Timothy Esposito will automatically succeed from the office of Vice President.

Timothy Esposito is the Manager of Logistics Documentation at Oracle Corporation where he supervises an international team of technical writers. An STC member since 2005, Timothy serves on the Board of Directors as the Vice President. STC honors and awards include Society Fellow, the STC President’s Award, Distinguished Chapter Service Award for the Philadelphia Metro Chapter (PMC), and the Chicago Chapter’s President’s Award. During his term as PMC president, the chapter won a Pacesetter award, the platinum level Community Achievement Award twice, and was named Community of the Year for 2017.  When not working on STC projects, Tim volunteers with his township historical commission where he creates a monthly email newsletter and curates a museum. Tim also spends time with his family, rescues greyhounds, and tries out new board and card games with friends. (www.linkedin.com/in/timothyesposito/)

Questions? Ask me in Slack in the Vice President Forum.

My name is Liz Herman and I would welcome your vote for Vice President. 

You may remember that I like to talk about the different hats we wear as technical communicators. In service to STC, an organization that has enabled me to network, teach, write, lead, and previously serve for two years on its Board, I would be thrilled to give back by proudly wearing the hat of Vice President should I be elected. 

Timing, they say, is everything. I am choosing to run for the role of Vice President because the timing is right for this three-year commitment. I understand that I am stepping into this role during a time of change for our organization that may require more time than one would typically expect in the role. I am prepared for this and committed to supporting the organization, its Board, and its members during this time of change. 

About the Candidate

Dr. Liz Herman is a long-time PMP- and CPTC-certified technical communicator currently managing a contact center knowledge, content, and training team. She is versed in organizational knowledge management and change management and has worked in the healthcare, education, agriculture, and transportation industries. She is a Fellow with the Society for Technical Communication (STC) and currently serves as Co-Chair for its 2023 Summit Annual Conference.

Questions? Ask me in Slack in the Treasurer Forum.

Serving as STC Treasurer for almost 22 months has been the most significant preparation for re-election to this role. I have a clear view of the fiscal challenges STC faces based on my regular exposure to STC revenue and expenses. I have honed my process to prepare monthly Treasurer’s Reports, and I will have two years’ experience reporting on these financials as well as audit findings at the Annual Business Meeting.
As Chair of the Community Budget Review Committee, I help provide the increased oversight over community financials that STC auditors have recommended and thus promote good stewardship of Society resources and expenditures that align with STC’s mission. This oversight sometimes requires asking tough questions and providing feedback that varies from the past, but the STC Treasurer must be committed to this objective. I also plan to work with the CAC Director, Lori Meyer, to improve communications and create resources to assist community treasurers in the budgeting process.
Finally, 2023 is proving to be a year of major transitions for STC. I can provide stability in the midst of these transitions and therefore welcome the opportunity to continue as STC Treasurer. Though at this writing my candidacy is uncontested, I humbly request your vote and thank you for the opportunity to serve.

About the Candidate:

I have been a technical communicator for 30 years. I hold a BA in English and TV/Radio and an MA in English. I taught writing at Syracuse University for 20 years and distinguished myself as a leader not only in the SU Writing Program but among adjunct composition instructors in the profession. I served as editor of FORUM, the National Newsletter of the Non-Tenure-Track Faculty, which led to my appointment to the College Composition and Communication Editorial Board in 1999. I also developed a corporate training and technical writing business serving numerous corporations in Upstate New York. In 2000, these contract opportunities opened the door to full-time work as a writer. After two full-time technical writer positions at different companies, I joined Welch Allyn (now Baxter Front Line Care) in 2008, moved up the ranks from Senior to Lead Writer, and then Manager in March 2019. I was promoted to Senior Manager in February 2021.

Before election to the Board two years ago, I actively served STC at the community level. I was a leader in both the STC Rochester and Central New York chapters, as well as on the STC Alliance Competition Council. Over the years I have mentored dozens of STC members through the STC Mentor Board, and I relish working with new Tech Comm Professionals, especially those pivoting into Tech Comm from other careers or academia. In 2017 I earned the rank of Associate Fellow, served as a Track Manager on the 2018 STC Summit Committee, and was recognized as an STC Fellow in 2021. It was my honor to be elected STC Treasurer in 2021, and now seek re-election to that position.

Questions? Ask me in Slack in the Director Forum.

What inspires me to serve the Society as a Director is the future of the field. I work every day with young professionals trying to break into the field of technical communication, so I know very well the struggles they face. Though existing members of the Society are vitally important, we must attract the new generation of technical communicators if we are to survive, and thrive, for another 70 years. For me, that means creating close partnerships with educational institutions as well as our corporate sponsors to ease the transition from classroom to workplace and from a related field to our own. As a Director, I would most relish the opportunity to help grow and improve our education programs as well as our web presence.

I want to ensure that STC remains the preeminent source of information, training, certification, and community for the field of technical communication. To do that, we need educational programs that match the mental models of students trying to join this field, early career technical communicators in their first few years, and career changers. And for these potential members to discover our organization, we need a web presence that is usable, searchable, and engaging for those groups. For existing members, we also need more consistent training in advanced topics that are relevant to career advancement, such as how to seek promotion, how to manage others, and how to branch out into emerging areas of the field like content strategy and information architecture. And we need to surface the parts of the website that existing members most rely on, such as the membership, education, and Notebook sections.

As someone who has straddled the sometimes sizable gulf between higher education and industry for many years now, I believe I am uniquely positioned to leverage resources from both worlds. As a Director, I would work to increase our membership by demonstrating the Society’s value to a new generation while being responsive to the challenges our existing members face every day in the workplace.

About the Candidate:

Dr. Guiseppe Getto is an Associate Professor of Technical Communication and Director of the M.S. in Technical Communication Management at Mercer University. His research focuses on utilizing user experience (UX) design, content strategy, and other participatory research methods to help people improve their communities and organizations. He has published two books, Content Strategy in Technical Communication and Content Strategy: A How-to Guide, with Routledge. The findings of his research have also been published in numerous peer-reviewed academic journals and trade publications. He has served the Society in various roles, from being the Carolina Chapter president to working on the Education and Website Committees and is a regular speaker at the Summit. He has also taught at the college level for over twenty years and has consulted and formed research and service-learning partnerships with many non-profits and businesses, from technical writing firms to homeless shelters to startups. Read more about him at: http://guiseppegetto.com.

Questions? Ask me in Slack in the Director Forum.

As a long-time member of the Society for Technical Communication, I am pleased to share my candidacy for director. As a technical communicator for more than 20 years, I have seen the field grow and evolve as technology, globalization, and collaboration have changed in numerous ways. STC has long been a leader in the face of new challenges, contexts, and technologies, and I would be honored to play a part in supporting our membership’s enablement and development as we support the profession for the next era of practice.

As a former college instructor and long-time practitioner, I have seen how collegiate programs play an integral part in growing, developing, and challenging the future of the profession. Likewise, I also recognize that practitioners and the global marketplace shape how and what we teach, research, and design in the tech comm classroom. As director, I would like to emphasize a renewed partnership between academics and industry to ensure strategic alignment, offer mutual support, and promote opportunities for new graduates in the tech comm career space.

I’d also like to challenge us to think strategically about how STC best connects, supports, and collaborates with its membership in the new era of geo arbitrage, work-from-home agreements, and global workforces. As a remote consultant myself, I think our Society offers a great many resources and potential opportunities for the virtually connected workplace.

On a more personal note, STC has always been my professional home and has been the source of many employment opportunities and professional connections across the years. For instance, when I found myself as a recent transplant to Illinois in the early-2000s, I immediately connected with the local STC chapter, where social meetups, educational seminars, and professional opportunities shaped my time in that new-to-me region in meaningful, tangible ways. Now, I’d like to give back to the future of STC by serving as director. Just as STC has continued to serve me through the years, it would be an honor to ensure that the Society is ready and prepared to serve others on similar professional journeys.

About the Candidate:

Jennifer Goode, PhD, CPTC is the founder and Chief Learning Officer at Anypso, a consultancy that specializes in strategic learning, organizational change management, and people and performance measurement. She has worked with a variety of clients to provide targeted learning solutions with a focus on learner experience, measurable outcomes, and large-scale organizational change. Jennifer has over 20 years of experience in learning and development practice, including 16 years as a corporate trainer and higher ed instructor. She is also a co-founder of Your Journey to Leadership and founder of Anypso Academy, where she lends her expertise to individual, group, and organizational training and development. She is a frequent presenter and workshop leader at national and international conferences. In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys adventuring with her family—in the kitchen, in the garden, and on the road.

Questions? Ask me in Slack in the Director Forum.

It is a huge privilege to be considered for a second term for the STC Board of Directors.
Having started out my first term in the midst of an almost fully remote-working world (2021-2023), I had the unique opportunity to be part of an invigorating team that came up with appropriate strategies to serve its members.
Since my inception into the board, I was able to work my way through the workings of an international non-profit as large as STC. From liaising with the STC Education Committee, to working with the STC Fellows Committee and being on the Audit Committee, I have had the opportunity to provide my input and perspectives on various issues and be a part of the decision-making process.
Some of my contributions on the STC Education Committee have been in bringing in new instructors and courses, benefiting students as well as practitioners and especially those who are new to the profession. While I have been active in the background on various committees, I have also been working in the foreground by contributing to Intercom and by presenting webinars.
With every professional organization, there is always the question of keeping ourselves on par with the industry, and STC being a pioneer and leader in this space has an additional responsibility to its members. With the ever-changing landscape of the technical communication profession, two of the avenues that I would like to explore and find answers to are – how do we attract new professionals and how do we retain and promote existing talent?
If re-elected into the board, I hope to dive deep into the above-mentioned areas with the hope of finding more answers, while continuing my service on the board and to all the members.

About the Candidate:

Sree Pattabiraman is a Lead Technical Writer at Extreme Networks, where she manages a global team of writers. She handles a wide range of hardware and software product documentation and works closely with product owners and engineers to create high-quality customer-centric content.

An alumna of North Carolina State University, Sree prides herself in being a mentor to technical communication students and career changers in the Carolinas region. She is also an active volunteer with the STC Carolina Chapter.

When Sree is not dabbling in the tech comm world, she runs a food blog called That Vegetarian Couple along with her spouse.

Social media profile

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sreepattabiraman/

Questions? Ask me in Slack in the Director Forum.

I’m Jamye Sagan, and I seek your vote for STC Director. In the last few years, you may have viewed my educational presentations, including the “Lessons Learned: What Harry Potter Professors Teach Us About Instructional Design” series and “How My Cats Helped Me Quickly Develop Training Materials.” Now let me share with you why I would make an effective STC Director.

Dedicated Society Service
Since 2008, I have volunteered for STC in a variety of roles, both at the community and Society levels. In the Instructional Design and Learning Special Interest Group (IDL SIG), I’ve helped with the scholarship committee, served as SIG co-manager, and have served as Treasurer since 2018. Soon after joining the South Central Texas chapter in 2020, I became vice-president in 2021 and have served as president since 2022. I’m privileged to work with dedicated administrative councils in both my communities.

At the Society level, I have assisted with the Community Affairs Committee (CAC) in various capacities, from working with SIG leaders to help them lead their communities, to assisting with updating the community leader handbook. In the past couple of years with the CAC, I have managed special projects, including conducting an overall tools survey to help identify resources used in effectively running a community, and hosting online social events.

I have also worked with members of other communities, including recently serving as a judge for the STC Alliance Competition. Other Society-level committees I have served on include the CAA/Pacesetter Awards committee (Chair in 2017-2018), Associate Fellows Committee, and Intercom magazine article awards.

Serving as a Director will help me further serve communities and STC on a larger scale. I can share my experiences with others, and more importantly, bring like-minded individuals together so they can learn best practices from one another.

Connecting With and Learning From Each Other
STC membership has helped me in my professional and personal development. Since joining STC in 2007, I’ve met so many people who later have become good friends. Some of us have even bonded through our love of knitting. Because of volunteer opportunities within the IDL SIG, the South Central Texas chapter, and the Society overall, I’ve developed valuable leadership and networking skills. Finally, thanks to presentations and webinars I’ve attended and articles I’ve read, I’ve learned much about technical communication and instructional design. Since 2010, I’ve been privileged to share my own knowledge with others in various ways, from newsletter articles in our SIG newsletter to full-length presentations at Summit.

EVERYONE – no matter where they reside within their professional journey – has something valuable to share about technical communication. Each of us brings a unique perspective to our profession. Knowledge sharing does not have to be something fancy. It can be as simple as answering someone’s question on a Slack channel or writing a book review for a chapter newsletter. We all can learn from one another. These simple acts of sharing can have a huge impact on someone. They have on me; I’ve learned from almost everyone I’ve encountered over the years.

As a Director, I want to foster more opportunities for knowledge sharing and collaboration so we all can receive as much value from our Society membership as possible. Many communities already host their events virtually, which means that more attendees can take advantage of these learning and networking opportunities. Although seeing each other face-to-face is great, many of us do not have that option and therefore must nurture our own community through virtual means.

Please Vote!
With my vast volunteer experience, my desire to help communities further connect with members, and my passion for knowledge sharing, I appreciate your vote for Jamye Sagan as an STC Director.

About the Candidate:

As the Pharmacy Communication Advisor for H-E-B, Jamye helps design training programs and materials for various projects and initiatives within the pharmacy department. She also manages communications between the corporate office and the store pharmacies.

An Associate Fellow of STC, Jamye serves as the current President of the South Central Texas chapter. She also volunteers with the Instructional Design and Learning SIG as its Treasurer and Survey Manager and belongs to various SIGs. Jamye has also volunteered at the Society level in various roles, including the Community Affairs Committee, the Community Achievement Award and Pacesetter Award committees, and the Associate Fellow committee. Over the past several years, she has reviewed several publications for the Technical Communication journal.

When not making “sense out of the seemingly senseless” in the tech comm world, Jamye enjoys transforming yarn into pretty and useful objects. She lives in San Antonio, TX.

Questions? Ask me in Slack in the Nominating Committee Forum.

I’ve been a member of several communities. I’ve participated at both the general membership and leadership level in geographic and virtual communities, and have volunteered to join committees where I have met members from other communities. When I’ve attended meetings in person, I have often tried to meet at least one new person and introduce them to others. My experience volunteering at the community and Society level means I know technical communicators in varying industries and roles, and not all of them fit so neatly into the title of technical writer.

About the Candidate:

Rachel Houghton is the current chair for the STC Fellows Committee and is an active STC senior member since 2003.

Rachel has led a versatile 24-year career as a technical communicator, which includes being a lone writer, contractor, and an employee in various industries. She is a past Society-level Secretary for STC, past program chair of the STC Summit, competition judge, and book reviewer for the STC journal, Technical Communication.

Rachel was actively involved in the STC Willamette Valley community from 1998 to 2013, holding many positions on the leadership council, including chapter president. From 2013 to 2019, Rachel turned her talents to the STC Arizona chapter, and now counts herself a member of the Arizona, South Central Texas, and North Texas Lone Star communities.

Questions? Ask me in Slack in the Nominating Committee Forum.

When I think of STC, I think of a community, a tribe that I can belong to. STC is on a momentous journey as the field of technical communication evolves into niche specialties. While STC tries to keep pace with this change, it has faced many challenges, including declining membership. Having served at the chapter level, I recognize the impact of leadership on an organization. Our members are seeking leaders who are diverse in their thoughts, challenging the status quo, and willing to forge new paths. I believe serving on the Nominating Committee presents me with the best opportunity to help the committee find leaders who are resourceful, creative, and insightful.

I hope you will support me in this journey with your vote.

About the Candidate:

My name is Zohra Mutabanna, and I am excited to announce my candidacy for a position on the STC Nominating Committee for 2023-2024.

I currently work at Blackbaud as a Senior Technical Writer. I have been involved with technical communication for almost two decades. My partnership with STC began when I was a young student at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. Since then, I have served in many roles that have enriched my career in unfathomable ways.

Currently, I serve as the webmaster for the North Texas Lone Star chapter (NTLSC). I have also served as the treasurer (2016-2018), social media chair (2019-2020), and president (2021).

In 2018 and 2019, I was recognized with the Binion Amerson Leadership Award (BALA). The NTLSC chapter has nominated me for the Distinguished Community Service Award (DCSA) for 2022.

I also run the Inside Tech Comm with Zohra Mutabanna podcast that is in the fourth season. I launched my show in 2021 to spotlight our evolving field and its many intersections.

Questions? Ask me in Slack in the Nominating Committee Forum.

I want to give back to STC because it has given me more than I could possibly repay. STC has always been there for me, providing the guidance, encouragement, and education I have so urgently needed.  I am running to be on the nominating committee so I can help persuade longstanding members to seek positions in STC leadership and to find the next generation of technical communicators who can guide STC into its eighth decade.

Every path into technical communication is unique, and mine is no exception. As a person in possession of a Master of Fine Arts, my career prospects were always dubious. But I was lucky enough to find technical editing as a professional launch point, and, more importantly, the Society for Technical Communication. I attended my first Summit in Atlanta in 2012 and was immediately taken under the wing of a number of local leaders of the Washington DC-Baltimore Chapter like Carolyn Klinger, Viqui Dill, and Ugur Akinci. They mentored me and encouraged me to take positions of responsibility in the local chapter. Over the ensuing five years I served as Vice President, President, and the appropriately named Immediate Past President. I continue to be active in the local chapter where I serve as the unofficial subject matter expert in Requests for Proposal (RFPs) and Business Development (BD). While business development is a different world from technical editing where I started, I have always considered myself a technical communicator first and credit this ability with what success I have achieved. I say that there are two kinds of technical communicators – those who have worked in BD and those who will. STC serves a broad range of disciplines and the nominating committee should draw from diverse sources to find the talent STC requires to ensure that technical communication remains the vital, critical field it has always been.

About the Candidate:

Sean Stevenson, former President of the Washington, DC-Baltimore chapter of STC, is a technical communicator working in business development. He is an Associate Fellow of STC and a recipient of the Distinguished Chapter Service award from STC’s  Washington DC-Baltimore chapter. He started as a creative writer who taught writing on the side, and eventually realized he needed a more robust career. In 2008, he took a job at Northrop Grumman in Maryland as a Technical Editor. Over time, he found his way into business development and in 2013 took a job as a Proposal Manager at EMCOR Government Services in Arlington, VA. Subsequently he joined Engility (now SAIC) as a Proposal Manager and is now a Capture Manager in the National Intelligence Community division of SAIC. Sean has an MFA in playwriting from the Actors Studio Drama School and a B.A. in Humanities from the University of Chicago. He wants to teach both English as a Second Language and yoga again, but it is hard to find the time.