About GCCC

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.

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.

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.

Zora Artis, GAICD, FAMI, CPM, MComm, MMKtg, is Chief Executive Officer and lead strategist of 3AC in Melbourne, Australia. 3AC is a creative agency with a team of 15 that is focused on helping clients succeed whether its solving a business problem or leveraging opportunities via strategy, creative and digital. Zora has almost than three decades of experience in business, marketing, communication, advertising and branding. She is Past President of IABC Victoria, a Gold Quill winner, a recipient of the IABC 2015 Chairman’s Award and a Blue Ribbon Panel evaluator. She has served on a number of NFP boards and committees; is a Company Directors graduate with the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and a Fellow and Certified Practicing Marketer of the Australian Institute of Marketing. Zora has a Masters of Commerce, a Masters of Marketing and a Bachelor of Business (Tourism).

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.

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).

Alex Malouf, SCMP, is the incoming Chair for the EMENA Region. Based in the United Arab Emirates, Alex holds the position of Corporate Communications Manager for the Arabian Peninsula at Procter & Gamble. A journalist by training and with a cultural mix that is both European and Arabic, Alex’s expertise spans communications and media, public relations and marketing for both multinationals in the energy, technology and FMCG space as well as several Gulf-based government institutions.