Senior Delegate Dianne Chase and I had the opportunity to attend the IABC Southern Region Conference in Houston last week. As usual for IABC events, there was amazing networking and sharing of best practices related to all aspects of business communications.

Connecting People
The conference sessions I attended focused primarily on employee communications and social media. One theme was consistent throughout the sessions: It's about the people. The latest and greatest whiz-bang technology is great, and we should definitely make sure that we're using it well. But it's essential to remember that at the end of the day, it's about connecting people with each other so that they can work together to achieve the objectives of the organization.
 
Speaking of People... 
A warm welcome to Jimmy Graham, Jennifer Sharpe and Dina Dembicki who recently joined IABC/Charlotte. We're glad you're here!
 
Folks Behind the Scenes

IABC/Charlotte has the benefit of a number of talented communication professionals working quietly behind the scenes to make possible.  In addition to the folks serving on the Board of Directors, we want to give a  big shout out to Michelle Blumenthal for her help in getting our Web-site refresh off the ground, to Mark Morris who serves as our webmaster, and to Beth Griffiths, who helps make these monthly newsletters possible through her online skills. Thanks also go to IABC members Jimmy Graham, Susanne Griffing and Diane St. John, who helped judge entries for the IABC/South Carolina Palmetto Awards.
 
Your Impressions

During the conference, chair Mark Schuman held a lively session on "The New Communicator: How to Succeed in a New Communication World." Among the words of wisdom and insight that he shared, Mark offered this recipe of four questions to ask people within our organizations. I'd love to hear your answers about your involvement with IABC/Charlotte. 
 
1.  Why did you join?

2.  Why do you stay?

3.  Why would you leave?

4.  What would you miss?