The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Caribbean's 2006/2007 executive council are (from left, front row) Cloreth Greene, president; Dionne Rhoden, vice-president, finance; Othniel Harris, vice-president, information technology; and Gillian Scott, vice-president, sponsorship. Other executive members are (from left, back row) Marcia Bowen, executive vice-president/vice-president, public relations; Leo Lambert, advisor; Patricia Tyrell, immediate past president; Stuart Stimpson, legal advisor; Major Charlene Steer, vice-president, administration; and Pastor George Williams, chaplain.

Senior corporate executives, friends and families came in their numbers to the Jamaica Pegasus hotel last Wednesday, to witness the symbolic passing of the gavel to new International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Caribbean Chapter president, Cloreth Greene and her executive.

Greene, an accredited business communicator (ABC), is the fifth president of IABC Caribbean, and the first one to have earned the ABC designation.

The IABC also welcomed two more Caribbean professionals to the world-class rank of the ABC; Greene, a communications consultant and Yvonne Grinam-Nicholson, a senior executive with the Jamaica Stock Exchange. They join an �lite grouping of less than 800 ABCs in the world.

The IABC, which is in 60 countries and networks 14,000 communicators around the world, put their world class organisation on show, announcing ambitious plans to strengthen the 14-country Caribbean Chapter network. Greene promised cutting edge professional development programmes, student chapter development, and satellite IABC locations throughout Jamaica. At the top of the agenda is the establishment of the Caribbean Chapter as an IABC regional bloc in its own right.

Among those taking the oath of office were Marcia Bowen of Digicel, as executive vice-president/vice-president, public relations; Dionne Rhoden of GraceKennedy as vice-president, finance; Maxine McDonnough, veteran public relations consultant as vice-president, professional development and student chapter; Othneil Harris, CEO of Internet Management Ltd. as vice-president for information technology; Major Charlene Steer of the Jamaica Defence Force as vice-president for administration. The executive board, in an unprecedented move, announced an A-list of renowned professionals as the board's advisory team. They are: Marcia Erskine and Leo Lambert, communications consultants; Stuart Stimpson, legal adviser; Andrew Robinson, auditor, and Pastor George Williams, chaplain. Their services are given free of charge to the new executive.

Spotted at the installation ceremony were Michelle English,FLOW Communications general manager, who had a booth out; Keith Brown of Heineken Startime fame, who introduced the IABC to the region; Wyvolyn Gager, former Gleaner editor-in-chief, George Watson, founder of St. Elizabeth Homecoming; Michael Bryce of RJR Group; Allison Christie Binger of Illuminarte Communications and Delmaris White of NCB Wellness and Recreation Centre.