Camie Melton Hanily – President
Camie is the director of marketing and communications for Eaton’s global Hydraulics Business. She has been with Eaton for five years and previously held roles including marketing and communications manager and senior manager communications. Camie has more than 20 years of internal and external communications and started her career as a television news reporter before becoming the communications director for Eden Prairie Schools. She later led media relations and a communications Center of Expertise for Fairview Health Services. Camie is certified in Change Management and has a master’s degree in Communications.
Mike Walsh, ABC, APR – President Elect
Michael is the owner of Michael Walsh Communications, a public relations, social media and strategic communications consulting firm. He was formerly vice president of Corporate Communications for U.S. Bank. Prior to that he held leadership roles in PR and communications for Capella Education Company and the Wilder Foundation. Michael holds a master's degree in business communications, as well as a bachelor's degree in print journalism, from the University of St. Thomas. He has accreditations from both IABC and PRSA.
Tammy L. Nienaber – Past President/VP events
Tammy is Director of Franchisee Communications for Anytime Fitness at Self Esteem Brands. She is also owner of TLN Communicate, an independent consultancy that provides strategic communication advice to franchise brands, small businesses and nonprofits. Tammy has a master’s in business management and a bachelor’s in mass communications & public relations.
Andy Gardner, CMP – VP Communications
Andy is a Digital Communication Manager at Prime Therapeutics where he focuses on advancing the company’s internal and external digital communication program. His skill set includes web content strategy, employee communication, user experience, web analytics, and digital capability planning. Andy also runs Andy Gardner Photography and focuses on capturing stories for commercial and consumer clients. Andy holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Winona State University.
Ann Krzmarzick, ABC – VP Convergence Summit
Ann has a passion for getting innovative medical technologies off the ground and into the market. She started her career as a writer at a local hospital and leans upon those skills (among many others including market research, product management, sales training and public relations) as a marketing professional for early stage companies. She is also a self-published author of a children’s book, Every Pumpkin Is Perfect. As the IABC Minnesota chapter president for 2001-2002, she led the organization to International Large Chapter of the Year.
Paul Omodt, ABC, APR, SCMP – VP Finance
Paul is Owner and Principal of Omodt & Associates Critical Communications, a full-service public relations firm. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas where he teaches integrated communications. He holds professional accreditations from IABC and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Paul earned his undergraduate degree and master's degree in business communications from the University of St. Thomas.
Anne Sonnee – VP Membership
Anne is a veteran corporate communications leader with more than 20 years of experience in both the private and public sectors. Anne’s areas of expertise include internal and external communications, crisis communications, public and media relations, event planning and team leadership. She has held strategic communications leadership roles at HealthEast Care System, Metropolitan State University and Ecolab, and is currently the Communications Director for the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. Anne earned a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Minnesota where she worked for the Minnesota Daily and Murphy Reporter.
Amy Spencer – VP External Communications
Amy Spencer is Principal of Evo Communications, a network of independent communications consultants offering full-service public relations services to clients. Evo helps clients level-up the communications function within their organization – including starting functions from the ground-up, establishing new capabilities, and moving successfully through complex changes. Prior to founding her firm in 2017, Amy spent more than 20 years in agency and corporate communications leadership roles at Kohler, Target and United Health Group. Amy earned a undergraduate degree in Journalism and Women’s Studies from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She has a master’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
Ellen Vander Linden – VP Sponsorships
Ellen Vander Linden is an independent communication consultant. With more than 15 years in communications and marketing, her experience spans a variety of industries: consumer goods, health care, higher education, manufacturing, nonprofit, retail and university athletics. Prior to becoming an independent consultant, she spent nine years with consumer electronics retailer Best Buy Co., Inc. where she focused on internal communications for the company’s 150,000 employees. Ellen has served in leadership roles with IABC Minnesota and IABC Austin since 2010.
Ianthe Zabel – Secretary
Ianthe specializes in earned media and public affairs expertise through her communications consultancy, 202 Strategy. 202 is the area code in Washington, D.C., where she spent 15 years leading integrated media relations teams on Capitol Hill, for a federal financial regulatory agency, and for the mutual fund industry. She also worked in corporate communications for UnitedHealth Group after she relocated from D.C. to Minnesota.
A graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism, Ianthe started her career as a local television news reporter.