President

Sue Kraus
Principal
SMK Marketing & Communications
Apple Valley, MN
suekraus@frontiernet.net

Bio:  Sue Kraus has more than 19 years of experience in corporate and agency environments, working across a variety of industries and organizations. She opened her independent consulting firm in 2002 to help clients create organizational success through strategic and targeted communications and marketing support.  She has been a member of IABC since 1989 and has held multiple committee and board positions.

Duties: Manages chapter affairs on behalf of members and represents the chapter to IABC headquarters. The president works with the board to implement IABC Minnesota's long-range plan and to set and follow an annual strategic plan based on current member needs.

The president is a member of the IABC Minnesota Executive Committee.

President-Elect

Julia Nelson
President
Nelson Communications, LLC
Eden Prairie, MN
julia@nelson-communications.com

Bio:  Julia Nelson has more than 10 years of marketing communications and public relations experience in the health care, nonprofit and retail industries. At the start of 2005, she formed her own firm, Nelson Communications. Her work is focused on helping clients spread the word about their products, services and mission using a variety of communication strategies, including media relations, web sites, special events and literature.

Duties: Provides strategic and visionary focus to the chapter board. The president-elect serves as a link with and brings value to district and international activities for our chapter and succeeds to the office of president after serving one year as president-elect.

The president-elect is a member of the IABC Minnesota Executive Committee.

Past-President

Brett Pyrtle
Principal
Turning Point Communications
St. Paul, MN
brett_pyrtle@msn.com

Bio:  Prior to launching Turning Point Communications, Brett spent over 20 years in corporate, non-profit, and agency PR leadership positions. As a consultant, he provides internal communication, marketing communication, measurement and writing/project management services to clients. He has served in a wide variety of IABC roles since 1993.  

Duties: Provides strategic and visionary focus to the chapter board and serves as an advisor and resource for the executive committee.

The past-president is a member of the IABC Minnesota Executive Committee.

Secretary

Kathy Guthrie
Communications Director
TIES Education Technology
St. Paul, MN
guthrie@ties.k12.mn.us

Bio: With over 20 years of communications and public relations experience, Kathy is currently the communications director of TIES, where she built the communications and marketing services for this education software developer. Previously, she served as the communication director of the state’s Minnesota Planning Department, where she helped shape many state policies. In her personal time, she enjoys politics, the outdoors and the arts, all with a healthy blend of family, friends and laughter. She is renowned for having more serving dishes than Martha Stewart.

Duties: Keeps records of IABC Minnesota board meetings and assists in the management of the IABC Minnesota office on behalf of the board and members at large; assists in organizing the board orientation process and mid-year assessment.

Vice President, Finance

Barb Epstein
President
Marketing Midwest
Golden Valley, MN
barb@marketingmidwest.com

Bio:  Barb founded Marketing Midwest in 1989.  Today, along with a staff of 12, she provides strategic media planning and buying services for a wide variety of private and public sector organizations on a local, regional and national level.  Marketing Midwest also operates as the media buying arm of several public relations firms and advertising agencies.  

Duties: Leads and provides direction to the chapter’s financial activities, oversees the annual budgeting process and ensures that we are following sound financial procedures to maintain the chapter’s financial health. 

The Vice President/Finance is a member of the IABC Minnesota Executive Committee.

Treasurer

Jennifer Krempin Bridgman
Communications and Public Relations Manager
Leonard, Street and Deinard
Minneapolis, MN & Washington D.C.
Jennifer.bridgman@leonard.com

Bio: Jennifer has more than a decade of corporate communications experience in financial services, health care and legal services. In her current role, she manages the marketing/communications team at the law firm of Leonard, Street and Deinard, with responsibility for internal and external communications, creative services, media and public relations, and event coordination, in support of the firm’s business development objectives. She commutes between the firm’s Minneapolis and Washington, D.C., offices.

Duties: Serves as chief financial officer of the chapter; manages the financial planning for chapter and ensures fiscal responsibility and stewardship of member dollars in accordance with chapter bylaws and each year’s approved operating budget.
The treasurer is a member of the IABC Minnesota Executive Committee.

Reports To: VP/Finance

Director, Business Partnerships

Jason Inskeep
Principal
Adsoka
Minneapolis, MN
Jason@adsoka.com

Bio:  As principal of Adsoka, Jason leads the agency’s full-scale marketing efforts. Producing integrated marketing efforts on both client and agency side for over twenty years, Jason also serves on a number or arts and community boards. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in marketing and a master’s in organizational management.
Jason resides in St. Louis Park with his wife, Patricia, and their teenage twins.

Duties: Supports and creates business development for chapter partnerships, sponsorships and joint ventures. Pursues new platforms upon which added value can be brought to both IABC Minnesota's business partners as well as members at large.

Reports To: VP/Finance

Vice President, Career Development

Beth Johnson
Marketing Communications
Minneapolis, MN
bjohnson@threeriversparkdistrict.org

Bio:  Beth has spent her 23-year career building community through communications. A former pre K-12 summer school director, communications manager, regional trainer and community relations director in public schools, she is now in marketing communications with Three Rivers Park District. 

Duties: Leads and provides direction to leadership development efforts; oversees, coordinates and provides strategic direction to directors in this portfolio area; ensures integration among board activities.

The Vice President/Career Development is a member of the IABC Minnesota Executive Committee.

Director, Leadership Recognition & Development

Teresa Westrich
Product Line Marketing
Center for Diagnostic Imaging
Minneapolis, MN
twestrich@cdirad.com

Bio: Teresa has more than 11 years experience in public relations, marketing communications and product marketing. She spent the early part of her career with Fleishman Hillard in Minneapolis providing strategic planning, media relations and analyst relations for companies in the business-to-business, e-commerce, financial services and retail sectors. Currently Teresa is the manager of product line marketing for Center for Diagnostic Imaging (CDI), a local outpatient radiology company that owns and operates 39 clinics in eight markets nationally.

Duties: Develops and plans programs that help develop chapter leaders and provides leadership and training opportunities for IABC Minnesota volunteers; assists in succession planning for the board of directors; responsible for overseeing accreditation.

Reports To: VP/Career Development

Vice President, Membership

Stacey Stratton
Account Executive, CSP
Celarity, Inc.
Bloomington, MN 
stacey@celarity.com

Bio:  Stacey has more than seven years of sales and marketing experience with a focus on recruiting for marketing and creative positions. As an account executive for Celarity, she works with clients on their staffing needs to determine the best fit for their positions, anything from temporary to permanent. 

Duties: Oversees activities related to member recruitment and retention; member research (annual survey); member involvement and volunteering; and networking events.

The Vice President/Membership is a member of the IABC Minnesota Executive Committee.

Director, Member Involvement

Susan O’Reilly
Principal
O’Reilly Creative
Minneapolis, MN
s.oreilly@oreillycreative.biz

Bio:  Susan has more than 15 years of experience in internal communications, marketing communications and public affairs spanning a variety of industries, including federal and local governments, retail and med-tech. Susan formed an independent consulting firm in 2005, providing internal communications, marketing communications, project management and creative services to clients.

Duties: Serves as the central contact point for chapter leaders recruiting committee members; matches interested members with volunteer positions; develops opportunities for networking.

Reports To: VP/Membership

Chair, Corporate Memberships

Beth Wellesley
President
Promoting Brilliance, Inc.
Minneapolis, MN
beth@promotingbrilliance.com

Bio: Beth is a career and collaborative communication consultant. She founded her business Promoting Brilliance, Inc. in 1995. For the last 20 years Beth has worked as a career coach and cultural change agent. During that time Beth has helped people and organizations benefit from the value of looking at things from a different direction. Her practical approach to growing collaborative, cohesive enterprises evolved from her experience in career consulting, organizational development, human resources and communications.

Duties: Manages corporate memberships, contacts companies to engage new members.

Reports To: VP/Membership

Vice President, Professional Development

Anne Brownfield Brown
Director of Employee Communications
SUPERVALU
Eden Prairie, Minn.
Anne.B.Brown@supervalu.com

Bio: Anne Brownfield Brown is Director of Employee Communications at SUPERVALU where she leads communications programs for 190,000 employees across the U.S. Prior to joining SUPERVALU, she was a member of the Corporate Communications team at General Mills. Brown has more than 20 years experience in corporate communications.

Duties: Leads and provides direction to professional development efforts; oversees, coordinates and provides strategic direction to directors in this portfolio area; leads annual strategic planning for professional development activities.

The Vice President/Professional Development is a member of the IABC Minnesota Executive Committee.

Director, Specialty Programs

OPEN

Duties: Develops, plans and manages specialty chapter programming to serve niche areas of the chapter, including special interest groups and workshops. Creates resources for ongoing professional development and individual growth for area communicators. Links all programming with strategic vision, matched to annual plans of the chapter and from member research.

Reports To: VP/Professional Development

Director, Regular Programming

Polly Deane
Communications Manager
Imation Corporation
Oakdale, Minnesota
pdeane@imation.com
 
Bio:  Polly is employed at Imation, where her current responsibilities include internal communications and global brand identity. Throughout her career, she has been fortunate to work in a variety of communication disciplines, ranging from public relations and marketing communications to internal communications and journalism.

Duties: Develops, plans and manages regular chapter programming for all areas of member interest. Creates resources for ongoing professional development and individual growth for area communicators. Links all programming with strategic vision, matched to annual plans of the chapter and from member research.

Reports To: VP/Professional Development

Vice President, Communications

Dave Meyer
AVP, Retail Communications Manager
U.S. Bank
Minneapolis, MN
dave.meyer@bizzyweb.com

Bio: Dave has 10 years experience in media relations and internal communications, and currently manages internal communications for U.S. Bank's retail branch network. Before joining U.S. Bank in 2000, Dave previously worked with Fleishman-Hillard, Weber Shandwick, the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance and West Group. Dave earned his MBA in 2003 from the University of St. Thomas, and also runs BizzyWeb LLC, a small Web design and communications company.

Duties: Develops communications plan based upon the chapter’s annual strategic operating plan. Manages chapter Marketing, Branding, Online Communications and Media Relations efforts. Consults with other board members on communications-related issues.

The Vice President / Communications is a member of the IABC Minnesota Executive Committee.

Director, Online Communications

Scott Mikesh
Senior Communications Specialist
Medica
Minneapolis, MN
Scott.mikesh@medica.com

Bio: Scott has 10 years experience in marketing and communications, with an educational background in social psychology, mass media communications and Web design. He currently manages internal communications, intranet strategy and brand guidelines for Medica Health Plans. Prior to joining Medica, Scott managed marketing and communications for InterStudy Publications and provided freelance graphic and Web design.

Duties: Manages internal partnerships and interactive communications roles. Handles content approvals for all event submissions, and responsible for collecting all internal communication requests. Manages the Web presence of IABC Minnesota, including the production and development of News & Views, mid-month emails, and all general content to be posted on the website.

Reports To: VP/Communications

Director, Marketing & Brand

Jill L. Daneu
President
Daneu Communications
Apple Valley, Minnesota
jill@daneucom.com

Bio: Jill Daneu is a marketing communications and training consultant who specializes in business-to-business marketing and training solutions for the high-tech, med-tech, and industrial markets.  With over 25 years’ experience in communications and training, Jill is exceptionally skilled in the development and execution of effective corporate and brand identity, marketing communications, industry advertising, sales support, e-learning, and training development.

Prior to starting her own business over a decade ago, Jill was the Director of Marketing Communications at AmeriData, a worldwide computer reseller. She also held corporate marketing management positions at Pitney Bowes, MTS Systems, and Control Data.  Jill’s previous IABC board position was Chair of Sponsorships.  

Duties: Manages the brand promise and identity in bringing the new IABC brand to life in the chapter. Manages design sponsors(s) to develop chapter brand standards and formats for deliverables such as Web and e-communications, postcards, invitations, brochures, ads, newsletters, stationery, signs, banners, and anything else that visually presents the chapter. Develops sponsor and member profiles for publication in News & Views and other communications vehicles.

Reports To: VP/Communications

Past Chapter Presidents

2005-2006 Brett Pyrtle
2004-2005 Martha Nevanen
2003-2004 Cynthia Schmieg
2002-2003 Karl Oestreich, ABC
2001-2002 Ann Krzmarzick
2000-2001 Bruce Smith
1999-2000 Ione Terrio
1998-1999 Brian Everett, ABC
1997-1998 Joanne Henry
1996-1997 Julie Anderson
1995-1996 Sayre D. Carlson
1994-1995 Sue J. Verbrugge
1993-1994 Margaret W. Arnold
1992-1993 Deborah Becker
1990-1991 Carol J. Bauer
1989-1990 Monica Westerlund
1988-1989 Mary Ann McCauley, ABC
1987-1988 Barbara J. Perkins
1986-1987 David A. Karpinski
1985-1986 Patricia Goodwin
1983-1984 Donald R. Bruun, ABC
1982-1983 Barie Carmichael
1981-1982 Karen M. Leonard
1980-1981 David C. Kistle, ABC
1979-1980 Myra Krueger
1974-1975 Michael Hyduke, ABC
1973-1974 Kristie L. Greve, APR
1968-1969 Lawrence J. Anderson

Office

IABC Minnesota
1821 University Avenue West, #S256
St. Paul, MN 55104
p: 612-333-4222
f: 651-917-1835
iabcmn@nonprofitsolutions.com