IABC DC Board Of Directors
President:
Makini Nyanteh
president@iabcdcmetro.org
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Makini Nyanteh is the senior director of Internal Communications for MedImmune. She oversees the design, strategy, and management of all internal communications channels while leading a global team responsible for change, leadership, executive and electronic communications. Before joining MedImmune, Makini led the Global Employee Communications team at MeadWestvaco, a global packaging manufacturer headquartered in Richmond, Va. Makini has more than 18 years of professional communications experience focused on employee, strategy and crisis communications. She has worked in the public and private sectors for notable companies including Whirlpool Corporation, Potomac Electric Power Company, Whole Foods Market and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. |
Immediate Past President:
Debbi Jarvis
pastpresident@iabcdcmetro.org
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Debbi Jarvis is Vice President, Corporate Communications, of Pepco Holdings, Inc. She is responsible for all external and internal communications for the utility holding company and its three operating utilities -- Pepco, Delmarva Power, and Atlantic City Electric, which together serve about 1.9 million customers in four states and the District of Columbia. Debbi has 20 years of experience in TV and radio news and advertising and is a former anchor/reporter for NBC4 in Washington. She has served on the boards of several charitable organizations in the Washington area, most recently at the United Way National Capital Area regional campaign chair for the District of Columbia. |
President-Elect:
Meghann Scherrer
president-elect@iabcdcmetro.or
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Meghann Scherrer manages strategic partnership development; influencer engagement and management; crisis communications; media relations; content creation; event communications; social media strategy and digital reputation for a variety of Curley Company clients. Prior to joining Curley Company, Meghann was the Director of Communications for the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), a non-profit that supports leading entrepreneurs worldwide. While at EO, Meghann reinvented the strategic communications training for international leaders, managed all event communications from conception to completion, and developed a comprehensive traditional and social media strategy for the organization globally. |
Secretary: Katy Pultz
secretary@iabcdcmetro.org
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Katy Pultz currently serves as a marketing communications supervisor for Triple Canopy, a security and mission support services provider. With an extensive background specializing in internal and external communications, she works closely with senior leadership to develop both internal and external messaging and strategy. Katy is responsible for a wide range of marketing and communications initiatives to include internal and external marketing campaigns, collateral development, advertising, events, and media relations. She also manages the company’s website, employee Intranet and social media presence. Previously, Katy worked for Deltek as a public relations specialist and for VNU Business Media in corporate communications. This is Katy’s fourth term with IABC/DC Metro. |
Co-Vice Presidents, Communications & Media:
Jonathan Rick
comms@iabcdcmetro.org
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Jonathan Rick is the president of the the Jonathan Rick Group, a digital communications firm that helps brands use social media to shape and tell their story. He's led campaigns for Fortune 100 firms, the federal government, national nonprofits and trade associations, startups, and individuals. Jonathan created the digital strategies for the widely lauded White House initiative, Startup America, an eight-city, cabinet-level road show to encourage entrepreneurship, and spearheaded digital marketing and promotion for Operation MySpace, the first concert broadcast online in high definition. He writes for publidations such as Mashable and Fast Company, and is quoted in the New York Times, PR Daily, and other media outlets |
Jim Parsons
comms@iabcdcmetro.org
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The “grand sensei” of iabcdcmetro.org, Jim Parsons has guided the chapter’s Web site for nearly 10 years. Since joining IABC/DC Metro in 1993, Jim has also served as Secretary and Vice President of Education and Community Affairs. Professionally, Jim is in his 18th year as a freelance writer, covering a wide range of engineering, technology, and business topics for magazines, associations, corporations, and non-profit organizations. He is a 500 Club member, and a three-time Silver Inkwell winner for feature stories and editorials. |
Vice President, Finance: Jim Chase
finance@iabcdcmetro.org
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Jim Chase is a Printing Officer at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. He first joined IABC in Minnesota, and is currently serving his seventh term as vice president for Finance with IABC/DC Metro. A former journalist, Jim was equipment editor for Backpacker Magazine, Managing Editor at Skiing, and editor/ publisher of Cross Country Skier. His experience also includes corporate communication copywriting, Web development, corporate training, and print technology. Jim formerly ran the creative “shop” at the U.S. Department of the Interior, and now publishes the federal Budget, for which he develops a wide array of XML-based automated publishing. He is author of Backpacker Magazine’s Guide to the Appalachian Trail. |
Co-Vice Presidents, Membership:
Haley Wright
membership@iabcdcmetro.org
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Haley Wright is an IS Communications Specialist WilmerHale. She more than ten years of experience in communications with organizations across multiple industries, creating strategic communications plans for internal and external audiences. Haley’s expertise is in strategic communications, change management, internal communications and stakeholder relationship management. |
Katie McWilliam
membership@iabcdcmetro.org
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Katie McWilliam is the Senior Communications Coordinator for MBP, a Fairfax-based construction management firm. Katie is responsible for coordinating with internal and external clients developing and implementing communication strategies for promoting services, developing and managing content for social media platforms, directing the publication of internal and external newsletters, developing marketing content, proofreading, and managing media relations activities. She previously worked for the University of Leeds’ communication team in Leeds, England, where she assisted in the University-wide rebrand and developed communication pieces for two major employee initiatives. |
Co-Vice Presidents, Professional Development:
Melvin Murphy
prodev@iabcdcmetro.org
Rebecca Callahan
prodev@iabcdcmetro.org
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Rebecca Callahan is a Public Affairs Specialist with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. She e has developed strong relationships with local, national and international news media; local communities affected by FBI programs and initiatives; written internal and external FBI content and hosted host informational events relating to FBI work in the community. During her off hours, Ms. Callahan is a Public Affairs Liaison for the American Red Cross in National Capital Region. In this role she serves as a liaison between Red Cross staff and local, national and international media in conjunction with state, federal and local authorities. |
Co-Vice President, Silver Inkwell:
Jane Gotiango
silverinkwell@iabcdcmetro.org
Co-Vice President, Sponsorship: Monique Hannis
sponsorship@iabcdcmetro.org
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Monique Hanis is COO & VP Marketing Communications at the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, where she leads the communications and marketing efforts that drives strategic positioning and marketing of the SFI program, overseeing digital media, managing media relations, and acting as spokesperson. As chief of operations, she also manages financial and administrative operations. Monique earned her bachelor's degree in economics and French from Rutgers University and her masters in international management with a concentration in finance, French and European studies from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. |
PORTFOLIO DIRECTORS
Greater Maryland Special Interest Group: Susan Sperry
maryland@iabcdcmetro.org
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Susan Sperry is the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She has been working in communications and marketing for more than 20 years. Prior to joining the Bloomberg School, Sperry was a principal at RTKL for 10 years, managing a global communications and marketing team for the international architecture, planning and creative services organization. Sperry was also a marketing manager with JASMAX Architects in Auckland, New Zealand and held positions with the City of Auckland. |
Senior Communicators: Jeffrey Brooke ABC
scc@iabcdcmetro.org
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Jeffrey Brooke, ABC, is a principal consultant with the MITRE Corporation, where he advises government executives in transformational communication and organizational change management. He has managed internal communication and change-related programs for more than 20 years, and held various communication leadership roles in the federal government. He co-founded the Federal Communicators Network, which shares communication best practices across Federal communication offices. Jeff is also a senior lecturer in the corporate and organizational communications master’s degree program at Northeastern University in Boston, teaching courses addressing communication planning and measurement, organizational culture, and change management. |
Independents: Angie Jennings Sanders
independents@iabcdcmetro.org
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Angie Jennings Sanders is the chief content architect at aiellejai, a boutique content creation consultancy specializing in marketing communications project management, social media engagement, writing instruction/tutoring and book writing/publishing strategy. At the start of her career, she worked as a production assistant for WHSV-TV3, an ABC affiliate in Harrisonburg, Va., then spent a few years working on Capitol Hill with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Angie has also held positions with a boutique public relations firm, a software development company, and a luxury car manufacturer. She’s even a former adjunct English instructor. Angie is a lifelong learner whose talents and years of experience are hard to confine to a 6’x6’ cubicle. |
Networking Happy Hours:
Meghann Scherrer
happyhours@iabcdcmetro.org
Director of Administration: Sherri Core
admin@iabcdcmetro.org
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Sherri Core is the founder and president of Core Association Services, Inc., a Fairfax, Va-based association management firm specializing in services for non-profit associations. For the past decade, she has served as Director of Administration for the IABC/DC Metro chapter. She also provides administrative support for the annual IABC Heritage Region conference and its Silver Quill Awards program Other clients include the Washington, DC area chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, and the Potomac Pedalers Touring Club (the largest bicycle club on the east coast). Her firm also works with RMK Productions in managing the day-to-day activities of Women in Technology. |
General Counsel
Martin Welles
legal@iabcdcmetro.org
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Martin Welles is a management-side labor and employment attorney with the United States Postal Service. He has litigated more than 75 employment discrimination complaints, and negotiated wage, hour, and work rule collective bargaining agreements with the Postal Service’s nine unions that represent 650,000 bargaining unit employees. In addition to serving as pro bono general counsel for the chapter, Marty is a past VP of Finance and member of IABC's 500 Club. |
