Michael Deas, ABC, SCMP, (IABC Nashville) has filled a number of diverse roles over his 36-year career: editor, missionary, translator, marketing manager, corporate communications manager, and communications director. Currently, Mike is marketing manager for the Lee Company, a 300-million-dollar home and facility services firm in Franklin, Tennessee.

Mike has been a member of IABC for 24 years, a chapter president of IABC South Carolina, an Accredited Business Communicator since 2004, and a Strategic Communication Management Professional since 2018. In 2020 Mike served on the board of IABC Nashville and was named IABC Nashville’s “Communicator of the Year.” He has been recognized 18 times with awards for excellence in communication. And yes—he has friends on the PRSA side of the aisle as well!

His wide range of experience in both internal and external communication roles—for companies large and small, public and private, for-profit and nonprofit, on both sides of the Atlantic, in two languages–equips him with insight on the...

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. She served on the KC IABC board for over a decade—twice as president. Prior Southern Region service includes two years as the Speaker Director for the connect2comms Conference. Stacey received her Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations with an emphasis in Marketing from Kansas State University.

Chapters: Houston & Topeka

Mark Estes, ABC, (IABC Phoenix) has four decades of experience in employee and corporate communications and marketing, primarily in the utility industry and health care. He also was a newspaper and magazine editor and reporter in his journalistic salad days. He’s received more than 40 awards for writing, editing and communications management.

Estes served the IABC Phoenix board in numerous capacities and received that chapter’s President’s Award. Since becoming accredited in 1990, Estes has judged for local, regional and Gold Quill awards programs, as well as serving on numerous IABC Blue Ribbon Gold Quill panels. He was a member of the IABC accreditation council and chairman of the organization’s ethics committee. He was honored with the Rae Hamlin Award for his work on the IABC Shanghai Public Relations Association accreditation project. Most recently, he served as an elections inspector/team leader for Maricopa County.

Chapters: Austin, Brazos Valley, Phoenix

Kim Grozek West, MMC, (IABC Phoenix) is a strategic, innovative communications leader with a career spanning almost two decades in corporate communications and community relations with Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits. Currently, Kim is a Director of Employee Communications at Charles Schwab where she serves as a trusted advisor to senior executives on communications strategies and engagement plans. She also leads and acts as a thought partner on multiple community relations campaigns for the firm. In all of her work, she believes that success hinges on the ability to tell a good story that engages and connects, and captures an organization’s heart and imagination.

Kim is a long-time IABC member, serving in a variety of board positions with IABC Phoenix since 2009. She was President, Executive Vice President, Vice President – Finance & Administration, Vice President – Community Involvement, Vice President – Internal Communications and Vice President – Special Events. Kim holds a master’s degree in mass communications from the...

Melinda Guravich (IABC Dallas), owner of End2End Branding, helps B2B companies put more cowbell in their brands with visibility strategies the entire team can get behind and activate. Her career has included creating global communications infrastructure and processes to support marketing teams in 36 countries. She’s built marketing and communications departments from scratch, twice, for a social impact technology company and for the oldest community foundation in Texas.

Melinda graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with bachelor’s degrees in international business and Spanish. She earned a master’s degree in international management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona. She first joined IABC in 2005 and served on the IABC Dallas board for six years, including as programs director and president. She’s received four Dallas Quill Awards and the chapter’s Communicator of the Year Award.

Chapters: Atlanta, Charlotte, Jacksonville

Cynthia South (IABC South Carolina) is president and co-founder of Alison South Marketing Group, a full-service marketing agency with offices in five states. She has worked in advertising, public relations, radio, and print news media and has extensive experience in the healthcare field. She has a master’s degree in public administration with a specialization in healthcare from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri – Columbia.

She has served in multiple IABC leadership roles for the South Carolina chapter, as well as serving on programs, awards, and annual joint conference committees for PRSA. She has attended the IABC Southern Region connect2comms conference and IABC Leadership Institute and is also a regular judge for Silver Quills and chapter-level quill awards.

Chapters: Barbados, Kansas City, NC Triangle