It is with a heavy heart that the APC says farewell to long-standing communications manager Karen Higgs, who is leaving at the end of 2011 to take on new and personal endeavours. After starting as APC’s first web editor in 1999, Karen was appointed communications manager in 2000. Since then, not only has she helped shape APC’s public profile, she has led the development of APC’s overall approach to strategic communications and outreach.
And so much at APC has changed in the past twelve years….. milestones among Karen’s many achievements include: launching APCNews in English and Spanish and later French; managing the APC Betinho Communications Prize for socially-relevant technology projects (a global and later Latin American award) and the APC Africa Hafkin Prize for more than four years; the production of over fifty paperback and digital books for APC including five editions of Global Information Society Watch; moving the APC website onto the ActionApps and then onto Drupal; developing APC’s language policy which include guidelines for international English and APC’s glossary, the only comprehensive glossary of its kind in the world.
Karen currently leads a five-person communications team and will be leaving APC at the end of December. Throughout her years with the organisation, she has been an amazing leader, mentor and co-worker, and has inspired many with her musical talents, good spirit and organisational skills.
Karen will be missed as a colleague, but as is often the case at APC, she will also be missed as a friend. Congratulations Karen, and thank you for all you’ve done! All the best down your new path.
Photo: Karen Higgs (holding phone) with the communications team at an APC staff meeting in 2009.