Melissa Dark, an Australian internal communications consultant and former corporate staffer, has joined International Association of Business Communicators in San Francisco as director of communication and member services.

Carlos Fulcher, who was worldwide deputy executive director, Drug Information Assn., Horsham, Pa., until last November when he left DIA after being there three years and seven months, is joining IABC as executive director. He will be at the conference in Toronto that starts Sunday, June 8.

Fulcher was paid a total of $283,749 in calendar 2012, the latest report available. This included base pay of $227,776; bonus/incentive pay of $34,709; deferred income of $19,501, and non-taxable pay of $1,764.

melissa darkJulie Freeman, who resigned as president in early 2012 after ten years in the post, had salary of $186,492; $13,188 in non-taxable income, and $9,325 in deferred income for a total of $209,005.

No. 2 in pay in 2011 was SVP Christopher Hall with salary of $135,642 and $15,230 in benefits.Pay/benefits of all staffers was $2,789,521, a gain of 10%.


Dark, who ran her own firm for the past nine years, is a former manager of internal communication for Infosys Australia who also held PR posts at ANZ, Australia Post and VicRoads.

For IABC, she heads member relations, along with internal communications, social media and the organization's overall image.

The organization in January said it is changing its longtime accreditation program, ABC, to a certification designation, a move that rankled some members.

IABC communications head Aaron Heinrich left the organization in January after more than a year. Former VP of marketing and communication Paige Wesley was among 16 staffers – half of IABC's staff -- fired in late 2012 by former executive director Christopher Sorek, who resigned in May 2013.

Claire Watson, described by IABC as a "management consultant," heads external relations for IABC, including marketing communication, strategic planning, conferences and events.

Robin McCasland is chair of IABC. Ann Lazarus is interim executive director. She will preside over the annual general meeting from 5:30-6:15 p.m. Tuesday June 10 at the Sheraton Centre hotel, Toronto.

Watson and Lazarus have been sent a list of questions about the 2013 audit.

IABC says it is in a "contract dispute" with a web developer. Who is that web developer and who is the new web developer? What is the dispute?

How far along is the search for a new executive director? Can we have the names of the committee doing this? PRSA is also searching for a new staff head. What title will you offer the staff head?

What is the current IABC financial situation—for the five months ended May 1, 2014. The 2013 audit has figures that are almost six months old. Old financial information is just about worthless and even dangerous to anyone depending on it. PRSA releases quarterly figures.

How about a full report for the five months to May 31? You have the figures. What are net assets now? How is dues income compared to last year to May 31?

Why are board expenses up 25% to $589,187? What is the membership total now?

Why did general and administrative expenses zoom 56% to $2,406,051 from
$1,543,919?