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Five questions for Tom Roux, new Yankee IABC president

What are you looking forward to doing as the new Yankee IABC president when your term starts in July?
I’m most looking forward to working with a much broader [group of] volunteers to enhance the value that we bring to members. Value is going to be an ongoing theme for me—delivering, enhancing, and communicating it. Oftentimes people join IABC and don’t fully appreciate the extent of services and opportunities available to them—both internationally and locally.

Any changes in the works?
Yes, lots of changes. We will be implementing several changes to the board of directors. In May, the board looked at the value proposition that we, as a chapter, offer and wondered how we can differentiate what we do locally from the regional and international levels of IABC. We asked ourselves: How can we better organize Yankee IABC to deliver the events, services, and opportunities our members most appreciate? With the new, larger board structure, we have an opportunity to get more [members] more involved and give them more responsibility. And the hope is that as members get more involved, they will get more from their membership, and perhaps, run for a board position and help inspire change.

How did your year as president-elect prepare you for your new role?
This is the first year we had the president-elect position, in addition to the previously existing roles of president and past president. The “future-present-past” structure is a wonderful model that definitely prepared me for the managerial challenges related to harnessing the collected talents of our board members.

While I had no official duties, I worked under the wing of President Dave Seifert and was able to see things with a different eye—more strategically. It gave me a chance to think about what the president really does, to thoughtfully consider what I’d like to accomplish in my term, and to adjust my own thinking about how the president represents the organization.

What made you volunteer for presidency?
What I’ve found is that the volunteerism aspect of IABC really sets it apart from other organizations. The strength of our chapter is built upon the energy level and active leadership of the volunteers—all volunteers, not just the board.

Over the course of my membership in IABC, I’ve gone through a real evolution in terms of my participation and commitment. When I first joined, I knew it would help me grow in my career, but I didn’t appreciate all that it offered—just what I read in CW Magazine. I didn’t attend a single event for the first 2 or 3 years—something not uncommon among our membership.

Then in 2003, I saw an advertisement asking for volunteers for an upcoming chapter conference. It was a short, defined role and a chance to get my feet wet. It turned out to be a tremendous experience. The people involved were wonderful and consummate professionals.

That was the start of it. I’ve since served on a committee and been a member of the board for several terms, this past year [serving] as president-elect. Volunteering has given me a chance to add to my skill sets, meet a lot of great people, develop my leadership abilities, and expand my network. The chance to volunteer is such a big benefit of my membership, in fact, that even after [my term as president ends], I will still want to volunteer on a committee or at an event in the years to come.

Where do you see Yankee IABC in 5 years?
We’re hovering around 250 members. Given the number of professional communicators in the five states we serve—many of whom may not be aware of us or what we can offer—the potential exists for Yankee to be twice the size. With any increase in size, we have the potential for a more robust team of volunteers managing various events and services. We’ll end up with more opportunities for chapter members, and consequently, greater value for their IABC membership.