May/June 2007 | Home
President’s Message
by
Joseph Humbert
EBSTC President
Hello, East Bay members STC. This is my last newsletter message as your President. While we still have two months to go for my term, we look back at the many things we set out to accomplish and to the future.
New Ideas and Programs
- We set up a Who We Are web page (http://www.ebstc.org/who-we-are.html) so you can know who your chapter leaders are.
- We began podcasting our speaker programs (http://www.ebstc.org/podcast_access.html). While we started out requiring a password for East Bay members only, we have revised our policy and tightened copyright protection for the speakers to allow any visitors to our site to listen to the podcasts.
- We set up the East Bay STC Network (http://www.ebstc.org/network.html), a YahooGroups discussion board to link all members who sign up. Members can network with our East Bay members to discuss East Bay STC issues, propose speaker programs, and even get help from other members when working with an application. We already have 42 members signed up. If you aren’t signed up, please do so. The more members who sign up, the stronger the network, the better the chapter.
Achieving Excellence for Your Chapter
- We thank Dave Eicher, your newsletter editor, for bringing back the newsletter this year. We have entered the newsletter in the STC Newsletter Competition. In the very least, we should get tips and recommendations from STC on how to make our newsletters in the future stronger and more responsive to your needs.
- For the first time in several years, we have nominated a chapter member for Distinguished Chapter Service Award. This is a very special award that only a few members receive. This year we are proud to have our nominee, T.R. Girill, win the award for being a past President, for contributing many articles to the newsletter, and for his work with high school students in the Technical Literacy Project (http://www.ebstc.org/TechLit/TL_Front.html). Congratulations, T.R.
- We have also submitted our application to for the STC Chapter Achievement Awards. Working on the application, we have found that while we are fulfilling many areas of what a chapter should be doing for their members, we have found areas where we could be stronger or areas that we could initiate. It has been a very valuable exercise, one that we hope to accomplish every year.
- We want to thank May McKoon for her leadership in the College Connection Committee. Just recently, her committee had a very successful showing at the Los Positas College Jobs Fair. Many attendees became familiar with the East Bay STC for the first time, some not realizing that technical communication could be a career choice.
Upcoming Events
- First of all, we are having our Elections for the new board for 2007-2008. Because of delays in getting the most current members list and in updating our listserv, we now have an email ballot return deadline of June 1. Those with paper ballots will need to have those ballots postmarked by June 1. Of course, anyone can bring in a paper ballot in our final meeting on June 7. To see the candidates, visit http://www.ebstc.org/eb_elections/2007_candidates.htm.
- EBSTC meeting, May 3, Susan Becker will speak on “A Simple Approach to Writing Clearly.” (http://www.ebstc.org/chapter-meetings.html).
- Final EBSTC meeting, June 7, will host Meryl Natchez who will speak on “Project Management: When Good Projects Go Bad.” Plus we will have our Changing of the Guard in which we introduce the new Council Leaders.
- Don’t forget the 54th Annual STC Conference in Minneapolis this year on May 12 through 16. (http://www.stc.org/54thConf/index.asp).
- In mid-August (exact dates and places to be announced), the Northern California chapters are hosting the STC Board Meeting here in the Bay Area. All members are eligible to attend.
- New EBSTC meeting, September 6, program to be announced.
One goal that I had set out to achieve for this year that has yet to be completed was to update our Strategic Plan and to re-charter. The Leadership Council has recently made great progress in updating our Strategic Plan. We are still hopeful that we can get a final draft plus re-charter by June 30.
This has been and continues to be a year in which I have learned a lot about the chapter and in which I have personally grown. I feel that we have accomplished a lot this year but I had the great fortune to have very excellent help from all in Leadership. Many people have brought and continue to bring energy, enthusiasm, and support. We will formally recognize these volunteers at our Changing of the Guard in June. Plan to attend. See you then. If you have any comments or suggestions, contact me,
