Dear fellow communicators, I hope that you, your loved ones, and colleagues are all healthy and safe.

As the Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the rhythm and productivity of business and daily life, we’re experiencing not just the effects of this global health and economic crisis but also a crisis in confidence. The amount and discordance of information can, at times, be unsettling. Even as we begin to reopen the economy, uncertainty creeps in. What will reemergence look like? Will there be dire consequences for missteps? Will the organization I represent survive? How can I best help to keep my community safe? As communicators, it is our responsibility to provide clarity, give voice to those we serve, and help keep them and their stakeholders informed. Keeping the lines of forthcoming, accurate, and timely communication open has never been so critical.

Whether your specialty is in corporate communications, external communications, technical writing, graphics, government relations, or one of the myriad other skills in the field of communications, you help to keep your community, and by extension, the world informed.

As members of IABC, we are bolstered by a 50-years-strong global network of industry professionals and resources. I encourage you to continue to tap into the vast network and educational opportunities available to you through IABC International and your Orange County chapter. Check out the COVID-19 resources, and access The Hub, IABC’s online community, to ask questions and get help from colleagues from the next county over and across the globe. Get answers, get help.

I encourage you to connect with fellow IABC Orange County members and chapter board members, and attend our virtual events, and hopefully again not too far in the future, face-to-face events. To provide increased access during this crisis, we are offering our webinars at no cost. Join us for a timely webinar on Wednesday, May 27, as we hear author and crisis communications expert Doug Levy discuss what comes after COVID-19 for communications. See our Events section to learn more.

Although we may be adhering to social distancing measures, no one is facing this challenge alone. Communication professionals help bind society together. We are called upon to craft messages that promote unity, courage, and hope as we fight the fight of our lives and approach our new normal.

Thank you all for practicing with such integrity on a different kind of front line.

Laura Perdew
VP, Communications; President-Elect
IABC Orange County