IABC Philadelphia Board of Directors Appoints New Leadership Team

Business Wire, June 23, 2009

PHILADELPHIA -- IABC Philadelphia, the local chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators, has announced Tony DeFazio has been appointed chapter president and Chris Lentz chapter vice president/president elect as part of its new leadership team for the 2009-2010 program year. The two were unanimously elected by the association’s board at IABC’s annual planning meeting June 19th. DeFazio and Lentz will oversee strategic direction, membership programming and education initiatives as well as fundraising activities for the 200 plus member trade group.

Tony DeFazio previously served as vice president of publicity for IABC Philadelphia. In his new role, he will be responsible for the overall direction and programming for the trade group. DeFazio is president of DeFazio Communications, LLC a Conshohocken-based public relations agency. He previously served as director of public relations at American Financial Realty Trust, a NYSE-traded Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) based in Jenkintown, PA. Prior to that, he was executive vice president of Gregory FCA in Ardmore, PA. DeFazio is a 1989 graduate of the Ithaca College School of Humanities and Sciences where he received a Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science. He is a resident of Conshohocken, PA.

Chris Lentz previously served as a vice president of marketing for IABC Philadelphia. As vice president, he will work to coordinate the chapter’s strategic communications efforts across several media. Lentz is internal news editor at Educational Testing Service (ETS) in Princeton, NJ. He previously served as senior editor at ING in West Chester, PA. Over his 10-year career, Lentz has managed communications efforts for a range of companies in the customer service, technology, financial services, and education fields. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston University and is currently pursuing a master's degree at La Salle University.

“Both of these communicators have distinguished themselves in service to IABC Philadelphia,” says Lauren Conway, outgoing president of IABC Philadelphia. “We couldn’t be more pleased with Tony and Chris assuming the leadership for the new programming year. Their appointments will help support additional programs and services added last year to sustain the growth of our membership as result of the merger with the Delaware chapter. We look forward to their contributions in the year ahead.”

For more information about networking, continuing education or accreditation opportunities with IABC Philadelphia, please visit our new website at www.iabcphiladelphia.com.

About IABC Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) links communication professionals in the Delaware Valley. IABC Philadelphia provides members and guests a range of services, including professional development meetings and workshops, networking with peers, knowledge and resource sharing, job placement and accreditation. Members have access to over 200 communication professionals including corporate communications, public relations/media relations, editors, public affairs, investor relations, marketing communications, graphic designers, and writers in a variety of industries. For more information, visit www.iabcphiladelphia.com.