Membership News

by Sarah-Beth Doner, Membership Manager

As you can see by the list of new and transfer members, the Southwestern Ontario Chapter is growing. As our numbers increase, the odds of getting to know everyone gets a little harder. This monthly membership news will introduce you to people that you have yet to meet. If you receive an e-mail asking you to tell us a bit about yourself, please take the time to respond.

Thank you to Sonya and Debbie for your biographies.

Sonya Mehan

Sonya graduated in 2003 from the University of Waterloo with a combined degree in Applied Studies Co-op, English—Rhetoric and Professional Writing, and Political Science. Many of her co-op work terms were spent as a technical writer or marketing specialist in hi-tech firms around Waterloo and Toronto. Making the leap from student life into the "real world", Sonya is currently the Marketing Communications Writer for DALSA in Waterloo. Although Sonya enjoys the challenges of technical writing, she's thrilled to be a Marcom writer because she's allowed to let her imagination be unruly and sometimes downright outrageous! She also enjoys the opportunity to use and develop various writing styles.

Sonya joined the STC for its wealth of information and support. She is a member of a couple of SIGs and is looking forward to contributing as much as she is reaping by being an STC member.

If you want to contact Sonya, you can reach her at sonya.mehan@dalsa.com.

Debbie Davy

A technical communicator with a flair for proposal writing, Debbie Davy has over 18 years of experience writing documentation for healthcare infrastructure, laboratory health systems, medical diagnostic devices, medical informatics, chemical vapour deposition, and professional services (SR&ED and SOX04).

Debbie is currently working as a contract technical writer at Capgemini Canada Ltd., where she is writing documentation for an Ontario Laboratories Information System that the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care will be using. Most recently, Debbie helped Ernst & Young LLP's clients get research and development tax credits and a 3-D virtual design engineering company develop a novel integrated online manual system.

Debbie is a Peer Reviewer for the IEEE Professional Communication Society Transactions Journal, a Judge at annual STC competitions, and the recipient of four technical writing awards from the STC. In the fall of this year, Debbie hopes to commence classes towards her Master of Science in the Technical Communication program at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.

"I like technical communication because it gives me the opportunity to meet other professionals who are not only passionate about what they do but who also work on some very cool projects. I am looking forward to being part of the Southwestern Ontario Chapter."

Debbie lives in Brampton with her husband (a University of Toronto Canadian history student), two almost-grown children, assorted cats, and an iguana.

If you want to contact Debbie, you can reach her at debbie.davy@sympatico.ca.

About Sarah-Beth Doner

Sarah-Beth is a student at the University of Waterloo where she is studying English Rhetoric and Professional Writing, and participating in the Applied Studies Co-op Program. Two of her co-op terms have involved technical writing at iAnywhere Solutions in Waterloo.