Being part of my community

Last week, I officially became President of the Canberra Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators.

It wasn’t a position I sought out. I wasn’t sure I was the right person or had enough time while trying to run a small business. But it is me my fellow board members have put their trust in. For those that know me you know I don’t do things half-heartedly, so here we go. I am all in. 2022 will be another great year for our chapter.

I am an ex-public servant, a small business owner, a proud Ken Behran, and a proud communication professional.

I love what I do. I joined the IABC Canberra board because I believe we have such a strong comms community here in Canberra, and I want to support every single person to be the best they can be. I strongly believe that we can be better together. We can share stories, lessons, and resources. We can teach each other new skills and information. The better we all are at our craft, the more respected and uplifted our profession will be. 

My business’s purpose is to demonstrate the value of communications every day. Being a part of IABC helps me do just that. From professional development and certification to networks around the globe and access to resources – it provides so much to make us better professionals. Above all else, it makes me feel like I am not alone. Others out there get the challenges and the triumphs of what we do.  

Again this year, I feel so lucky to be part of a supportive, fun, and passionate board. They turn up every time, no matter what else they are dealing with at work, making our events run seamlessly and supporting our community. Being on the board is a time commitment, and every one of us has other commitments in our lives but being high achieving comms professionals means saying ‘yes’ and showing up.

This year I will lead the board to focus on increasing our community through a great calendar of events to support local Canberra comms professionals to meet each other and build their capabilities. We want to hear from you.

If you’re in communications – public, private, student or solo – tell us what you want us to focus on this year. Do our survey! It will only take 2 minutes.

We have big things in store for 2022, starting with our Corporate Snakes and Ladders event on 9 March. We kept this event small and interactive, so if you are keen to navigate the ambiguity between theory and practice through real-world scenarios, grab your ticket today.

Want to know more about IABC Canberra? I am always up for a coffee and a chat!