What's New with the STC/SM Chapter
 
 
STC/SM Chapter Announcements

To keep chapter members and the public informed about the activities and initiatives of STC/SM, the chapter provides periodic announcements and press releases, for publication online and in other media outlets. The following announcements highlight recent activities from all areas of STC/SM Chapter operations, providing quick links to more information online, as well as serving as a dashboard of current member services. (Note: STC/SM also sends announcements though the Chapter Listserv. Please go to < www.stc-sm.org/listserv.htm > for more information about the Listserv.)

For more information about STC/SM in the press, please contact the STC/SM Chapter Publicity Manager, at < publicity@stc-sm.org >.

STC/SM Chapter—Professional Association for Technical Communicators...



...Members, Volunteers, Programs, Newsletters, Places, & People
STC/SM Winter 2010 Undergraduate Scholarship
STC/SM is pleased to offer a scholarship opportunity for students studying technical communication! This is the first time we have offered this opportunity, and we are excited to see some excellent applications. Download the details, application, and instructions from the STC/SM 2010 Undergraduate Scholarship section of the Chapter Services page, available at < www.stc-sm.org/services.htm#STCSM2010UGS >.
Plan now to attend the first STC/SM program meeting of 2010 on Wednesday, January 20, 2010: "Microsoft SharePoint for Technical Communicators"
The Southeastern Michigan Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication (STC/SM) will offer our January 2010 STC/SM Program Meeting, “Microsoft SharePoint for Technical Communicators”, on Wednesday, January 20, 2010, hosted at Thomson Reuters, in Dexter, MI. The program will cover how to use Microsoft SharePoint to collaborate as a Project Management Office and will include a case study of a health insurance company department SharePoint site, from a technical communicator's perspective. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about an important communications tool, network with your colleagues, and find out about new member services your STC/SM council has been developing. In addition, we will hold the Chapter Membership Renewal drawing at this meeting. We will also hold a surprise door prize giveaway at the event for attendees. We look forward to the possibility of seeing you in a relaxed, professional setting. For more information or if you have any other questions, visit the STC/SM Chapter Programs webpage, or send an email to the STC/SM Programs Manager at < programs@stc-sm.org >. To register, send an email to the STC/SM Registration Coordinator at < register@stc-sm.org >.
STC/SM 2010 Membership Drive Raffle
As announced through the STC/SM Chapter Listserv, STC/SM Members renewing their memberships by the December 31, 2009 deadline received an automatic entry in the STC/SM 2010 Membership Drive Raffle. These chapter members were notified by email of their entry into the raffle. STC/SM held the official raffle and drawing names for all 12 prizes at the January STC/SM Chapter Program Meeting. Congratulations to all the winners. Each member eligible for the drawing was entered and able to win 1 prize from the following items: 10 STC/SM T-Shirts, and 2 Western Digital 1 TB External USB 2.0 Hard Drives. Please view the STC/SM 2010 Membership Drive Raffle section of the the Services page for more information, available at < www.stc-sm.org/services.htm#STCSM2010MDR >.

STC/SM Announces the Kick-Off Event of the 2009-2010 STC/SM Chapter Program Season, set for Thursday, October 29, 2009: "Project Management. Have you considered coming over to the ‘dark side’….?"
The Southeastern Michigan Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication (STC/SM) will offer our October 2009 STC/SM Program Meeting, “Project Management. Have you considered coming over to the 'dark side'....:?”, on Thursday, October 29, 2009, hosted at the company RelWare, in Farmington Hills, MI. Ms. Joyce Zerkich, Scrum Master and Project Manager at RelWare, a software company specialized in developing Web applications for healthcare, will cover what the PMP exam requires should you consider becoming one, what project managers might expect of technical communicators in the workplace, should you be on a project with one, and what project management skills technical communicators might learn to improve project management of their own projects, including developing tools, writing documentation, and scheduling work. In addition, as this is the first program to kick-off the 2009-2010 STC/SM Chapter Program Season, our chapter president will begin the evening by welcoming STC/SM Members back to the 2009-2010 Chapter Term. (Notice: Also, as an extra incentive to attend, we will hold a raffle for attendees to receive a surprise giveaway!) Please consider attending this excellent opportunity for learning and networking, meeting in a relaxed, professional environment. For more information or if you have any other questions, visit the STC/SM Chapter Programs webpage, or send an email to the STC/SM Programs Manager at < programs@stc-sm.org >. To register, send an email to the STC/SM Registration Coordinator at < register@stc-sm.org >.

The STC/SM Job Board Staying Active into Fall 2009
In spite of the overall economic climate, multiple permanent and contract job openings are being advertised with the STC/SM Job Board service through Summer and into Fall 2009. made available with STC/SM in May and June 2009 for positions in Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor, MI, and across Metro-Detroit. Be sure to keep up with the STC/SM Chapter Listerserv to keep up with the latest announcements and job postings, as STC/SM members receive the Listserv messages before jobs are made available to the public through the Job Board online. Visit the STC/SM Job Board for more information about current employment opportunities, available at < www.stc-sm.org/jobBoard.htm >.
STC/SM Summer '09 Networking Lunches: Meet the New President & Vice President!
STC/SM Members: please join us for lunch as we close out the summer and get ready for fall '09—we'll pick up the tip! STC/SM is organizing two networking lunches for summer '09: we are offering you the opportunity to meet the incoming STC/SM President and STC/SM Vice President, as well as STC/SM members in a fun, relaxed setting. In addition to mingling with peers and discussing STC/SM, this will be an informal occasion to enjoy conversation with people who share professional interests. The new STC/SM vice president, Maryann Bowen, is hosting the first lunch in Ann Arbor—our "West Side" lunch. Mark Lockwood, STC/SM President, is hosting the second lunch in Royal Oak—our "East Side" lunch. Both the president and VP will be at both lunches.
Please register in advance by email; go to the Chapter Services page for registration information and more details, available at < www.stc-sm.org/services.htm >. Otherwise, if you have any feedback, comments, or questions, send us an email.
Multiple Job Opportunities Posted with STC/SM through June 2009
Several job openings were made available with STC/SM in May and June 2009 for positions in Kalamazoo, Sterling Heights, and Ann Arbor, MI, as well as a permanent position inC Charlotte, NC. Be sure to keep up with the STC/SM Chapter Listerserv to keep up with the latest announcements and job postings. Visit the STC/SM Job Board for more information about employment opportunities.

STC/SM 2009-2010 Election Results Announced
STC/SM is pleased to announce our STC/SM Chapter Executive Council for the 2009-2010 chapter term. Congratulations to our new council! The new positions take effect on June 1, 2009, but the chapter transitions all positions through the summer, preparing for the bulk of duties starting in the Fall and running through Summer 2010.

Our new council includes:

—Mark Lockwood, President
—Maryann Bowen, Vice President
—Julie Wingett, Secretary
—Sharon McDonnell, Treasurer
—Kathleen Belanger, Nominations

The chapter sends its sincere thanks to all of you who voted and participated in the survey!

In addition to these elected positions, we are also grateful for the other volunteer staff that helps promote the continued success of the STC/SM Chapter. Special thanks also goes out to Erin Moulton, 2008-2009 Nominations Committee Manager, and the rest of the Nominations Committee for recruiting the STC/SM staff for the upcoming year. Although we are in the process of transitioning from the 2008-2009 term through the summer into our 2009-2010 term, we always have a need for new volunteers and the donation of specialized skills, ranging from regular STC/SM staff positions to shorter projects and support with our regular chapter activities.

Time to Vote: STC/SM 2009-2010 Elections Held by Mail through May 15th, 2009
The STC/SM council is happy to announce that election time is here, and we have mailed the chapter ballots (along with a short chapter survey) to all current chapter members. If you do not receive your ballot/survey by May 10th, 2009, please contact < nominations@stc-sm.org >—or contact the Nominations team with any questions. We have an experienced, qualified group of volunteers lined up for the upcoming 2009-2010 chapter term, and we are expecting to have a fun time next year while working to understand and serve the needs of our members. Our candidates for 2009-2010 include:

  • Mark Lockwood for President
  • Maryann Bowen for Vice President
  • Julie Wingett for Secretary
  • Sharon McDonnell for Treasurer
  • Kathleen Belanger for Nominations
  • We also have an open (write-in) Nominations position available.

Though our ballot is uncontested this year, our bylaws require that we hold annual elections, and your participation and survey feedback is very important to us. We will announce the results by June 1st. Please return your ballots promptly (in the enclosed SASE), so that all votes can be counted. We will not accept ballots postmarked after May 15th. Thank you for your participation in this election!

 
 
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Last update: March 20, 2010
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