Public Relations Executive with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA), Dr. Sharon Marshall, has won a Gold Quill Award of Excellence from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).

The Gold Quill was awarded in the Communications Skills Division in the category of Special Events – External, for communications management of the 42nd Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), which took place in the Cayman Islands in May 2012. Dr. Marshall was in charge of CDB’s public relations at that time, and wrote the strategic comunication plan which emphasized the long-standing relationship between CDB and Cayman.

She collaborated with her counterparts at the Cayman Islands Ministry for Financial Services, the Department of Commerce and Investment and the Government Information Service, as well as local events company, Kelly Holding, in executing the plan. Dr. Marshall has been employed with CIMA since March of this year, heading the Authority’s Public Relations Unit.

IABC describes the Gold Quill as “an international symbol of excellence in strategic communication that recognizes smart thinking, flawless execution and proven results.”

Chair of the IABC 2013 Gold Quill Awards, Mr. Tim Buckley, stated in his notification to Dr. Marshall that “winning a Gold Quill Award puts you in the top ranks of the world’s business communicators.” IABC is a global network of communication professionals committed to improving organisational effectiveness through strategic communication. Established in 1970, IABC serves more than 14,000 communication professionals in 70 countries.

Dr. Marshall is the outgoing president of the Barbados Chapter of IABC, and is also currently pursuing the Accredited Business Communicator designation with IABC. She considers it a happy coincidence that she is now serving in a communications capacity at such a critical institution in the Cayman Islands financial services industry, while receiving recogniton for a communciations project which was executed here one year ago this month.

The award is to be presented at this year’s Gold Quill Awards Gala at the IABC World Conference in New York City on Monday, June 24. According to Mr. Buckley, “The Gold Quill Awards Gala celebrates the best and brightest in global business communication.”