Executive Board

Serving the Southern Region of IABC.

Our Vision

We share the vision to see professional communication at the heart of every organization.

With more than 250 years of experience and expertise in communication, marketing and public relations across diverse fields ranging from energy to government, finance, education, healthcare, manufacturing and human services, we’ve produced award-winning work for agencies, corporations, small businesses and nonprofits.

But we don’t stop there. We’ve also served on local IABC chapter boards leading them to thrive with proven strategies that effectively lead, sustain and grow chapters.

Executive Board

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Chair

Linda Wesley, CMP, (IABC Central Oklahoma) is passionate about helping small businesses and nonprofits better tell their story through strategic communications plans and consistent content and messaging. Prior to starting StoryPath Communications in 2014, she held positions with a corporate relocation firm, a K-12 school district, and a public health state agency. Her experience includes communications strategy, website content development, print publications, writing, editing, social media, and internal communications. She has served on IABC boards in Central Oklahoma (Secretary, VP of Membership, President and Past President) and in St. Louis (Bronze Quill Chair).

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Vice Chair

South was elected to the South Carolina IABC Board in 2014, attended the IABC National Leadership Institute, and served as president in 2018. She served as a chapter liaison for IABC’s Southern Region in 2021 and was elected in 2022 to the regional board as vice president of chapter services. South is president of the Alison South Marketing Group with offices in South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and South Florida. The full-service agency has won international, regional and statewide awards for its work. As a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, South was a reporter, editor and photographer at the Columbia Missourian newspaper and later assumed an editorial position at Bobbin International, publisher of the textile industry’s management magazine, published in English and Spanish. She went on to become the assistant director of media relations and spokesperson for the University of South Carolina.

After finishing her master’s degree in public administration at USC, specializing in health care, South became the director of public relations and...

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VP Administration

Since 2013, Gordon has been making his contribution to the OUR’s corporate communications team as the Public Affairs Coordinator. In this capacity, he serves the organisation’s public education and corporate communication needs through its intensive slew of activities. These include writing content for various media formats and audiences, corporate and community event management, community liaison, as well as social media and website content management. At times, Gordon also champions the organisation’s public education mandate through various public speaking roles.

Prior to joining the OUR, Gordon was part of the family at the Gleaner

Company of Jamaica. Thereafter, he served at Jamaica Post, where he headed the Marketing Department for seven years. For five of those years he was the ‘ghost writer’ of the weekly Jamaica Post news articles published in the Daily Gleaner, which had a tremendous impact in transforming public perception of the nation’s postal service positives - attained by highlighting its achievements.

A certified Communications Management...

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VP Finance

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VP Communications

Jennifer has spent nearly 20 years working in professional communication roles from internal communications to media relations and advertising – focused mostly on manufacturing and the energy industry. In her current role, she is responsible for global employee experience for Koch Industries.

Jennifer holds a Master of Arts in Communication and Leadership from Gonzaga University and is certified through the GCCC as a Strategic Communications Management Professional.

As a board member for IABC, she has been active on the certification committee's testing development team and the local Tulsa chapter. She also devotes her time to advocating for the higher education of Native American students and sits on the Indian Education & JOM board and the public school board for Liberty Public Schools.

Jennifer grew up in Oklahoma and enjoys spending time with her husband and two boys.

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VP Chapter Services

Paul Ladd is Senior Correspondent for World Christian Broadcasting, based in the Nashville, Tennessee area. Paul has worked for Westwood One, as well as in print and TV news, and also served in the administration of Gov. Don Sundquist. His IABC experience includes two terms as president of the Nashville chapter; Treasurer for the Southern Region; and a member of the International Editorial Policy Committee. A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and Lenoir Community College, Paul has won several awards for his work, including induction earlier this year into IABC Nashville’s Hall of Fame.

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VP Membership

Mark Evans, MS, SCMP, (IABC Austin) is the owner of On The Point Communications, LLC, which specializes in public relations, crisis communication, social media, and corporate communications. Mark is a more than 25-year veteran of the public relations/strategic communications industry and advises clients on a wide variety of topics, including messaging, issues management, marketing/communications program development, and digital/social media strategy. He also teaches business communications at Texas State University, and previously taught media writing at Texas A&M University. He holds a master’s degree in science & technology journalism and bachelor’s degrees in biology and journalism from Texas A&M. Mark is a longtime member of the IABC. He has served as an appointed member of the IABC Academy Committee, which oversees all education and certification programs for the international association. He is a past president of the Austin chapter and co-chaired the IABC Southern Region Conference that was held there in October 2014. He...

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VP Leadership Development

Stacey Dickson (Kansas City IABC) is an experienced marketing communications strategist with diverse achievements and proven success at increasing awareness, driving revenue, and meeting organizational goals. She is the Product Marketing Manager for TouchNet, a Global Payments Company, where she promotes the software company’s products and features to clients and prospect. Stacey's outstanding innovation, cross organization teamwork, and leadership, along with her commitment to company values, placed her in the top 2.5% of performers and earned her the 2022 Global Payments Circle of Excellence award. She served on the KC IABC board for over a decade—twice as president—and is currently co-chair of the Master’s special interest group. A regular judge for communications awards competitions, she has also earned many awards herself, including KC IABC Volunteer of the Year in 2020 and 2013. Prior Southern Region service includes Chapter Liaison and two years as the Speaker Director for the connect2comms Conference. Stacey received her...

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VP Professional Development

Alison Shuman, CPCU, ARe, ARM, AINS, AIS (IABC South Carolina) is a corporate communications coordinator II for Farm Bureau Insurance, a leading provider of auto, home, and life insurance in South Carolina. Prior to joining Farm Bureau Insurance in 2007, Shuman was the scholastic press manager for the South Carolina Scholastic Press Association (SCSPA) and the Southern Interscholastic Press Association. She was also the assistant director of the Carolina Journalism Institute. Alison is an active member of the IABC South Carolina chapter, AAF of the Midlands, and the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter Society of South Carolina (CPCU/SC). She has held numerous board positions including president with IABC/SC and CPCU/SC and currently serves as a member-at-large with IABC/SC and a director with CPCU/SC. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in advertising and a minor in retail from the University of South Carolina. During college, Alison participated in the third-place national J. Carroll Bateman Competition Team known as Palmetto Solutions and the...

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We look forward to meeting you

  • At the Southern Region, we create community for more than 900 members, hundreds of chapter leaders and 21 local chapters.
  • Please reach out with questions, successes and challenges. We would love to hear from you.

Contact Jordan Nagel, Chair