Membership News

by Karen Pogue, Membership Manager

Welcome everyone to another season of the Southwestern Ontario STC. As the new Membership Manager, I would like to provide you with some statistical information about our chapter:

Number of members: 151
Number of new members (joined in 2006): 27
Senior members (5+ years): 75

Remember to keep your contact information updated. Just log onto the STC website, then navigate to the STC Members link. From the menu, select Address Change, or go to http://www.stc.org/formAddressChange.asp to get there directly. You will need your Member ID and password to make these changes, so have these handy.

Membership Profile

In other news, I would like to profile new and existing members in our Membership Profile section. For this issue, I’ll ease everyone into the format and share my profile, along with introducing Leslie Cook, a new member to the STC and our chapter—welcome Leslie! If you are inspired, just email your bio to membership@stc-soc.org.

First, a bit about me:

Member Name:	Karen Pogue
Member Since:	1997
Education:	BA, Wilfrid Laurier University (Economics & Sociology, Math minor)
Number of Years as a Tech Writer:	12
Why did you join the STC?	I decided to join the STC to stay tuned with what was happening in the technical communications field and to learn about other resources and tools that could help me on-the-job.
Why do you renew each year?	The field is constantly evolving and I feel it’s necessary to keep my skills updated. Plus, I like the publications and access to other members.
How do you give back to the STC?	For the first time, I am taking on the Membership Manager role. I can give back to my local chapter by fulfilling this role, and I get to correspond with new members about what our local chapter has to offer.
How can others give back to the STC?	There are many ways to give back to the STC as a member: Come to a chapter meeting Volunteer your knowledge or skills to new members Write an article or profile about yourself to be featured in the Quill newsletter Write an article about a topic you are interested in researching and sharing with your fellow STC members Join the council
Will you continue your involvement in the STC?	Absolutely. It’s a great way to network and keep in contact with others in your field. It’s always nice to chat about a project or tool that someone else can relate to or share their tips and tricks.

And introducing Leslie Cook:

Member Name:	Leslie A. Cook
Member Since:	2006
Education:	Master’s in Professional Writing, Kennesaw State University
Number of Years as a Tech Writer:	1
Are you a freelance writer?	Yes and no. I have worked as a freelance writer in the past, and the lifestyle really suits me because I have two children. Yet I am now searching for full time work in the hopes that I can take advantage of the security offered by the great technical companies in the Waterloo area.
What has been your biggest project?	I was able to pick up a contract position in which I worked on a document called the Voluntary Voting Systems Guidelines. I worked with state and federal election officials to format and edit this two-volume, 300-page document into 150 pages of tight, clean copy. It was a lot of fun to tool around Washington, meet state commissioners and especially to sit in on the Election Assistance Commission meeting where the document was finally adopted as law. Who knew that technical editing could take a person to such places?
Why did you join the STC?	I joined the STC in order to learn more about the profession and to make some great connections. The Master’s program I attended is a 36-hour multi-tracked program that I was able to tailor to my needs, but I had no idea when I entered the Master’s program that I would end up as a technical writer, so there are things that I may have missed. Furthermore, this summer I moved from Georgia to Waterloo, and I’ve found it difficult to make connections. After only one meeting with the STC, I have found some solid and helpful connections with people who have already helped me on my path.
How do you give back to the STC?	For now, I intend to attend the meetings; those speakers need someone to speak to! Also, I hope to join the board so that I can contribute something to the group; I’m sure that one day there will be another “me” who I can help direct!

If you are interested in submitting a profile, please email your bio to membership@stc-soc.org.

About Karen Pogue

Karen recently joined the IT department at Research In Motion, working as a Knowledge Operations Specialist. In this role, Karen gets to take on many different technical writing and training projects. In her spare time, Karen enjoys family time with her three children and husband.

In this issue: