Happy New Year, STC Phoenix Chapter members and affiliates!  We hope that 2012 finds all of you doing well and that this new year brings you exciting challenges.

The Committee Managers and Administrative Council (CMAC) knows that many of you have questions, such as when our next meeting will be and what is going on! Following are details on chapter activities and upcoming events.

First, the CMAC would like you to know that we are here and we are fully engaged.  This year,  the chapter’s four elected officers will be taking a different approach to the handling of the chapter’s administrative affairs.

Chapter Changes

Open and frequent communication
We are going to be more communicative about chapter issues, such as our financial status, interactions with STC headquarters, and the content of our CMAC monthly meetings.  You deserve to know what is going on and how we are handling your issues and concerns. Your elected officers are fully committed to this goal. We will post our CMAC meeting minutes for all chapter members to read; you can see the issues we discuss, how they are being resolved, and by whom.

Meetings
In the past, chapter meetings were held on the second Tuesday of each month.  At the end of 2011, we surveyed chapter members and learned that a change is needed. One of the most consistent comments was a need to change when meetings are held; many also felt meetings were too frequent.

We listened!  For 2012, our chapter’s quarterly program meetings will occur on different days. In addition to program meetings, we will have Open Mic Night in April — a networking meeting.

This year, we will also be reaching out to fellow organizations by inviting them to our meetings. A fee of only $5 will be charged to attendees who are not affiliated with the Phoenix Chapter or STC.

We will no longer have our meetings at the Hilton Hotel. That approach requires a signed contract and fee commitments that our budget can no longer support.  Instead, we will find different locations where you may purchase your own meals/refreshments.

Administrivia
The CMAC has come to realize that certain fundamental administrative functions have lapsed. The focus for the first six months of 2012 will be to get those administrative functions back in order. One impact of this will be to work toward qualifying for the STC Community Achievement Award again.

Upcoming Events

Following are upcoming events for the STC Phoenix Chapter:

• February Meeting: Our first chapter meeting will be held February 23, 2012.  We are still identifying a location, but save the date!  Our guest speaker will be ASU Professor Barbara D’Angelo, who will speak on copyright issues. You may be surprised at what you learn! Watch your email and this website for more information soon.
• 2012 Membership Drive:  It’s that time of year again!  At the end of 2011, we had 80 chapter members, and we would like to see a high rate of renewal.  Membership fees are $250, or $215 without a chapter or SIG affiliation.  STC is once again offering four monthly installment payments to ease the burden of the membership costs.  Visit http://www.stc.org/ to renew.
• Chapter Drawing: The Phoenix Chapter will also be offering a renewal incentive:  renew by February 29th, and at the March CMAC meeting we’ll hold a drawing for a $50 and a $25 Amazon gift card! Entry into the drawing is automatic with your STC renewal.
• NAU Partnership: In addition to our ongoing partnership with ASU, we have begun to collaborate with the Professional and Technical Writing faculty of NAU.  Stay tuned for news on upcoming chapter/university projects.
• April’s Open Mic Night: Back by popular demand, “Open Mic Night” will take place the third week of April (exact date to be determined). The topic for this Open Mic is “BYOD” (Bring Your Own Device). Have a favorite app? Have a tool you love?  How about a funny story about your experiences with a particular tool or device? Come share it, and network with fellow technical communicators.  More information to come.
• Arizona Science and Engineering Fair 2012: AzSEF is just around the corner!  Last year AzSEF Committee Chair Miachelle DePiano converted the initial round of judging to an online process, with the final round of judging taking place at the Phoenix Convention Center. This year, AzSEF takes place April 2-4, and Miachelle will be looking for volunteer judges again.  The online process was a success, with just a few tweaks needed for this year. If you are interested in volunteering as a judge, please contact Miachelle at azsef@stc-phoenix.com.
• Volunteering: Speaking of volunteers, when it comes to non-profit organizations like ours…it does take a village!  We can always use volunteers to help with STC Phoenix activities!  We are currently prioritizing the projects we need to tackle for the coming year and we will be sending out more information about specific needs in the near future. If you have a volunteer idea in mind now, though, please contact Jan at president@stc-phoenix.com or Miachelle at vice_president@stc-phoenix.com.

• President:  Jan Kruse
• Vice President:  Miachelle DePiano
• Secretary:  David Goldberg
• Treasurer:  Kim Rosenlof

Nineteen of 72 eligible members voted during the November 1 to November 8 election.  The election was held online again this year using the iContact system.

The administrative council is the decision-making body of the chapter and is composed of the elected officers and the immediate past president, Kathy Graden.  They take office on January 1, 2012 and serve through December 31, 2012.

Congratulations to our new administrative council and thanks to everyone who voted!

We’ll also be voting on the new chapter bylaws, which include a provision for student members to vote in future elections.  Please plan to attend the meeting if you would like to see this provision approved.

About the Speaker – Brent Schlenker

Brent Schlenker is a program manager and Emerging Technologies Analyst for The eLearning Guild. He has a degree in Media Arts from UofA, and a Masters in EdTech from ASU. He worked as a contractor for Intel while finishing his masters degree. He then spent some time with SGS Thomson Microelectronics, a little time with an eLearning startup, and then back to Intel for 10 years while he started his family. In 2005, he started blogging and that was engine that kickstarted the rest of his career. Check out his blog. He has worked with internationally recognized futurist Elliot Masie and has been with the Guild for almost 5 years programming DevLearn, doing research, and working as an Emerging Technologies Analyst.

Meeting Details

Thursday, November 10, 2011

5:30 p.m. Check-in & Networking
6:00 p.m. Dinner
6:30 p.m. Announcements/bylaws vote - chapter members
7:00-8:15 p.m. Program

Door prize drawing for Designing mLearning by Clark N. Quinn.

Location

Radisson Hotel Phoenix Airport
427 North 44th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85008

Note that in response to our member survey, we plan to offer a few different venues for our future quarterly meetings.

Dinner Selections

Chicken Marsala – lightly coated chicken breasts braised with Marsala wine and mushrooms

Salmon with mango salsa

Rice Pilaf
Green Beans Almondine

Also included is a tossed green salad, rolls, iced tea, coffee and dessert.

Registration/Cost Information

All attendees:

• Early registration via PayPal: $25
• At the door: $27
• Program Only: $15

Registration Deadline

Tuesday, November 8,  2011 at 7:00 p.m.

No-shows will be billed.

Register Online

To register for this event, please click here.

Jan Kruse – Candidate for President

Jan Kruse joined the Phoenix Chapter in 1998 and has been an active member since 2009 when she became Program Manager. Prior to that, she served as STC Exhibit Manager and as a judge at the Arizona Science and Engineering Fair

For the past 25 years, Jan has developed user’s guides, user assistance, and training guides primarily for the financial software industry. Jan has also volunteered her time to create training/user guides for Ronald McDonald House and ABCD (After Breast Cancer Diagnosis), Inc. She is currently working as a contractor at Rockwell Automation, Inc

Jan was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and began her technical writing career there after a few years working as a speech pathologist. She is interested in how collaboration and technology are changing the field of Technical Communication and how to successfully influence and adapt to those changes.

Miachelle DePiano – Candidate for Vice President

Miachelle DePiano, our membership manager who will continue to manage the membership committee if she is elected vice president, has been an active member of STC since 2007.  She has been active with the AzSEF committee for the last four years, co-chairing in 2010 with Gloria McConnell and chairing in 2011. For the 2011 AzSEF competition, Miachelle orchestrated online judging for the initial round of papers, making it easier for judges to determine who the finalists would be

Miachelle is a technical writer with Intel, and a freelance photographer and journalist for Go Gilbert! magazine.  She is a military veteran of the U.S. Army, and her military career was the foundation for her becoming a technical writer.  She graduated from ASU in May 2008 with a B.S. in Multimedia Writing and Technical Communication. As a technical writer, she is interested in how social media are changing the industry, as well as how technological advances will change documentation creation and use. She is married and has two children and three dogs.

David Goldberg – Candidate for Secretary

David Goldberg has been a member of the Phoenix chapter for several years and the Dallas chapter before that. He is a technical writer/analyst for JDA Software in Scottsdale and produces online help, installation guides, administrator guides, release notes, and other release materials for a variety of enterprise supply-chain optimization products. He worked for Sabre Technology Solutions in Dallas in a similar writer capacity

David has an interest in collaboration tools and approaches for globally dispersed product teams and SMEs, as well as technological trends that will change the ways we create and communicate information. He is originally from Boston, one of triplets, and enjoys sports, tennis, theatre, and his two wonderful dogs.

Kim Rosenlof – Candidate for Treasurer

Greetings, fellow Phoenix Chapter STC members! My name is Kim Rosenlof and I am running for Chapter Treasurer. A Senior Member of STC, I have been a member of the Phoenix Chapter continuously since 1997. I have presented at two chapter meetings, participated as a CARSEF and Publication, Art and Online competition judge, and spoken at the Southwest Region STC conference. I also served as Membership Chair of the Instructional Design and Learning SIG

Although I am currently self-employed as an instructional designer and marketing communications professional, my work experience includes technical writing/instructional design positions at Data Dimensions, Honeywell, and TraCorp. Often I’m able to split my time between technical and creative writing projects and have published more than 300 articles in about 25 different magazines.

Here’s your chance! The Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association (RMMLA) is holding its annual convention in Scottsdale.

When: October 6-8, 2011
Where: Chaparral Suites Resort, 5001 N. Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ
Cost: Free for STC Phoenix Chapter Members! (Non-member fee is  $20.00)
Registration: Pre-registration is highly recommended. Email Jan at programs@stc-phoenix.com by September 30, to pre-register. (To register at the convention, use the email sent to members or your STC identification card to identify yourself as a member of STC.)

Over 50 sessions will be held; the Professional and Technical Writing group has four technical communication sessions and two sessions on writing programs… more

New members, loyal chapter members, large & small businesses, consultants, and academics were all represented.  Thanks to all for taking the stage to tell your stories. We hope to hear more in the future!

For more stories (unrelated to Tech Comm), check out Arizona Storytellers.

Date: Tuesday, September 13th
Place: The Old Spaghetti Factory
Address: 1418 N. Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ (map)
Time: 5:30-8:00 p.m.
Check-in: Starts at 5:30  p.m.
Schedule: Dinner orders will be taken around 6:00. Chapter announcements will start around 6:45, followed by attendee stories. Members, non-members, and guests all will have a chance to be in the spotlight!
Cost: Order from the standard menu and pay your own tab… how much or how little you order is up to you…
R.S.V.P.: Please contact Jan at programs@stc-phoenix.com by Noon, September 13.

I have some great news that I hope will please you.

Thanks to the feedback and suggestions you recently provided regarding the chapter’s future, and to the generosity of dedicated, loyal chapter members who have volunteered to lead the chapter next year, the Phoenix Chapter will remain alive and active, at least through the end of 2012!

Thank you to all who participated in our email and phone survey. We enjoyed talking with you and found your feedback to be very valuable. Seventy-two percent of the chapter members on our “permitted to contact” list responded to the phone or email survey. Some highlights:

• The overwhelming majority wanted to see the Phoenix Chapter remain intact and affiliated with STC.
• The top items that members valued from current chapter activities were: programs, expertise, and AZSEF.
• Members encouraged partnerships with other organizations and more frequent activities/information offered online.
• Members also suggested varied locations and days for meetings as a way to increase attendance at chapter meetings. Two members committed to volunteer their time to the chapter.

On August 9, I met with members of the Chapter Management and Advisory Council (CMAC) and other members concerned with the chapter’s well-being (specifically, Jan Kruse, Miachelle DePiano, Tom Barnett, Chanda Child, Debra Gabriel, David Goldberg, Robbie Proulx, and Kim Rosenlof) to discuss the survey results and determine next steps. We reviewed the implications of the survey results, the state of the chapter’s operations and finances, and came up with a plan to move forward between now and December 31, 2012.

Please read the series of questions and answers that describe the outcome of our meeting.

Here’s your chance to highlight to others the role you play as a technical communicator. Take the floor for five minutes to give us a snapshot of your world at work: share where you work, your challenges, your successes, or perhaps offer some advice.
The program promises to be entertaining and may give you some insight as to where to look and what to look for in your next position. Come to speak or just listen to others. Plenty of time for networking with those speakers you find intriguing. Walk away with a fuller understanding of the Phoenix technical communication community through listening to attendees’ stories.

Date: Tuesday, September 13th
Place: The Old Spaghetti Factory
Address: 1418 N. Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ (map)
Time: 5:30-8:00 p.m.
Check-in: Starts at 5:30  p.m.
Schedule: Dinner orders will be taken around 6:00. Chapter announcements will start around 6:45, followed by attendee stories. Members, non-members, and guests all will have a chance to be in the spotlight!
Cost: Order from the standard menu and pay your own tab… how much or how little you order is up to you…
R.S.V.P.: Please contact Jan at programs@stc-phoenix.com by Noon, September 13.

Neil Perlin, for kicking off the program year with What’s up e-doc ? (trends in tech comm)

Kathryn Poe, for giving us the tech comm perspective on SCRUM –not only how to survive, but thrive!

Joe Devney, for introducing us to forensic linguistics and leading us on our own investigation.

Russell Keppner and Alan Vickers for Drupal 101.  Small turnout; BIG ideas! It inspired quite a few people!

Kathy Graden, Miachelle DePiano, Dana Osborn, and Alan Vickers for sharing their experiences and expertise as part of the Beyond Tech Writing panel.

Connie Malamed, for opening  our eyes to using graphics in learning.

Brenda Huettner, for sharing her adventures in collaboration.

Kathy Graden, for sharing her experiences at the STC Summit 

Marian Barchilon, for sharing her experiences in Israel.

THANK YOU!

Jan Kruse
Program Manager

If you use Adobe FrameMaker, you probably recognize the name Bruce Foster. Over the years, Bruce provided many useful FrameMaker plug-ins. Sadly, Bruce passed away on June 15, 2011.

Another well-known Framer, Rick Quatro, is offering a very nice tribute to Bruce. See Rick’s FrameAutomation.com site for details on on how you can contribute. You will receive a Frame 10 version of the Archive plug-in, one of Bruce’s most successful offerings, for your efforts.

Florida Competition Open to All

The Florida Suncoast chapter of STC is holding a technical communication competition that is open to all STC members (and non-members as well). Categories include:

• Informational Materials
• Instructional Materials
• Promotional Materials
• User Support Materials

Plan now to submit your entries! Deadline is August 31. See the Suncoast chapter site for details.

Free Madcap Flare Webinars Coming in July

The Flare folks are offering two free webinars on “Going Mobile with Flare.”  The presenter is Neil Perlin, well-known in the world of tech. comm. 

• 7/22: Part 1, an Overview of the Mobile Ecology
• 7/27: Part 2. So How Do I Use Flare To Go Mobile?

Both webinars are one hour long and start at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. Read more & register here.

Share your NEW with us. 
 
Do you have new ideas and perspectives about the direction you would like to see the STC Phoenix Chapter take in the coming months? If so, come and share them at the chapter’s Annual Planning Meeting on Saturday, June 18^th. We’re looking for fresh, creative minds to help us brainstorm about ways to revitalize and grow the chapter, connect better with members, and offer them more value – and have some fun, too! Please join us and get an inside look at what goes on behind the scenes, along with information about exciting things the Phoenix Chapter may be offering this coming year. 
 
The planning meeting is open to ALL Phoenix Chapter members. Please RSVP by Wednesday, June 15th. Email president@stc-phoenix.com.

Meeting Details:
Date: Saturday, June 18, 2011
Time: 9:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Location: Century Branch of the Phoenix Public Library, 1750 E. Highland Avenue, Phoenix (just south of Camelback Road).

Hope to see you there!

To kick off the meeting, Marian G. Barchilon, Fellow, Society for Technical Communication, and the Phoenix chapter’s Education Manager, will share some of her experiences as a participant in the Faculty Fellowship Institute to Israel and discuss the role technical communication can play in promoting collaboration between our two countries.

Next, Kathy Graden, Phoenix chapter President, will share the highlights of the STC conference that she attended this year in Sacramento. (Rumor has it that she brought back some interesting door prizes!)

Following that, Kathy will recognize this past year’s board members’ service to the chapter and welcome the new board members.

…and don’t forget the Book Sale starting at 5:30.

For details, see earlier post OR register today!

On Leadership Day at the 2011 STC Annual Summit in Sacramento, California, the Society for Technical Communication introduced its chapter and SIG leaders to “My STC,” a new online tool that facilitates STC members’ interactions with other Society members and groups. Think of My STC as STC’s version of Facebook; it’s designed to (and does) work in much the same way as the popular social media site.

Why should you care about My STC? Because it provides an easy way for you to customize and get the most out of your STC experience, sharing ideas, photos, news, opinions, and other information with the people in STC YOU want to connect with. YOU choose the friends, chapters, SIGs, and discussion groups you want to be part of; My STC provides quick steps to get connected. You can even create your own intra-STC groups to match your personal interests or affiliations, such as “web design gurus” or “Phoenix-based phoodies” – the possibilities are yours to choose (although subject to webmaster approval). Another great reason to get familiar with My STC: the Phoenix Chapter has its own group, and starting in the near future, you’ll be able to go there for announcements of local chapter activities and events, conversations about timely topics for our community, and much more.

To get started, log in to STC’s main website, www.stc.org. Click on “My STC” in the navigation bar to go to My STC’s Home tab page. Then, click on the Profile tab and enter and save information for your personal profile. It’s VERY important to do this: until you do, My STC won’t recognize you as a member of its groups for the chapters and/or SIGs to which you belong.

Navigating around the My STC site is fairly intuitive, but STC has created a set of short tutorial videos (available on YouTube) to help:

Overview of the My STC Network

Using My STC’s Home tab 

Using My STC’s Applications tab

Using My STC’s Groups tab

Using My STC’s Inbox tab 

Using My STC’s chat feature

Using My STC’s Friends tab

Using My STC’s Events tab

To kick off the meeting, Marian G. Barchilon, Fellow, Society for Technical Communication, and the Phoenix chapter’s Education Manager, will share some of her experiences as a participant  for the Faculty Fellowship Institute to Israel and discuss the role technical communication can play in promoting collaboration between our two countries.

Next, Kathy Graden, Phoenix chapter President, will share the highlights of the STC conference that she attended this year in Sacramento. (Rumor has it that she brought back some interesting door prizes!)

Following that, Kathy will recognize the past year’s board members’ service to the chapter and welcome the new board members.

…and don’t forget the Book Bonanza! 

Meeting Details

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

5:30 Check-in & Networking
6:00 Dinner
6:30 Announcements
7:00-8:15 Program

Book Bonanza

Choose from hardcovers and paperbacks, fiction and non-fiction: 2 books for $3 or 4 for $5. Kathy Graden will be managing the sales. Proceeds go to the chapter and unsold items to charity. Feel free to contribute books to sell the night of the meeting, too!  Sale begins at 5:30.

Rewards Winners

The June meeting is the first meeting that Rewards winners (those who have contributed $70.00 or more for dinner meeting attendance, “program only” attendance, or combination of the two) can use their rewards status to redeem their free dinner. (Rewards winners will be contacted via email.)
 
Winners should register at the chapter website and add the word “Rewards” in the Notes field located under Meal Options.

Dinner Options

Chicken Marsala - Pan Seared Breast of Chicken served over Herb Linguine Pasta with Seasonal Vegetables
 
Pasta Primavera – Pasta with Vegetables
 
All entrees include a tossed green salad, rolls, tea, coffee and dessert.

Location

Phoenix Airport Hilton, 2435 South 47th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85034-6410

Located just northwest of Route 143 and University Drive. From University, turn north on 47th Place, and the hotel is ahead about two blocks on the left.

Registration/Cost Information

Chapter Member via Pay Pal $18
Chapter Member paid at meeting $20
STC Member-at-Large $25
Non-member $35
Student $15
Program only $10

Discount for First-Time Guest

Not a member, but want to attend? We can match you with a member for one meeting this program year, at the member price. Contact Jan at programs@stc-phoenix.com if you are interested.
 
Discount for first-time guest this program year: $20

Registration Deadline

Thursday, June 9, 2011 at Noon.  No-shows will be billed.

Register Online

To register for this event, please click here.

Come to the June meeting for our Book Bananza! Choose from hardcovers and paperbacks, fiction and non-fiction: 2 books for $3 or 4 for $5. Our Prez, Kathy, will be managing the sales. Proceeds go to the chapter and “leftovers” to charity. Feel free to contribute books to sell the night of the meeting, too!   Sale opens at 5:30.

Other meeting events:  Gain some insights into this year’s STC Summit from attendee Kathy Graden as well as hear what it takes to set up a Tech Comm. university program in Israel by Marian Barchilon…Take time to cheer on recipients of this year’s service awards, too.   All and all, a festive time!

Rewards Program Winners

The June meeting is the first meeting that Rewards Program winners can “cash in” and receive their dinner free of charge.  Winners will receive an email confirming their eligibility before the end of May.

June 18th–Mark your Calendars

Want to know what’s happening with the chapter?  Join us for an idea exchange at the June planning meeting.  We are looking for ideas AND people who want a hand in implementing them!  Here’s your chance to make a difference.  More details to follow soon…

Our featured speaker is Brenda Huettner who will share her experiences about working virtually. Whether you are a consultant or member of a corporate team, there is always room for collaboration.  Bring your questions and join the discussion!

For May’s chapter meeting, Brenda Huettner will provide practical advice for enabling collaboration between members of a diverse team and developing & maintaining professional relationships when team members don’t get to meet in person. She will briefly discuss the types of tools currently available, and match them up with the traditional management tasks for which each might be appropriate.

About the Speaker – Brenda Huettner

Brenda Huettner is the owner of P-N Designs, Inc., a communication consulting company. She writes articles and teaches workshops on management, usability, and technical writing. She has authored, and co-authored a number of books, including Managing Virtual Teams: Getting the Most from Wikis, Blogs, and Other Collaborative Tools with colleagues Kit Brown and Char James-Tanny.

Brenda is a Fellow of the Society for Technical Communication and a regular presenter at conferences across the country. Check out her sessions at this year’s STC Summit. She’s a Senior Member of IEEE and a member of the Usability Professionals Association. 

Meeting Details

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

5:30 Check-in & Networking
6:00 Dinner
6:30 Announcements
7:00-8:15 Program

Location

Phoenix Airport Hilton, 2435 South 47th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85034-6410

Located just northwest of Route 143 and University Drive. From University, turn north on 47th Place, and the hotel is ahead about two blocks on the left.

Book Bonanza/Books Needed/Bring to May Meeting

For June’s meeting, we will be having a book “sale”. (More details to follow soon.)  If you are interested in contributing to this, please bring your Tech Comm-related books as well as other non-fiction and fiction books to the May meeting.

Dinner Options

Meat Entree: Traditional Lasagna – Home Style Meat Lasagna Served with Freshly Baked Garlic Bread Sticks.
 
Vegetarian Entree: Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Capers over Angel Hair Pasta
 
All entrees include a tossed green salad, rolls, tea, coffee and dessert.

Registration/Cost Information

Chapter Member via Pay Pal $18
Chapter Member paid at meeting $20
STC Member-at-Large $25
Non-member $35
Student $15
Program only $10

Rewards Program – Earn a Free Dinner

Starting with the Sept. 2010 meeting, those who have contributed $70.00 or more for dinner meeting attendance, “program only” attendance, or combination of the two, can earn a free dinner. Rewards can be redeemed for one dinner meeting starting with the June 2011 meeting and ending with December 2011 dinner meeting.

Discount for First-Time Guest

Not a member, but want to attend? We can match you with a member for one meeting this program year, at the member price. Contact Jan at programs@stc-phoenix.com if you are interested.
 
Discount for first-time guest this program year: $20

Registration Deadline

Thursday, May 5, 2011 at Noon.  No-shows will be billed.

Register Online

To register for this event, please click here.

You did it.  Your support and membership renewal pushed our chapter into 3rd place in STC’s Chapter Renewal Challenge for Cat III chapters in STC, with a renewal rate of 61.73%, and it was a VERY slim margin to 2nd place winner Willamette Valley, who had a 61.76% renewal rate.  Northeast Ohio took 1st place in Cat III with a renewal of 73.68%.

At this time as Membership Manager, I would like to personally thank each and every one of you for your continued support and dedication to the Phoenix Chapter.  Every member counts, and these results are proof.

For more information on the challenge, visit the Chapter Renewal Page at STC.

Sincerely,

Miachelle DePiano
Membership Manager
AzSEF Chairperson