How do you build a corporate communications function from the ground up? Join AFL leaders as they share how communication challenges led to the creation of AFL’s first Corporate Communications team.

Mary Ellen Grom will share the business need behind the function’s creation, followed by Marisa Trzemzalski, Iris Holmes and Nancy Rice discussing how a three-person team established a communications strategy, executive communications, employee engagement, public relations, and brand storytelling across the organization.

The event includes a tour of an AFL manufacturing facility, the presentation and a tour of AFL’s in-house video studio. Please wear comfortable closed-toe shoes and bring a valid ID.

We look forward to welcoming you to Duncan, South Carolina!

When: 

Tuesday, Sept. 15 | 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Where:

AFL
110 Hidden Lake Cir.
Duncan, SC 29334

Registration Fees:

• IABC Member: $20
• Non-member: $25
• Student: $20

Check Payment:

Those who wish to pay by check and need an invoice should contact us at info@sc.iabc.com by Sept. 5. The requester will receive an invoice for their order and instructions on submitting a check payment.

About the Speaker:

Mary Ellen Grom – Executive Director, Global Marketing and Corporate Communications – AFL

Mary Ellen Grom leads marketing and corporate communications across AFL’s global product and services portfolio. She is driven each day to protect and extend the company brand, combined with the strategic development and creative implementation of internal associate and external customer marketing initiatives.

Grom joined AFL in 2017 after 25 years in the IT channel distribution industry, where she was Vice President, US Marketing at TD SYNNEX—a Fortune 200 technology distribution partner. Prior to that, she was with ScanSource, Inc., and Experience Engineering, leading strategic customer engagement initiatives with several distributor, reseller, retail, financial and hospitality clients.

At AFL, Grom was instrumental in launching AFL’s newest employee resource group, Women Everywhere Connect (WeConnect), which aims to educate and empower fellow team members in building their careers in manufacturing. She currently serves on the Women in Manufacturing Association and Sustain SC Board of Directors and is a 2-time past Board Chair of the Women in Manufacturing Education Foundation.

A graduate of The Ohio State University, Grom holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications/Marketing, in addition to a Ducktorate Degree from Walt Disney World College in Orlando, Florida. She has been married for over 30 years to her high school sweetheart and is a proud mother of two young adults enjoying southern hospitality at its finest in Greenville, South Carolina.

Iris Holmes – Copywriter – AFL

Iris Holmes is a corporate communications professional with more than 20 years of experience helping organizations connect with audiences through clear, meaningful content. As a copywriter at AFL, she develops executive communications, employee engagement campaigns and helps drive internal initiatives and change across a global workforce. Holmes’ career spans technical writing, content strategy, editing, leadership and higher education, giving her the unique ability to translate complex ideas into human-centered stories that inform, inspire and build trust. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Arts in English from Converse University. As a self-proclaimed Word Nerd, she believes language shapes beliefs, culture and understanding.

Nancy Rice – Public Relations Specialist – AFL

Nancy Rice is a public relations professional who arrived by way of a little more than a decade in the information technology industry. She managed complex retail electronic data interchange projects, where success depended on getting systems that did not speak the same language to understand each other. It turned out to be good training for translating between engineers and journalists. At AFL, Rice leads media relations and earned media strategy across the company’s broadband, energy, data center and services businesses. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications, with a concentration in public relations, from the University of South Carolina Upstate.

Marisa Trzemzalski – Corporate Communications Manager – AFL

Marisa Trzemzalski is a Corporate Communications Manager at AFL with more than 20 years of experience spanning internal communications, executive thought leadership, and marketing within global organizations. Purpose-driven and heart-led, Marisa Trzemzalski with curiosity, connection and determination. A communicator by trade and a connector at her core, she uses words to build trust, align teams, and help organizations communicate with clarity and purpose.

At AFL, she helps shape how a global workforce and external audiences connect through clear, consistent communication. Known for her practical, people-first leadership style, Trzemzalski brings both strategic insight and real-world perspective to her work.

Outside of work, she enjoys giving back through nonprofit board service, staying active through running, spinning and strength training, and chasing opportunities to see Dave Matthews Band live. She and her husband are kept busy by their 10-year-old competitive gymnast daughter and a Great Pyrenees rescue dog who reminds Marisa daily that effective communication doesn’t always guarantee compliance.

Her philosophy is simple: words matter, relationships matter, but how you show up matters most.

Save the date to join AAF Midlands, IABC/SC and SCPRSA in Columbia Nov. 12 for our one-day statewide conference about current advertising, communication and marketing trends. This conference will educate new and seasoned professionals on industry-leading topics.

CONNECT 2026 is open to all members of each organization, non-members and college students interested in attending.

When: Nov. 12 | 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Where:
S.C Department of Archives and History
8301 Parklane Rd.
Columbia, S.C. 29223

Sponsorship Opportunities:

Recognize your business with the CONNECT sponsorship opportunities. Many include a conference registration based on the sponsorship level chosen. The following is a brief description of each sponsorship:

The registration code will be sent to the sponsor coordinator to register the additional attendees from their business.