Vol 45, Issue 4

March/April 2006

Issue Home Page

Features

	Community Paragraphs: Region 5 Report/Board Meeting Report
	STC Houston 2005-2006 Competitions
	JoCarol Gau Receives Associate Fellow Honors
	Degunking Microsoft Office
	Surveys—Your Gateway to Knowledge

Regular Columns

	From the President
	From the Editor
	Members Spotlight

News

	Chapter News
	Society News
	Networking Opportunities

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[Members Spotlight] [No One is Missing!] [Member Spotlight] [New Senior Members]

Members Spotlight

Volunteer Spotlight

Cindy Pao, Information Developer, BMC Software, Inc.

Thanks to all of our STC Houston volunteers. Plainly put, you are the best!

December Volunteers

Snowstorms and Christmas shopping didn’t stop these folks:

January Volunteers

Even though many of us would clearly like to hibernate through January, many STC Houston members kept going:

No One is Missing!

At our January meeting, Admin Council members enjoyed the opportunity to talk with so many people. In turn, we were able to find a few new folks to help out.

If you haven’t been asked, then consider this a request. Will you help out in STC Houston? Send an e-mail message to Cathy Bettoney, vice president over Volunteers, at vp4@stc-houston.org.

Member Spotlight

Versatility of Our Members

by Yvonne Wade Sanchez, Staff Technical Writer, AspenTech
Deborah Long, Consultant, An Eye for Content

This month's membership spotlight illuminates the versatility of our members. Even though we share a common passion for technical communication, our backgrounds and interests are incredibly diverse. The Membership Committee would like to acknowledge the accomplishments of the following members:

Luette Arrowsmith
Congratulations to Luette Arrowsmith, who recently accepted an invitation to become a certified Dale Carnegie instructor.

According to the Dale Carnegie Web site, "Dale Carnegie Training emphasizes practical principles and processes by designing programs that offer people the knowledge, skills and practices they need to add value to the business."

Karen Ball
Karen Ball is a senior member of STC and past president of the Twin Cities chapter. She contributes to STC Houston by serving dutifully on the administrative council, judging annual competition entries, and voicing her opinions about chapter issues. Karen recently completed the MBA program at the University of Phoenix. She immediately put her new degree to work in a manager position at Cyberonics, Inc., a biomedical device company in Clear Lake.

At Cyberonics, Karen has implemented sophisticated software tools and templates to improve patient, product, and physician manuals. Upon FDA approval these changes will be applied to all of the company's user manuals.

Karen works closely with Cyberonics engineering, clinical, and regulatory teams to ensure that the documentation complies with strict guidelines of U.S. and European government authorities, which control the quality and safety of medical devices.

Cindy Pao
You recognize Cindy Pao as our STC Houston president, but did you know that Cindy recently became a certified archery instructor? Guess that explains why she is always "on the mark."

Anne Wollam
Congratulations to Anne Wollam, who recently passed the Association for Operations Management (APICS) Detailed Scheduling and Planning exam, the third module that is required for Certified in Production and Inventory Management certification.

According to the APICS Web site, "APICS certifications are recognized worldwide as standards of professional excellence and quality within the manufacturing and service industries."

It's About Accomplishment

Congratulations to these members for accomplishing personal and professional goals. Their achievements encourage us all to set and accomplish our own goals.

STC Houston Welcomes New Members

by Yvonne Wade Sanchez, Staff Technical Writer, AspenTech

Lauren Allen
Lauren has a Masters degree in Technical Communication from Texas State University–San Marcos. She is a technical writer for the Texas Engineering Extension Service. Lauren’s interests include instructional design, visual rhetoric, and workplace ethnography.

Meghan Parrish
Meghan graduated from Louisiana State University in 2001 with a degree in Public Relations. She started her career in marketing but has moved into technical writing. Meghan is a technical writer for Equifax in Baton Rouge.

Jamie White
Jamie graduated from Louisiana State University in 2005 with a Bachelors degree in English (with a concentration in Writing and Culture). She is employed part-time as a freelance technical writer for Carrollton Tech, a communications company that is based in Baton Rouge. Jamie develops content for hurricane recovery Web sites.

New Senior Members

by Cindy Pao, Information Developer, BMC Software, Inc.

According to the STC bylaws, the grade of Senior Member is conferred upon those who have held the grade of Member for five consecutive years. The following STC Houston members have recently achieved Senior Member status:

• Jessica L. Dickerson
• Christina Y. Lee
• Kent M. Mize
• Rachel M. Parker
• Nadja S. Pollard
• W. Keith Rabe
• William D. Rizer
• Yvonne Wade Sanchez
• Linda L. Turnbaugh
• Monica H. Waddell
• Patrick R. Wilson
• Gordon D. Wood

Congratulations on this achievement!