It just got real. Thank you to all of our members who took the time to decide the leadership for IABC Calgary for the 2016-17 year.
With the Board now set, I’m extremely confident about the team we’ve put together for what is sure to be a busy year. We have formed an incredibly diverse team of communications professionals from sectors ranging from corporate, not-for-profit, government, education and consulting. Each of us has come through the IABC ranks in a variety of ways as new members, senior members, long-term board members or volunteers. This broad range of experiences, disciplines and specialties positions our organization to be able to handle anything in the coming year.
Our chapter has always prided itself as being the second largest Chapter in the world. However with Alberta’s economic slump beginning to impact our numbers, our chapter continues to showcase and highlight the value IABC provides communicators to ensure they don’t let their membership lapse. Sure, we can all get complacent in furthering our own career development and remaining active in our tight knit community, but now isn’t the time to do that. I think we just need a reminder once in a while of how good IABC can be.
Together we can remain a shining example of what a strong communications community looks like. This upcoming season we celebrate IABC Calgary’s 50th year of serving Calgary. We’ve helped develop leaders in our community, held major events to strengthen our industry, and have received international recognition for our work. We need to celebrate and we want to celebrate with all of you.
As the 17 leaders for Calgary, we know we have a great responsibility for driving our amazing organization forward. We’re going to start our planning next month and I can tell you this now, expect great things for our 50th anniversary. Our team is excited for this milestone year and we’re ambitious in what we want to deliver for the city.
We’re about Connecting You: Connecting all of us to each other, to resources and knowledge and to the whole world of communications. This is what we want to do for you and hope you come out to our events and activities to meet us and see how amazing our chapter has really become.
To my incoming Board: Thank you. Thank you for making the decision to be a leader in our organization. Thank you for wanting to better our industry. Thank you for all the effort I know you’ll be putting into this year’s term.
I feel fortunate for the team that we’ve gathered and hope that everyone finds their time on the Board as fulfilling as I have found it over my career with IABC. I aim to make it fun for everyone, but I also intend to accomplish some great things.
There’s only one thing I can leave for everyone to sum up our coming year …
Will Tigley
IABC Calgary President 2016-17
