Rich Barger, ABC, APR
Chief Curmudgeon
CornerBarPR.com®
Rich Barger loves words. He particularly loves to complain about idiocy, and sometimes is called The Words Guy, 'cause he owns a dictionary and a stylebook. He also knows a thing or two about PR.

Barger has been on the editorial staff of a weekly magazine, senior editor of a wire service, and managing editor of the PR division of a 180-person agency.

He opened Barger Consulting, which specializes in strategic communications, in 1982; he now gives advice to anyone within earshot, whether they want it or not. He's also the most expensive editor in the Midwest.

Barger, one of only 70 people dually accredited by PRSA and IABC, was co-chair of the most successful IABC U.S. District Conference ever held, in 1997. He has served two terms on IABC's International Accreditation Board, is Accreditation Chair for IABC U.S. District 5, and is a five-time member of the IABC Gold Quill Blue Ribbon Panel.

He has been General Session Announcer for the IABC International Conference the past eight years, and has just edited a 544-page "Best Practices" book for IABC; he's also "The Bylaws Guy" on the IABC Governance Work Group.