IABC hasn’t hired a new president for 8 months. Why?

Perhaps you heard that the longtime paid executive director of the International Association of Business Communicators announced her retirement last May.

But did you know that when Julie Freeman left office Dec. 31, the association had still not hired anyone to replace her? So they brought in John Clemons, a longtime IABC volunteer and association booster, who was coincidentally leaving his community relations job at Raytheon, to act as interim president.

He’ll commute from his home in Virginia to manage the San Francisco staff until a new executive can be found.

What’s taking so long to find an executive director? How was it that Clemons happened to be available at the precise moment Freeman flew the coop? Why was it necessary (and wasn’t it expensive?) to bring in an IABC member (with a communication skill set) as opposed to appointing a senior staffer (with association management experience)?

These were the obvious questions that occurred to me when I learned of this whole thing—on Facebook, where Clemons’ IABC chums congratulated him on the role.