Poore, ABC, is director of communication for New West Energy, a separate affiliate of Salt River Project, the nation's third-largest public power electric and water utility based in Phoenix, Ariz.

Her experience includes more than a decade in corporate communication and media relations, with emphasis on strategic communication planning, publications management and executive speech writing.

Poore earned her master's degree in business (MBA) from Arizona State University (ASU) as a member of the Executive MBA Program, and she holds a bachelor of science degree in television production, broadcasting and journalism from ASU.

Jennifer A. Wah, ABC, is president and principal consultant of her own company, Forwords Communication Inc., North Vancouver. Wah practices a virtual strategic alliance approach for a variety of clients in the not-for-profit and other sectors.

In the seven years since she began consulting, Wah's work has won more than 20 awards for communication planning, creative and editorial management and writing, including three IABC Gold Quill awards.

A past president of IABC/BC, she has been an active volunteer for many years, and she won the chapter's Volunteer of the Year award in 1999. She has served on the IABC Gold Quill blue ribbon panel twice, the IABC international conference Vancouver 2000 Task Force, and the program advisory committee for the New York international conference in 2001. Wah is currently accreditation liaison for IABC/BC.

Gloria Walker, ABC, is a strategic communication consultant, focusing on corporate and employee communication and public affairs.

She has written and spoken on a variety of topics, including issues management, communication management, leadership and public affairs.

An IABC member since 1988, Walker has held a number of positions in IABC/UK, including chapter president. She also chaired the IABC Research Foundation research committee, has helped judge Gold Quill award entries, and actively supports the IABC/UK's accreditation programme.

Walker has a bachelor's degree in journalism from West Virginia University and a master's in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, and she is pursuing a doctorate in organizational psychology from the London School of Economics.

Sharon L. Wamble King has more than 20 years experience in organizational communication. She currently serves as a business consultant at Andersen, LLP, in San Francisco. Previous to her current position, she served as a communication consultant at William M. Mercer and in a variety of senior level public affairs positions at Kaiser Permanente.

She has served in a number of leadership positions within IABC, including San Francisco chapter board (1998), IABCs international board (1993-1997), Foundation trustee (1994-1995), Multiculturalism Committee chairperson (1991-1993) and the Gold Quill blue ribbon panel (1998-2001).

Wamble King has earned a B.S. (magna cum laude) in communication and sociology and an M.S. (Phi Beta Psi) in Mass Communication.

Marcia A. White, ABC, is vice president of community relations for the Foundation for Educational Funding, Inc., in Lincoln, Neb. She also is adjunct faculty to Doane College,--Lincoln, Neb., where she teaches public relations.

An 18-year member of IABC, White served in many capacities at local and district levels, including chapter president of IABC/Lincoln and district director of U.S. District 4. White is a Gold Quill award winner and received her accreditation in 1991. She has chaired the EXCEL award committee and served as Gold Quill division coordinator and on the Gold Quill blue ribbon panel. She served on the IABC accreditation board.

White received her bachelor's degree in agriculture and master's degree in adult and continuing education from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.