STC Board Teleconference Notes

1
STC Board Teleconference Notes

• 21 June 2006

2
Attendees

• Board Beau Cain, Bob Dianetti, Char James-Tanny,
  Cindy Currie, Jeff Staples, Jim Romano, John
  Hedtke, Linda Oestreich, Mark Clifford, Mike
  Murray, Paula Berger, Sherry Michaels, W.C. Wiese
• Office Interim Executive Director Rob Moran,
  Incoming Executive Director Susan Burton, Peg
  Cottrell, Mary Kabza, Merrick Bechini, Maurice
  Martin
• Committee Chairs Member Communication Committee
  Chair Brenda Huettner, Public Relations Committee
  Chair Rich Maggiani

3
Financial Area Report
4
Treasurers Report
Treasurer W.C. Wiese

• Accomplishments
• Through March, received 92 of income vs. 70 of
  expenses
• Have current budget year surplus
• Notified treasurers of community funding
  commitment
• In Progress
• Awaiting board changes to preliminary budget
  approved in Las Vegas
• Revising Community Treasurer Guidelines
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Propose change in threshold for business cases
• Complete budget update for October vote
• Hold Board call to walk through budget, likely
  August

5
SIG Funding Pilot
Chair W.C. Wiese

• Meetings currently in progress
• Discussing
• Priorities
• Online banking solution
• International expense reimbursement
• Budget approval for three pilot participants

6
Executive Director and Office Report
7
Executive Director Update
Interim Executive Director Rob Moran

• Making progress on repurposing Webinar materials.
• Working to fill last two positions for Education.
• Sublease/tenant relationship began June 1.
• Conference survey distributed.
• 30 of attendees have responded
• 72 said conference was good or excellent

8
Presidents Report
9
Presidents Report
President Paula Berger

• Working through Executive Director transition
• Announced the Presidents monthly report

10
Communication Area Report
11
Communication Area Update
Area Leads Cindy Currie / Jeff Staples

• Accomplishments
• Created templates for area/committee charter and
  monthly status update reporting
• Created Communication Area charter
• Revised email signature for emails within the
  board
• Created new email signature for emails to members
• In Progress
• Revising Communication Strategy with intent to
  distribute to board for review and feedback by
  June 30 and for approval at July 19 meeting.
• Gathering new content for Committees and Board
  web pages.
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Design and launch Committees web page with
  committee descriptions and bio/photos of
  committee chairs. (Jul-Aug)
• Enhance and re-launch Board webpage with
  bios/photos (Jul-Aug)
• Develop metrics and measures for STC
  Communication (Jul-Sep)

12
Communication Department
Office Liaison Maurice Martin

• Accomplishments
• First two Leadership Day podcasts posted (six
  recorded, one is unusable)
• 2005-6 budgets for membership communication and
  publications given to appropriate committee
  chairs
• In Progress
• Configuring stc-cdx.org as a temporary home for
  the HTML version of Tieline
• Estimating time to prepare copy for the new
  stc.org site
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Launch Web-only column with paid writer
• Organize focus groups for Intercom

13
Member Communication Committee
Chair Brenda Huettner

• Accomplishments
• Created first draft of charter
• Began compiling list of potential volunteers
• In Progress
• Obtaining input and revising charter
• Recruiting more volunteers
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Create communication guidelines
• Establish Fresh Eyes team

14
Publications Committee
Chair Karen Field Carroll

• Accomplishments
• Drafted charter.
• Interviewed Maurice Martin about Intercom
• Interviewed George Hayhoe about Technical
  Communication
• In Progress
• Scheduling meeting with Ed and Cecily to talk
  about Tieline
• Second/final charter draft by 6/29. (Feedback
  from all editors will be incorporated)
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Explore member survey options to determine member
  ideas about pubs
• Build committee Add up to five members,
  including one from outside US

15
Website Committee
Chair Bogo Vatovec

• Accomplishments
• Prepared a first draft of the charter
• Gathered feedback from several involved
  stakeholders
• In Progress
• Stakeholder agreement on the progress
• Project plan and estimations
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Get the charter approved and start the project
• Recruit volunteers

16
Professional Development Area Report
17
Professional Development Area
Lead Linda Oestreich

• Accomplishments
• Held calls with Research, Competitions, and
  Certificationexchanged emails w/Recognition
• Sent invites to committee managers to join Yahoo
  group for ProfDev encouraged each committee to
  use this feature for their communications
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Plans, guidelines, and work are all moving
  forward. See individual slides for details.

18
Competitions Committee
Chair Karen Baranich

• Accomplishments
• Recruited new International Technical Art
  Competition Manager
• Contacted all competition managers and reviewed
  available information for ALL competitions
• Reviewed PR Competition articles and guidelines

19
Competitions Committee (continued)
Chair Karen Baranich

• Accomplishments
• With ITAC, ITPC, and ITOCC Managers, reviewed and
  updated
• Competition Guidelines
• Call for Entries
• Guidelines for Competition Managers
• Evaluation Forms
• Chapter participation form (and sent notices to
  chapters)
• Articles for Intercom
• Set dates for international competition (with
  managers and office)

20
Competitions Committee (continued)
Chair Karen Baranich

• In Progress
• Developing a detailed time line/responsibilities
  checklist for ITPC, ITOCC, ITAC
• Identifying places to advertise competitions to
  improve visibilitythen need to place ads
• Update STC web information
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Hold strategic planning sessions with competition
  managers
• Begin evaluation of ALL chapter competition
  guidelines and begin planning competition changes
• Provide additional resources to chapters using
  the STC web (sample news releases, certificate
  templates, letters to judges, etc.)
• Open dialogue to assess feasibility of a student
  competition at the college/graduate level

21
Professional Recognition Committee
Chair Suzanna Laurent

• Accomplishments
• Simon Singh accepted invitation as Honorary
  Fellow for next years conference.
• In Progress
• Fellows and Assoc Fellows committees reviewing
  guidelines
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Article explaining Fellows requirements (So, You
  Want to be an STC Fellow?)

22
Standards Council
Chair Annette Reilly

• Accomplishments
• Submitted an article on the value of standards
  for use in Intercom
• George Hayhoe named co-editor of ISO 26514,
  Standard for Developers and Designers of User
  Documentation
• Received reports on W3C participation from Joe
  Welinske and Matthew Ellison, forwarded to Board
• Continued to vote on ISO JTC 1 SC7, IEEE and NISO
  standards

23
Standards Council (continued)
Chair Annette Reilly

• In Progress
• Adding comments, preparing CD version of 26514 by
  30 June
• Preparing STC application for OASIS membership as
  approved by the Board in May
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Complete draft of ISO 24765, Standard Software
  and Systems Engineering Vocabulary.
• Submit request to continue IEEE Std 1063-2001
  Software User Documentation until it is replaced
  by ISO 24765.
• Prepare budget request for board approval.
• Notes
• ISO JTC 1 SC7 WG2 would like to meet concurrently
  with an STC regional conference in the US in
  October 2007.

24
Research Grants Committee
Chair Rachel Spilka

• Accomplishments
• Recruited Patricia Goubil-Gambrell, a new
  practitioner representative to the Research
  Grants Committee
• Working to develop new goals for (a) improving
  publicity about research and STC Research Grants
  Committee activity, and (b) ensuring that all
  future grant proposals that the Committee
  recommends to the Board relate to STC's Strategic
  Planning.
• Send letter to Lynn Cook announcing her 10K
  award
• Posted two listserv reminders about the June 30
  deadline for the annual 10K award competition
• Developed and sent Large Grant Proposal
  Requirements and Guidelines to the three research
  teams

25
Research Grants Committee (continued)
Chair Rachel Spilka

• In Progress
• Discuss upcoming review of large grant and 10K
  proposals
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Coordinate grant review process with Committee in
  July / August. Final decisions in August on small
  and large awards.
• Write Intercom article on the Committee by July
  1.
• Submit "final" draft of revised Guidelines
  document for review.

26
Certification Evaluation Task Force
Chairs Jon Baker and Dan Wise

• Accomplishments
• Jon produced a charter document.
• In Progress
• Market analysis. Is there a market for this
  service?
• Task Force members need to be identified and
  recruited.
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• If a market for certification is identified and
  defined, develop a business plan.

27
Marketing Area Report
28
Marketing Area Update
Lead Mark Clifford

• Accomplishments
• First meeting to start committees and set out
  vision
• First committee reports received
• In Progress
• Marketing Charter planned for end August
• Defining budgetary requirements
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Marketing Plan formal presentation October
• Meeting with Mary Kabza Susan Burton

29
Organizational Partnerships Committee
Chair Andrea Ames

• Accomplishments
• Established new WUD committee heads (Bailie/
  Ryckborst) with mandate
• In Progress
• Discussions with ASI, LISA, APMP, etc
• LISA agreement to be signed
• Business model template (with Jim Romano)
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Finalize committee members

30
Sponsorship Committee
Chair Sally Spahn/TBA

• Accomplishments
• Spoke with every corporate vendor at the Las
  Vegas convention
• In Progress
• Beginning research on possible corporate sponsors
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Work with committee on charter and strategic plan

31
INTECOM
Chair Suzanna Laurent

• Accomplishments
• Submitted Membership Application and paid INTECOM
  dues
• UPDATE INTECOM voted unanimously to accept STCs
  application to rejoin
• Registered for INTECOM AGM meeting
• In Progress
• Attend INTECOM AGM in Guernsey June 22-23, 2006
• Hold initial concall with Ames, Clifford, Berger
  to discuss issues
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Report back to BoD on INTECOM AGM meeting
• Participate in INTECOM work group(s)

32
Public Relations Committee
Chair Rich Maggiani

• Accomplishments
• Committee members on board
• In Progress
• Defining our PR audience
• First conference call with committee
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Write goals and objective
• (Re)evaluating STC brand
• Branding/positioning exercise for London board
  meeting

33
Communities Affairs Area Report
34
Communities Affairs Area Update
Chair Sherry Michaels

• Accomplishments
• Have had multiple conversations with all
  committee managers.
• In Progress
• Community Calendar update. Office needs calendar
  benchmarks from board.
• Report on roles and responsibilities in CAC.
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Keep re-chartering effort and bylaws update
  going.
• Get Community Guidelines and Community QuickStart
  out.

35
Community Recognition Committee
Chair Tom Barnett

• Accomplishments
• Recruited committee members for CAA overhaul.
• Web page created to distribute documents and
  calendar.
• In Progress
• Evaluating CAA criteria with respect to the
  strategic plan.
• Building a log of discussion items.
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Complete the overhaul of the criteria.
• Specs for a Web form to Merrick, Web form by Sept.

36
LCR Update
Chair De Murr

• Accomplishments
• New Process Manager Dawnell Claessen
• Assisted 3 communities (First Coast, Aloha, and
  TransAlpine)
• With Beth Tanners assistance, met with Region 3
  leaders at conference.
• Started phone calls to current/incoming leaders.
• In Progress
• Fill open management positions in People and
  Process and develop LCR Org Chart. Still have the
  following open management positions
• Manager for People
• Manager for Student Communities
• Two curriculum developers for Training Modules
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Develop and publish LCR business plan for 2006-07.

37
Community Business Model Task Force Update
Chair Mike Murray

• Accomplishments
• Identifying task force members
• In Progress
• Forming and organizing Task Force
• Planning for first meeting
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Identify minimum requirements
• Conduct meeting face-to-face or virtual
• Have first draft ready for October Board Meeting

38
Virtual Communities
Chair Judith Herr

• Accomplishments
• Created SIG Leaders discussion list
  continuously voice lessons learned, requests for
  advice, etc.
• Identified five priorities for SIGs to address
  FY06-07
• In Progress
• Update of SIG information on STC web site
• Development of suggested guidelines for
  discussion list
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• FAQs, checklists for new SIG managers
  reimbursements, interface with office, etc.
• Packet on planning online SIG topic-related
  seminar

39
Region Reports
40
Region 1
Director Cindy Currie

• Communities are actively involved in leadership
  transition and end-of-year events.
• Communities have been notified that sponsorship
  will move from Director to LCR completely by May
  07, with Director progressively transitioning
  out of sponsorship role starting now.
• Communities continue to solicit Director visits
  and some have expressed disappointment that
  visits will be quite limited in 2006-07.
• Newsletter editors continue to want Director
  articles (or something similar!) for newsletters
  in 2006-07.

41
Regions 2 and 3
Director LCR

• Identified concerns for the regions
• Identified a strategy to support R2 R3 should
  LCR need help
• Triage flow for support is in place
• Communication strategy is in place
• Observe and be ready when needed

42
Region 5
Director Sherry Michaels

• Have updated distribution of presidents and
  newsletters
• Setting about contacting all incomings
• Disseminating Communications Committee reports
  and/articles
• Region 5 conference November 2nd 4th

43
Region 6
Director Jim Romano

• Nothing to report.

44
Region 7
Director John Hedtke

• Chapters in good to excellent shape
• Mak Pandit (Global Membership co-chair) actively
  helping form Korea and China chapters
• Forming Korean Chapter (100 Korean TCers meeting
  regularly now)
• Chapter development plan being assembled for
  Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, and Shenzhen.
• E-mailing and accessing other communication
  vehicles.

45
Region 8
Director Beau Cain

• Facilitated formation of Korea chapter
• Offered links to online education to Korean
  conference delegates
• Advised Berkeley chapter presidents development
  of chapter by-laws
• Advised Aloha chapter website manager Frank
  Tagader on reconstruction of chapter website
• Published article, Two Down, One to Go on R8
  website
• Collaborated with Community Affairs Committee
  about relevance to LRC, Board, and communities
• Liaised effort to partner STC education events
  with San José State University Professional
  Development Center Advanced Technical Writing and
  Tools Certificate program

46
Education Area Report
47
Conference Advisory Committee
Chair Saul Carliner

• Accomplishments
• 2006 Program planning schedule complete.
• In Progress
• Completing the Call for Proposals.
• Completing the re-design of the conference.
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• 2007 conference Call for Proposals (to be
  released July 5), recruit invited speakers and
  certificate programs, active marketing of Call
  for Proposals, arrange for local events, set
  budget.
• 2008 conference set schedule, choose track
  managers, begin work on conferences-within-a-confe
  rence and certificates
• Conference Advisory Committee complete
  invitations to committee members, set policies on
  invited speakers, certificate programs (with
  Training committee), establish pricing guidelines
  (if needed)

48
Training Committee
Chair John Garison

• Accomplishments
• Formed team Lynn Harris (MA), Sue Wood (UK),
  Ann-Marie Grissino (NC)
• Drafted mission statement
• Shared goals, directions, New STC document with
  team
• In Progress
• Brainstorming new and improved training courses
• Will be discussing ideas approaches for
  new/improved training courses
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Online meetings (Netmeeting, conference calls) to
  talk about ideas, approaches, and to make
  assignments

49
Academic Liaison Update
Chair Hillary Hart

• Accomplishments
• Wrote white paper with ideas for Academic Liaison
  role.
• Contacted Scott DeLoach (Scholarships), Betsy
  Smith (Fraternities).
• In Progress
• Discussion with key leaders to gather information
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Clarify goals for year.
• Outreach to Academic Community (Tommy Barker),
  other academic societies (IEEE PCS, e.g.), and
  university TC programs.
• Find managers for Secondary Outreach and Student
  Support.
• Decide, with Board, if Student Support position
  is necessary.

50
Governance Area Report
51
Governance Area

• Nominating Committee
• No report.
• Bylaws Committee
• Start reworking bylaws after arrival of Executive
  Director Susan Burton
• Strategic Planning Committee
• Focus group convened in London (Cindy). More
  meetings planned.
• Organizational meeting planned.

52
Membership Area Report
53
Membership Area Update
Lead Jim Romano

• Accomplishments
• Office has hired Director of Membership
  Marketing, Mary Kabza
• One-day planning session at STC office with Jim
  Romano, Paula Berger, Mary Kabza, Merrick
  Bechini, and Incoming Executive Director Susan
  Burton
• In Progress
• Delineation of roles, responsibilities and goals
  for Growth, Global, and Corporate Value Program
  areas
• Ramping up for roll-out of Three-year Growth
  Strategy (already approved by the Board)
• Search for lead/volunteer for Corporate Value
  Program
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Launch Three-year Growth Strategy
• Launch global STC web page/site
• Have CVP lead/volunteer identified and brought on
  board

54
Membership Growth Committee
Chair Beth Tanner

• Accomplishments
• Hiring Mary Kabza, Director of Membership/Marketin
  g
• In Progress
• New Director of Membership/Marketing Orientation
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Jointly create/update our plan
• Identify key growth segments and champions for
  segments

55
Global Membership Committee
Chairs Kit Brown and Mak Pandit

• Accomplishments
• Organizational/planning meeting held
• Held meeting with international vendors and conf.
  committee
• In Progress
• Discussing formation of China and Korea chapters
• Started designing content for Global STC web
  pages
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Monitor progress on China and Korea chapters
• Prepare content for STC Global web site
• Make a list of issues that affect global
  membership
• Discuss membership promotion with chapters
  outside USA
• Listen to the ideas and concerns from worldwide
  members

56
Secretarys ReportAdministration and Operations
Area Report
57
Secretarys Update
Secretary Char James-Tanny

• Accomplishments
• Created a new Contact List in Excel.
• Sent files to Shaf for upload to the STC site and
  RSS feed.
• Created a new Start Here section for private
  board info.
• Presented update on org chart, New World,
  reports, etc. to Boston Community meeting.
• Sent slide template to committee chairs.
• Updated board meeting presentation template.
• Attend Finance Committee meetings

58
Secretarys Update (continued)
Secretary Char James-Tanny

• In Progress
• Explore using thumb drives for board meetings.
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Start working on Web-based Communication System.
• Add new Executive Director to Yahoo groups.

59
Administration and Operations Committee
Chair Char James-Tanny

• Accomplishments
• Addressed a number of administrative/operational
  issues related to Board of Directors Yahoo site.
• In Progress
• Organize Files section of Yahoo group.
• Start drafting New Board Member Orientation
  information.
• Planned (Next 1-3 months)
• Set Committee Meeting schedule.

60
Calendar and Action Items
61
Calendar Items

• Schedule of teleconference meetings
• 19 July 2006 (slides due 17 July)
• 16 August 2006 (slides due 14 August)
• 20 September 2006 (slides due 19 September)
• 15 November 2006 (slides due 13 November)
• Next face-to-face Board Meeting
• 12-13 October 2006 in London

62
Action Items

• Finance Change business cases to require
  approval over 4000 instead of 500. Needs
  discussion. If this isn't changed, then the board
  needs to present a business cases for OASIS
  membership.
• All areas and committees need to submit budget
  information by 31 July 2006. Remember to include
  both estimated income and expenses. We will
  schedule a call in August to review the entire
  budget.
• Communications Discuss charters for areas and
  committees. Many folks aren't sure what to
  include in a charter or even how to write one. We
  need to decide if we are going to require
  charters for each area and committee.
• Communications Discuss staff email signatures.
  Please include Mary in the discussion. (Was there
  also an action item to review Intercom
  resources?)
• Marketing PR would like to run a positioning
  exercise at London meeting.
• Communities The board needs to have more
  discussion on the LCR, talking about strategies
  and timelines. There is concern over covering
  Regions 2 and 3 at the same time that sponsors
  are phasing out their support.
• Communities Paula will post a report on the
  Korean chapter to the board listserv.
• Education More discussion is needed on the
  conference in conjunction with training and
  education