About GCCC

Deborah Hileman is President and CEO of the Institute for Crisis Management (ICM), a consulting firm specializing in crisis management and communications planning, training and consulting services. A certified strategic communication management professional (SCMP), business leader, coach and consultant with more than 30 years’ experience in public and private companies and non-profit organizations, Ms. Hileman has led high-performing communications and marketing teams in health care, manufacturing, insurance and financial services, nonprofits and higher education. A regular writer and blogger on business communication topics, she is the author of “Building a Crisis Early Warning System by Empowering Employees to Speak Up”, published in The Book of Employee Communications Strategies & Tactics, vol. 5, PR News Press, and In a Snap: 15 Tips for Faster, More Effective Employee Communications in a Crisis”, published in The Book of Crisis Management Strategies and Tactics, Vol. 8, PR News Press.

Theomary Karamanis, Ph.D. is a multiple Gold Quill Award-winning communication consultant and educator. She has worked in the U.S., Europe, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Canada. She has been actively engaged in various industries (government, private and non-profit) and fields of expertise, including corporate communication, consulting, higher education administration and teaching, executive training, media and research. She is currently a full-time Senior Lecturer of Management Communications at Cornell University (Ithaca, NY), while she regularly delivers executive workshops in strategic communication, crisis communication and leadership communication both in the US and internationally.

Terry Cerisoles currently leads all Global Communications for the American Cancer Society, the largest nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. A member of executive management and reporting to the CEO, she leads teams in public and media relations, issue management, multimedia, executive and internal comms and strategic planning. Her long history as an IABC member includes serving on the International Board of Directors as Treasurer for two terms, Chairing the Investment Committee and serving on the Audit, Finance and Gold Quill program committees. She is also Vice President of Membership for her home chapter in Atlanta, Georgia. She received her SCMP in the inaugural class of 2017.

Ginger D. Homan, ABC, is founder of Zia Communications, a firm specializing in campaigns to change behaviors, build communities and transform thinking. Her award-winning communication model has been used by foundations and corporations to grow brands and align cultures. Ginger served as a director on the International Executive Board from 2014-2017 and as IABC Secretary/Treasurer from 2015- 2017. She was the Director of North American for the IABC Accreditation Committee and served in several roles on her local chapter board. Ginger is a recipient of the 2016 IABC Chairman’s Award, the IABC Tulsa chapter’s John Hartman Professional Communicator of the Year and Leadership Tulsa’s Paragon Award for board service with the American Heart Association. Her work has been recognized by the IABC Gold Quill program, the Society of Marketers of Professional Services and the Public Relations Society of America.

Kimberly George is the Vice President, Communications and Corporate Citizenship for Alex Lee, Inc. in Hickory, North Carolina.  She began her role in communications almost 10 years ago after working in many areas of the Alex Lee business which includes retail grocery and wholesale distribution.  She is an Accredited Business Communicator (ABC), a Master in Business Administration (MBA) and a certified Strategic Communication Management Professional.  She served as an exam writer and reviewer for the first Communications Management Professional (CMP) exam. Kimberly joined IABC in 2008 and is currently serving on the IABC Charlotte Chapter board.

With more than 10 years of communications experience, Katrina Greco is a corporate communications manager at FIS, a leader in financial technology services, and an adjunct instructor at the University of North Florida. Before FIS, she led communications for a HR technology company and developed its communications program. Prior to that, she led an award-winning internal communications program for a division of Bayer HealthCare.

Katrina is a certified Communication Management Professional and has a Bachelor and Master of Arts in communications. She is past president of IABC Jacksonville and received IABC’s Rising Star award in 2012 and 2014.

Dr. Jerome is Collegiate Professor Emeritus at the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) where he taught international management in the Graduate School and served as a senior member of the administration for 25 years. He was involved with certification of online programs. He has published two books on international trade and several articles in publications such as the Harvard Business Review, the New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, and the Journal of Commerce. Prior to service at UMUC he worked for two US Senators, a UN support group, the US International Trade Administration, the Capital Group (an international financial management company) and the Economic Strategy Institute, an economic think tank. He is a Fulbright Scholar. He earned a doctorate from the University of Geneva (Switzerland), a masters from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Medford, Massachusetts), and a bachelors from Pomona College (Claremont, California).

Matthew J. Mason is a Chicago-based communication management consultant and project manager, and a past Bronze Quill winner. Matt has 10 years’ experience assisting clients with communication and change initiatives, both in large talent consulting firms and as a solo practitioner. Matt earned a B.A. in English and his Language Arts teaching certificate from the University of Iowa. When “off the clock” you’ll find Matt with his nose in a novel, or making a mess—and ideally, a meal or two—in the kitchen.

Vanessa Puerta is a Corporate Communication Professional with over 15 years of experience in marketing, corporate affairs, customer service and ethics & compliance in multinational companies, converting corporate strategies into local results. A graduate in Business Management and a post graduate in Communications & Marketing from FIA/USP, she also has a Masters in Marketing from IAE Pierre Mendes in France. She is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Passionate about cultural studies, her life mission is to connect people from different regions and cultures, while working with individuals at all levels, on a variety of complex and/or technical subjects.

Christiane Vaillancourt is a bilingual, accredited communicator with a background in journalism and a record of achievement in strategic communications, government and media relations and team leadership. She has worked in economic development, telecommunications and most recently in healthcare in both Canada and the United States. Christiane recognizes the importance of lifelong learning, which is why she is interested in working with GCCC.