Meet your SV-IABC Executive Board for 2007. Feel free to contact them with questions about their area of responsibility at SV-IABC.
Susan Karnstedt, President
Susan has over 18 years of strategic communications, change management and sales success within the technology, healthcare and financial services industries. Most recently, she was responsible for creating and building the Organizational Communications function at VERITAS Software now Symantec Corporation. In this capacity she was responsible for analyzing stakeholder needs, creating actionable strategies, overseeing message development, coordinating multiple stakeholders, managing media production and measuring overall program effectiveness.
Prior to her role at VERITAS, Susan was an operations improvement consultant for Keane Consulting Group. She obtained a BA in Communications from the University of Illinois and a Masters in Organizational Development from Loyola University in Chicago.
Last year, Susan delivered an exceptional lineup of events as Vice President of Programs. As the incoming President, Susan is excited to get more Silicon Valley communicators more involved in the chapter. “My primary goal is to ensure that SV-IABC is no longer the best kept secret for communicators in the valley.”
Susan is an amateur winemaker who enjoys participating in a variety of activities with her 1-1⁄2 year old daughter.
Ron Schmidt, Past President
Ron is managing director of Rosswood Communications, a PR consultancy based in San Jose. His client list includes Cisco Systems, Guidant, Hewlett Packard, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies and Secure Computing. Ron was PR manager at Ramp Networks, and was an associate with Cunningham Communication and Neale-May & Partners. He holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. He keeps busy parenting two young boys, Clayton and Lance, and enjoys swimming, hiking and reading.
"I've grown personally and professionally during the six years I've been involved with IABC, especially as a board member. I enjoy the diverse range of communications professionals in our chapter and I am impressed with the depth of experience among the membership."
Kathie Gaddy, VP of Administration
Kathie is a senior manager in the global internal communications department of Hewlett-Packard (HP). In this role she has led in the development of CEO/Senior Leader communication strategies, launched a global effort to increase employees’ connection to the brand, and initiated more robust communication effectiveness data measures.
Prior to this role, Kathie was Communications Manager for HP’s Emerging Market Solutions (EMS) group and the award winning global e-inclusion initiative. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from San Jose State University. Kathie keeps busy with her adorable puppy, Beau, and enjoys spending time with friends, family, and her peers.
“I’m very excited about the opportunity to participate in IABC and hope I can bring real value to the board. I enjoy seeing how an idea or discussion can really help a fellow member tackle a new challenge or solve an existing one and I’m looking forward to working with such a talented group of professionals.”
Colleen Harrington Fleming, VP of Communications
Colleen has been a member of the Silicon Valley chapter of IABC since 2004 and this is her
second term as Vice President of Communications. Currently, she is focused on global human
resources communication for Agilent Technologies, and is also completing graduate thesis
work toward an M.A. in Communication Studies.
With a background spanning internal communication, public relations and client services, Colleen is has worked in a variety of industries including technology, retail and financial services industries, for global corporations, a consulting firm and dynamic start-up companies.
“IABC has been a tremendous resource for me to continuously learn and a great way to stay connected with other communication professionals.”
Kathleen Makranyi, VP of Community
Kathleen has over 16 years of corporate communications experience primarily in the high tech industry. She has been at Cisco Systems for 8 years and is currently Director of Communications for the Worldwide Manufacturing organization. Her team is responsible for executive and strategic communications including communication strategy, planning, and messaging to key internal and external stakeholders.
Prior to Cisco, Kathleen led an account team at Cunningham Communication, ran her own consulting practice, and held communication and marketing positions at a few high-tech start-ups and a non-profit agency. Kathleen has a B.A. in Sociology/Communications from UC Santa Barbara and a certificate from the Mass Media Institute at Stanford University.
Kathleen loves to travel and makes a yearly trip to Europe with her husband and 3 year old son. Her other passions include music, dance, animals, and venti nonfat light foam lattes at Starbucks.
John Spieth, VP of Education
John received a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce (marketing) and minor in communication from Santa Clara University in 2006. John joined SV-IABC in the fall of 2006 and recently accepted the position to serve as the VP of Education. He is excited to work with surrounding universities and colleges to increase student awareness and participation with SV-IABC. John previously was the Director for Education (Santa Clara University) for SV-IABC where he assisted coordinating and selecting scholarship winners for SV-IABC.
John is currently a Ticket Sales Account Executive with the San Jose Giants. He coordinated a sponsorship with Blue Shield of California and Club One. In addition, John coordinated group packages for HP, Intel, NVIDIA, Juniper Networks, and Blue Shield of California. John has prior marketing and sales experience with the San Francisco 49ers, Santa Clara University Athletics, and ABC 7 News Chicago.
An Illinois native, John has been living in the Bay Area for the last 5 years and has no plans to move back! In his free time, John enjoys spending time with family and friends, coordinating service projects and fundraisers, traveling, and playing sports.
Justine Pelina, Director of Education
(San Jose State)
Justine is a student at San Jose State University, learning all about the exciting world of public relations. She is currently the newsletter editor for the PRSSA chapter at school and is currently interning for JDS Group, a local public relations agency.
Being an intern and apart of PRSSA, has given her the chance to learn what PR is really like outside the classroom. She understands the benefits “getting involved” can offer and plans to take full advantage.
“Getting involved will enable me to continue learning and gain more knowledge and experience outside the classroom.”
Desiree Elsharif, VP Finance
I joined Cisco's Corporate Communications department in 2007 as an Employee Communications Manager. I'm responsible for developing/executing strategic communication plans on topics ranging from new program introductions to major corporate initiatives. I also ensure content is timely, credible and integrated on Cisco Employee Connection (CEC), the company's internal news and information site.
Previously, I was a Communications Program Manager for Hewlett-Packard's Global Internal Communications team. In my eight years at HP, I was responsible for developing and delivering programs that helped the company's global workforce of more than 150,000 employees understand/embrace the strategy, brand, products, corporate announcements and business performance.
I've been a loyal 500 Club Member of IABC since 1999 — spending the first few years mostly attending the monthly luncheons and taking advantage of occasional volunteer opportunities. In 2006, I became more active by serving on the board as Vice President of Administration. And, for 2007, I'm on the board again as Vice President of Finance.
An Arizona native, my husband Karim and I now live in San Jose. My passion for scrapbooking, which transformed into a home business as a Creative Memories consultant, occupies a lot of my free time. I also enjoy curling up with a book, traveling to new places and the satisfaction of a good run/workout.
Renate Kammersgard, VP of Membership
After 11 years as a communications professional with Hewlett-Packard driving the communication strategy, development and implementation of executive, sales, employee, PR, industry analyst, and customer focused initiatives, Renate decided to take a two-year hiatus. During her break from the corporate world, she enjoyed spending as much time as possible with her two children, Morgan and Jake.
In December of 2004, Renate started her own consulting business - Kammersgard Consulting- focused on executive, internal, external and marketing communications. Kammersgard's clients to date include Intuit, Hewlett-Packard, and Queen of Apostles School.
"I joined IABC as a 500 Club Member because I consider being a part of an organization that values creativity and professionalism, sharing best practices, and networking as imperative in today's business environment," commented Kammersgard. "I look forward to serving on IABC's board again as VP of Membership for 2007."
In her free time, Renate enjoys scrapbooking, supporting her children's various sporting endeavors, and spending time with friends and family.
Phillip Davis, VP of Programs
Phillip is a Program Manager/Senior Writer in the Worldwide Employee Communications group at Intel Corp. in Santa Clara, California.
At Intel, he is responsible for coverage of new product introductions and for augmenting the “business acumen” of Intel employees worldwide, via articles and other communications on “Circuit” - Intel’s daily updated, globally distributed intranet website. He is the creator of “Phil’s Feed,” a weekly column that analyzes the business and competitive environment through a wide survey of the external press. He also co-founded and co-hosts “Signal: The Intel Technology and Trends Podcast,” Intel’s first company-wide podcast.
Prior to joining Intel in March 2006, Phillip was a national and foreign correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR) in Washington, DC. During his time at NPR, he spent three years as NPR’s Mexico and Central American correspondent, based in Mexico City, Mexico. Philip also reported from NPR’s Washington, London and Miami bureaus.
In 2004, Philip was awarded a John S. Knight Fellowship for Professional Journalists at Stanford University in Palo Alto California, which gave him an appreciation for the dynamism of Silicon Valley
“I’m looking forward to starting a new chapter in a career that has been all about communicating. I’m sure my involvement in IABC will help me get to that next level.”
Phillip is a Program Manager/Senior Writer in the Worldwide Employee Communications group at Intel Corp. in Santa Clara, California.
At Intel, he is responsible for coverage of new product introductions and for augmenting the “business acumen” of Intel employees worldwide, via articles and other communications on “Circuit” - Intel’s daily updated, globally distributed intranet website. He is the creator of “Phil’s Feed,” a weekly column that analyzes the business and competitive environment through a wide survey of the external press. He also co-founded and co-hosts “Signal: The Intel Technology and Trends Podcast,” Intel’s first company-wide podcast.
Prior to joining Intel in March 2006, Phillip was a national and foreign correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR) in Washington, DC. During his time at NPR, he spent three years as NPR’s Mexico and Central American correspondent, based in Mexico City, Mexico. Philip also reported from NPR’s Washington, London and Miami bureaus.
In 2004, Philip was awarded a John S. Knight Fellowship for Professional Journalists at Stanford University in Palo Alto California, which gave him an appreciation for the dynamism of Silicon Valley
“I’m looking forward to starting a new chapter in a career that has been all about communicating. I’m sure my involvement in IABC will help me get to that next level.”
Rosemary Byrne, Director of Programs
Rosemary first joined IABC in 1978 and has found it to be a major factor in her professional development throughout her career. Her experience was largely in the area of internal communication until about eight years ago when she left corporate communication for the non-profit world and expanded into fund-raising.
Currently she holds the new position of Director of Marketing and Public Relations at the Palo Alto Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, where previously she was Director of Development and Communications, a position whose dual role has been split to allow increased focus on both the fund raising and the marketing/PR functions.
Rosemary is excited at the prospect of developing an all-new marketing plan for the Chapter that will help raise awareness in the community of the presence, programs and services of the local Red Cross.
Rosemary was born and raised in New Jersey and relocated in the mid-'70s with her then-husband and their son to the Bay Area, where they later added two daughters to their family. While developing her communication career and raising her family Rosemary completed her education with a B.S. in Business and an M.A. in Writing at University of San Francisco. (Several manuscripts--two novels and a memoir of childhood--now gather dust in her file cabinet.)
She lived for varying lengths of time in the counties of Marin, Sonoma, Contra Costa and Santa Clara, divorced, lived for a year in Tennessee, and now happily resides in Sunnyvale with her little mixed-breed terrier as she awaits the January 2007 birth of her third grandchild. She enjoys cycling, reading, sewing and writing, none of which activities she actually engages in because she is addicted to watching HGTV, for which the only known cure is ripping out the television cable.
John Robertson, VP of Partnerships and Sponsorship
As Vice President of Partnerships and Sponsorships, John is responsible for building relationships between our chapter and other external organizations. The goal of these relationships is to improve the value the chapter brings to its members.
Through partnerships, John will be exploring ways to team with other local communication associations like PRSA and WIC. He will also be responsible for co-marketing events with the San Francisco chapter of IABC. The goal of these partnerships is to provide a broader range of contacts, job seekers and job opportunities for all.
For sponsorships, John’s goal is to secure funding that allows the Silicon Valley chapter to continue offering high-quality programs and services to our members at reasonable prices. If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, please drop John an email at jrobertson@roico.com.
John is currently a Senior Associate for ROI Communications, an internal communications consulting firm focusing on helping organizations through change. When he’s not working with clients, he enjoys time with my two boys, Jack and Drew. His hobbies include volleyball, golf, and watching the Green Bay Packers (with cheesehead).
Tony Berumen, VP of Technology
Tony is the webmaster for Hewlett Packard’s worldwide internal communications website, hpNOW. He is responsible for maintaining the site’s content, including program and database development.
Prior to joining HP, Tony was an independent software developer who’s clients included the City of Mountain View Fire Department, Darryl Sink and Associates, Apple Computer, Advantage Computing, Agilent, Whiskey Hill Software, Hewlett Packard and the Electric Power Research Institute.
He occupies much of his free time gardening and raising California native plants in his central coast home.
Yvonne Thomson, VP of Volunteers
Yvonne joined IABC over 6 years ago and has been an active member of the board serving previously as VP of Technology, President, and Past President. She is excited about continuing her involvement as VP of Volunteers this year.
Professionally, Yvonne has over 15 years experience in marketing and internal communications at Mervyn's, Hewlett Packard, Intuit and a full service-marketing agency. Currently, at eBay, Yvonne facilitates the exchange of information to help connect employees to business strategies and supports a variety of communications needs, from strategic communications planning to consulting on executive communications. She holds a BS degree in Marketing and an MBA, both from Santa Clara University.
Personally, she and her husband and enjoy spending time with their two sons (Peter, 9 & Nicholas 5) in the mountains or at the local Shark Tank. Expressing her creative side—Yvonne is an avid scrapbooker.
Deborah Hoard, Director of Volunteers
Since joining IABC almost 4 years ago, Deborah has been actively involved in contributing to the development and strength of the Silicon Valley chapter. She started as the Judging Director and served as a Board member for two years as the VP of Membership and the VP of Volunteers. For the 2007 year, Deborah will continue recruiting volunteers as the Volunteer Director.
Deborah has run her own marketing communications project management company, Net Results, for over nine years. She has managed the development and production of a variety of global marketing programs, implemented corporate branding initiatives across all levels of marketing touch points, and created streamlined and cost-saving project processes for a range of Silicon Valley businesses, from start ups to Fortune 500 companies. Deborah has compiled a proven track record of consistently delivering powerful results for her clients such as Cisco Systems, Inc., Maxtor Corporation, Quantum Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Informatica Corporation, and BroadVision, Inc.