By Scott Taylor 

IAF Board Chair 

I am pleased to announce that Barb Lawler has been elected President of the Information Accountability Foundation, and Marty Abrams has been elected to the new official position of Chief Policy Innovation Officer.  Marty has been Executive Director since the IAF founding in 2013.   

The IAF family, members, and other participants know Barb and Marty well.  Barb has been active with the IAF since its founding, first as a member, board member, corporate secretary and finally Chief Operating Officer.  She led privacy programs at three different companies, testified to the U.S. Congress and California officials, and has been involved in policy development for more than 20 years.  Barb brings programmatic focus that complements Marty’s policy vision. 

What does this mean for the IAF agenda?  Barb will lead the organization leaving Marty to conceptualize what policy should look like in the future so data might serve people in a manner that is legal, fair and just, creating a pathway for trusted corporate data driven innovation.  The challenges are greater today than they were in 2013 when the IAF was incorporated.  The IAF’s brand and approach for policy innovation is needed and this new structure enhances the possibilities.