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Sorry this e-Newsletter is so tardy. If you continue reading (to MEMBER NEWS/Nancee Moster), you'll discover why. (And we really had to get this newsletter out in a hurry, so please forgive any typos.)
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Please join us in congratulating Fred Randall for achieving the grade of senior member. (That means Fred has been an STC member for five years.)
Marya is not only our chapter secretary, but also our chapter Web master. We have her to thank for all the recent additions to our Web site (www.prairienet.org/cil_stc/).
Well, guys, Marya could use some help. If you've always wanted to try your hand at web site development but never had the opportunity, or if you're a Web master with a few hours to spare each month, please contact Marya at m-ryan1@prairienet.org.
Are y'all sitting down? OK, ready? After ten years as a carefree (yeah, right!) consultant, Nancee is going captive.
On March 31st, she'll hang up her spurs and become a telecommuting employee for MetaSolv Software in Plano, Texas. (She's currently telecommuting for MetaSolv as a consultant—if you can call spending five of the last eight weeks in Dallas telecommuting! That's why this newsletter is so late.)
Nancee's new title is still undetermined. The organization chart says "Technical Lead/Single Sourcing." However, because her responsibilities include information design and information architecture, a co-worker has suggested the title "Information Diva." Stay tuned...
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Want an opportunity to discuss issues that REALLY affect our work lives?
Then make plans to attend the STC Central Illinois Chapter February meeting, where you'll have a chance to discuss a number of money-related topics in a progression table format. (That means you can participate in a discussion at one table for 15 minutes and then move on to another table. You'll be able to participate in at least three, and possibly four topic discussions.)
Progression table topics and moderators include:
Date: Thursday, February 8, 2001
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: NCS Learn (formerly NCS NovaNET Learning)
Please RSVP to Nancee Moster at nmoster@metasolv.com or 217/762-9568, by noon, Tuesday, February 6th.
Your RSVP is especially important because one of our guests at the January meeting, Ed Allen, has offered to prepare a special entree. So we REALLY need an accurate head count. Come on, y'all. Let's show Ed that technical communication professionals can plan ahead!
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On January 9 and 10, Dr. JoAnn Hackos delivered her workshop on "Developing a Single-sourcing Strategy" to what almost became a standing-room-only crowd!
The workshop, which was hosted by our chapter and held at NCS Learn in downtown Champaign, was attended by information architects, database and web developers, technical communicators, and documentation and training management professionals from as far away as California, Florida, and Wisconsin.
JoAnn covered topics from defining and evaluating the benefits and challenges of single sourcing, to developing a single-sourcing model, to choosing the right tools for each situation, to staffing a single-sourcing project.
Last, but definitely not least, JoAnn discussed ways to calculate a single-sourcing return on investment.
What do y'all think about having JoAnn back next year for a workshop on another topic? Check out her web site at www.usabledesign.com for topic ideas.
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The Central Illinois Chapter held monthly meetings on the second Thursday of each month during the 2000/2001 STC year—your chapter administrative board simply picked a day and stuck with it.
Now it's time for you to pick! Which week of the month, and which day of the week works best for you?
Just email Nancee Moster at nmoster@metasolv.com with the following
information:
WEEK=
DAY=
For example:
WEEK=First week of each month
DAY=Tuesday
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OK, y'all, it's that time again.
Just in case you're experiencing a "senior moment" and don't recall the benefits of STC membership, here are just a few:
Cost for:
If you're a current member, you should have already received a membership renewal form by snail mail that offers a variety of payment options, including via the Web.
For more information about joining STC (or any other membership issues), please check out www.stc-va.org.
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One of the many benefits of STC membership is voting for the officers who
will lead our organization—and therefore our profession—this decade.Thea Teich, our very own Director-Sponsor, has been nominated for STC 2nd VP (a position that culminates in the STC presidency four years hence).
Thea says, " I want this STC job. I think I have a lot to offer, particularly at this point in the organization's development. We are starting to be more visible and need to coelesce into the major organization we really are—we just sometimes don't let everyone know. STC has meant a great deal to me. When my bosses told me only when things went wrong, I looked to my STC colleagues for a much more balanced view of things and for professional growth and support."
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Region 4 will have a lot of "real estate" on the STC election ballot, which members will receive in February. As many of you may know, I have been nominated for STC 2nd vice president, and I hope I can count on you for support. The 2nd vice presidency is the beginning of a four year commitment in STC leadership because the person then progresses to 1st VP, president, and past-president. There will be more information about my qualifications with the ballot, or please visit my Web site: www.TeichTMC.com.
One primary purpose of this article however, is to introduce you to the two candidates for my current job of Region 4 Director-Sponsor. Both candidates are from the Northeastern Ohio Chapter, centered in the Cleveland-Akron area. The two candidates are Mike Bates and Bob Dianetti.
The second primary purpose is simply to urge you, encourage you, beg you to vote. Thanks.
Mike has worked as a technical communicator and user interface designer for ten years, and is currently manager of information architecture at Rockwell Software in Cleveland. He has been a technical writer, writing department manager, user assistance architect, and corporate staff member at IBM. Currently, Mike is responsible for the design of all online imagery and is working with the team to develop lo- and high-fidelity interface designs. He is setting the direction for user assistance for all Rockwell Software applications.
Mike was Education and Training Stem manager at the 1999 STC Conference and the Tools and Technology Stem manager at the 1997 conference. Mike has been an STC International Online Competition judge in the 1995 through 1999 competitions. Mike co-founded the STC Online PIC (now SIG) committee. He was an International Publications Competition judge in 1994 and 1995. Mike was First Coast STC Chapter (Florida) president from 1992 through 1994 and the Bowling Green State University Student Chapter president from 1990 through 1991. He was also a Florida President's Council member from 1993 through 1995.
He received a Distinguished Chapter Service Award in 1995 from the First Coast Chapter and Outstanding Service Awards in 1997 and 1999, and Achievement award at the 1995 Florida Online Communications Competition. Mike graduated from Bowling Green State University in 1991 with a Bachelor's of Arts Degree in Scientific and Technical Communication. He spends whatever free time he has with his family.
Just five years ago, Bob and his wife, Angie, launched RADCom (www.radcominc.net), which has grown to an 18-employee technical communications consulting company that has more than 20 corporate clients.
Before that, Bob was a technical communications consultant and project manager for CAP Gemini America, where he developed documentation for approximately 30 organizations in the Northeast Ohio region. After that, Bob co-founded and managed a documentation practice at Datacorp Business Systems in 1993.
Bob has served as vice president, president, and immediate past president of the Northeast Ohio Chapter and has spoken at chapter meetings, the 2000 Region 4 conference, and the 1999 TechniCom conference hosted by the Northeast Ohio Chapter. He received the chapter's Volunteer of the Year Award for 1999–2000. He also served on the corporate sponsorship committee for the 2000 Region 4 conference as well.
Bob has chaired the advisory board and helped develop a technical communications certificate program at Cuyahoga Community College. He has taught technical communications at CCC as well. In addition to STC, he is a member of the American Marketing Association, Sales and Marketing Executives International (past VP of Membership), Northeast Ohio Software Association (NEOSA), and the Cleveland Engineering Society.
Bob studied electrical engineering at Clarkson University in New York and took a degree in technical writing from Capital University in Columbus, OH in 1988. He has also completed Kent State University's MBA Essentials program. He and his wife have four children, and when he isn't busy with them or with work, Bob sails, plays piano, leads a Scout troop, and is a Ham Radio Operator (callsign KT8DX).