STC-Phila. Metro Chapter

Society for Technical Communication

Registration is OPEN for CONDUIT 2020

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It’s finally here – what you have been waiting for – CONDUIT 2020 Registration is now open! This full day event has the ultimate Philly vibe at none other than the Franklin Institute! This year’s sessions feature a variety of topics including content strategy, technical writing, project management, and much more. Plus you will have plenty of opportunities to network during the day. And not only that but the conference includes a continental breakfast, full lunch, discounted parking, and fabulous door prizes! For full details, check out our Overview page and join us this year for fun, information, food and fabulous door prizes! Space is limited. Registration ends March 27th at 12:00 PM.

 

Proactive Listening: How It Can Make You More Successful

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Photo courtesy of Kyle Smith on Unsplash

People don’t sufficiently work at listening. It is generally thought of as a passive activity but people need to turn it into more of an active activity. Listening well can give you a better idea of what’s going on in your organization and how you can add value. This presentation will explore ways people can turn proactive listening into a valuable skill that aids them in both their professional and personal life, offering various tips and thoughts to consider.

Join STC-PMC at the Collingswood Community Center for this informative talk on March 2nd starting at 7:00pm. Registration is now open.

A light dinner will be served.

ABOUT OUR PRESENTER

Gary Sternberg was the Publications Coordinator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Inspector General for 19 years until his retirement at the end of 2019. Gary, who had worked out of the EPA’s Philadelphia office, was responsible for the editing and publication of EPA OIG reports. Gary previously worked for 16 years as a writer-editor for the U.S. Department of Defense’s Naval Audit Service. A graduate of Temple University with a degree in Journalism, Gary spent the first 6 years of his career as a newspaper reporter and editor. Gary has been involved in STC for 30 years, and has spoken at various local STC PMC events as well as STC international conferences. Gary resides in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and is coordinator of the STC PMC’s South Jersey Networking Group.

STC-PMC Member and Treasurer Karen Levine Named as Associate Fellow

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Award season seems to be upon us: The Golden Globes, The Grammy’s, The Oscars and the Tony’s are the entertainment industry’s top awards, but in the world of techcomm, nothing compares to being selected for STC’s second top award: Associate Fellow. This year our own Treasurer, Karen Levine, has been named an Associate Fellow.

Levine has been an active member of STC and PMC for the last 16 years. She has served on numerous committees and has been appointed to important positions for the organization. Currently she is PMC Treasurer, co-chair of CONDUIT 2020, and a member of both the STC Scholarship and DCSA committees. Previously, she served as the Vice President, Secretary & Membership chair, co-chair of CONDUIT 2018, CAC Leadership Day volunteer at Summit 2019, and the chapter Mentor Program chair. In addition, she also served as the Entries Manager for the NY Metro/PMC regional STC TechComm competition for several years. She was also honored with the Distinguished Community Service Award and an award of excellence from the NY Metro/PMC regional STC TechComm competition.

“Being named an Associate Fellow is a great honor.” commented Levine. “I am in very good company. I cannot thank enough those who recommended me and encouraged me to apply. I’d also like to thank the Associate Fellow committee for selecting me among all of these talented people.”

Receiving this distinction takes time and dedication to the organization. According to the Associate Fellow Guidelines, “This honor recognizes members for their outstanding achievements in and contributions to the arts and science of technical communication, and for sustained and significant service to STC. Associate Fellows are recognized as leaders in the field and have a reputation for professionalism and effectiveness as STC volunteers. The rank of Associate Fellow is conferred on an individual only once by a two-thirds vote of the STC Board of Directors. That individual is then recognized at the following STC Summit.” All honorees will be recognized at the STC Summit, which will be held May 15-18 in Bellevue, WA.

Associate Fellows carry this distinction for life, unless they are elevated to the rank of Fellow, and in that case they rescind the title of Associate Fellow for the new rank, as did our very own former President, Tim Esposito. As this year’s Chair for the Associate Fellow selection committee, he said, “There were some outstanding applicants this year. I was thrilled to see that Karen applied, and I am honored to present her with the award at the Summit in May.”

 

 

STC Election Slate 2020 – Final Election Slate Announced

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The STC Nominating Committee (composed of members Jackie Damrau, MaryKay Grueneberg, Kelly Schrank, Li-At Rathbun, and chair Jane Wilson) is pleased to announce the final slate of candidates for the 2020 Society election. Click on a name below to learn more about the candidates. Have a question for the candidates? Submit it via the Election Forum.
  • Director (two positions to be elected)
  • Nominating Committee (two positions to be elected)

    • Congratulations to the candidates, and thanks to all STC members who expressed interest in running for office. Note that the final slate was prepared in accordance with the current Society bylaws. The final slate for the 2020 election includes candidates appearing on the preliminary slate as well as any qualified individuals who were properly nominated by petition and approved by the Board of Directors.

    The Society election is scheduled to open on 09 March 2020. To be eligible to vote, members must have paid their dues by 31 January 2020.

    Take a chance at getting free chapter membership for 2020!

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    Dear Members and Friends of STC Philadelphia Metro Chapter,

    We would like to extend a special thanks to everyone that participated in chapter events this year. We had a great year and are looking forward to an even better year in 2020!

    This year, we are raffling off a $25 Amazon.com Gift Card to anyone who has joined our chapter by December 31st, 2019. The Chapter membership fee is $25 per year, so winning this raffle is like getting your chapter membership fee for free!

    As a renewing or new chapter member, you’re automatically eligible for this random prize drawing (which is being coordinated using a third-party service called RANDOM.ORG). This service allows us to randomly draw winners and enables you to verify for yourself that you’ve been entered in the drawing and whether or not you’ve won.

    The drawing will be held in January, and the winner will be notified by e-mail. To check if you have won, go to the STC-PMC website.* 

    Not sure why you should join our chapter?  

    When you renew your STC membership, be sure to also join the Philadelphia Metro Chapter to receive the following benefits and more.

    • We are an award winning chapter! The Philadelphia Metro Chapter has consistently won the Platinum-level achievement (that’s the highest level awarded) for the STC Community Achievement Award every year. In fact, in 2018, we even won Community of the Year! So being an STC-PMC member is being part of a well-run and recognized chapter for its activities. 
       
    • Chapter program meetings: Chapter program meetings make it easy to get involved. Our meetings are hosted in various locations and through webinars to accommodate more members.  Members pay just a small fee (usually $15-20) for each meeting, and in-person meetings include a light meal (typically $5–$10 lower than non-members’ fees).
       
    • New chapter members can attend one STC-PMC meeting free of charge! Free meeting must be redeemed within the first two months of membership. Contact membership@stcpmc.org for details.
       
    • Job postings: Join the STC-PMC LinkedIn group to access local career opportunities, as well as other news related to our chapter.
       
    • Exclusive online networking: STC-PMC members have exclusive access to the STC-PMC Slack Channel to have conversations with program leaders and each other.
       
    • TechComm competition: Once again, we have partnered with the NY Metro chapter, as well as other award-winning chapters from Atlanta, Rochester, DC-Baltimore, New England, and South-Central Texas to run our STC Alliance Regional Competition. The competition encourages and recognizes excellence in our industry and provides opportunities to enter, judge, or volunteer. The entry fee is discounted for STC-PMC members.
       
    • CONDUIT, our annual conference: Our chapter hosts CONDUIT, the annual Mid-Atlantic Technical Communication Conference, each spring—this year on Saturday, April 4th at the Franklin Institute. The annual event attracts presenters and attendees from the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as other parts of the country.
       
    • Opportunities for leadership and personal growth: We are always looking for new volunteers to help run and improve the organization. Visit our Volunteer page or contact us at volunteer@stcpmc.org to learn how you can get involved.

    And don’t forget, your membership dues may be tax-deductible.

    If you have any additional questions about the STC Philadelphia Metro Chapter, please feel free to contact us at membership@stcpmc.org.

    Good luck for the raffle, and we look forward to seeing you at STC-PMC events in 2020! 

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