East Bay Chapter Monthly Meeting

Thursday, February 5, 2004

Program Description

After the life-devouring dot-com boom and the savings-devouring dot-bomb bust comes the inevitable question: can we survive whatever's next?

• Will our profession ever again support the huge number of professionals seeking work locally?
• Are there any industries that promise any semblance of job security for technical communication professionals?
• What's happening to the tools that help us rapidly produce top-quality work?
• Which old skills will definitely serve us in the near and long term, and what new ones must we acquire in order to succeed?
  

Local panelists will offer their well-studied insights, and audience members can ask questions and offer their own insights during this rousing exchange of ideas. Be there to encourage the panelists to make predictions, and take full advantage of our shared knowledge!

About our Moderator

Beau Cain, panel moderator for "Trends in Technical Communication," is a Senior Member of STC, a member of the Word Future Society, an instructor at San Jose State University's Professional Development Center, and a technical communication consultant ("I troubleshoot documentation projects.")

He's presented on the future of our profession several times, even before the dot-bomb. He moderated panels for "Dodging the Bullet: How to Know When It's Time to Go" and "Into Silicon Valley's Greener Pastures" in Silicon Valley and Santa Cruz in 1999 and 2001. Last year he co-presented "Exploring Our Future: Technical Communication in the Year 2014" in Silicon Valley and Santa Cruz, at STC's annual conference in Dallas, and at Region 8's conference in Las Vegas. In November he presented "White Papers In Your Future" at North Bay STC, which has been accepted for presentation at STC's conference in Baltimore, and in January he co-presented on "Offshoring Myths and Realities" at STC Sacramento.

The Other Panelists

Susan C. Becker, Technical Writer and Online Help Developer

Susan (San Francisco chapter) has over 16 years of experience as a technical communicator and online help developer, working primarily as a contractor in software development for the financial services industry. She is the current president of the San Francisco chapter, a former Touchstone director, and a past winner in the competition. She has presented at the STC Annual Conference and local chapters, primarily on topics pertaining to the here and now (she hopes not down right retro).

Although Susan humorously claims that her "futurist" talents are so limited that she "has to move the furniture around in order to know what the room will look like," her observations about the trends in San Francisco and about the "graying" of our profession locally reveal her keen insight.

Rolfe Dlugy-Hegwer, Technical Writer

Marie Highby, Technical Communication Certificate Program Coordinator, SJSU-Professional Development Center

Marie (Silicon Valley chapter) is a Senior Member of the STC as well as Nominations Manager for the Silicon Valley chapter. In charge of San Jose State University's Management Communication and Technical Writing program, she is also active as a corporate trainer and a coach, focusing on career development and entrepreneurial issues.

A futurist of long-standing as well as a professional member of the World Future Society, Highby most recently presented "21st Century Communication Trends" to STC San Diego last October and co-presented "Offshoring Myths and Realities" at STC Sacramento. Last year she co-presented "Exploring Our Future: Technical Communication in the Year 2014" in Silicon Valley and Santa Cruz, at STC's annual conference in Dallas, and at Region 8's conference in Las Vegas. In Baltimore, at the STC Conference this May, she will be presenting a paper, "Offshoring: Strategies for Prevailing" and will co-deliver a post-conference workshop, "Your Passion, Your Career, Your Future."

Eunice Malley, Independent Technical Writer and Writing Instructor

Eunice (Berkeley chapter) has been a technical writer for over 15 years. She has been a full-time writer and Publications Manager at both a large corporation and a telecommunications startup. Her experience has broadened over the last 2 years as an independent contractor working for other startups, the State of California, and non-profits.

She teaches resume and business writing for a new company that does life and career coaching for women, called LIFT (Life Is for the Taking), and recently started her own resume service business (www.roughtoreadyresumes.ws).

Gwaltney Mountford, Technical Communicator

Gwaltney (East Bay chapter) has worked for over 20 years as a technical writer, trainer, manager, and consultant. She and her husband own Mountford Group Inc., a software development consulting company. Gwaltney focuses on solving the communication needs of end-users and project teams. An Associate Fellow and active member of STC, she has held many chapter posts (including chapter president), former manager of Touchstone and the Region 8 Conference, was on the Society’s Nominating Committee, and has presented at regional and international conferences. Gwaltney also teaches beginning technical writing in the Technical Communication Certificate Program at UC Berkeley Extension.

Gwaltney moderated the Looking to the eFuture panel discussion at Writer in the Workplace in 2001 and was a surprise (to her) panelist on the Expanding Your Horizons Forum in 2002.