By Bill Leavitt | Fellow
As I approach 50 years in STC and 54 years in our profession, it seems appropriate for me to share what I have learned in that time. Like many of us, I didn’t plan to be a technical communicator, but each change in my life moved me on in unexpected ways. For example, I attended Purdue University to become a chemical engineer. I took some aptitude tests to find out my strengths and what major to consider. I found out that while I had an aptitude for practical engineering, I also had an aptitude for writing. My advisor suggested technical writing, and I really enjoyed my classes in this subject. I earned a degree in technical writing with an area of specialty in chemical engineering in 1964. From my very first job, I have always worked in some form of technical writing.
How I got into STC. At Purdue, I was a feature writer for the student newspaper, and my boss, feature editor, Barbara Simmons, was also majoring in technical writing. After I graduated in 1964, she contacted me and convinced me that I should join the Society of Technical Writers and Publishers (STWP). Within two years of joining, she had become an officer in the Chicago Chapter, and she recruited me to become chapter treasurer in 1966. Soon after, I became finance manager for the 1967 STWP International Technical Communication Conference, which was held in Chicago that year.
In 1967, I became the Chicago Chapter first vice chairman, second vice chairman in 1969–1970, and then chairman (title later changed to president) in 1970–1971. I also served as symposium manager, nominating committee manager (1972–1973), and a second term as chapter treasurer (1973–1974). All those positions provided valuable experience for me in becoming an effective and successful leader.
The right time and place for Society-level leadership. In 1974, I attended my second international conference, held in St. Louis, to accept a writing award, which resulted in several fortuitous events. While at the conference, I had the opportunity to meet many STC leaders who convinced me that I was capable of serving at the board level. Because I had gained leadership experience and won an award, my company promoted me into management and gave me a generous raise.
Along with my leadership experience from the financial success of the 1967 international conference, my various chapter roles, and the support of many STC leaders, I ran for STC Treasurer in 1975. I was elected to three consecutive terms from 1975–1978, and STC experienced a period of tremendous membership and financial growth.
You can’t win them all. The success of my work as treasurer, even though I was only 37 years old, led me to believe I could be a successful candidate for president. However, I was not nominated because the Nominating Committee thought I was too young and inexperienced. My STC friends convinced me to nominate myself by petition. However, I lost the election.
There is no way to know if I would have been a good president at that time, but losing the election gave me the opportunity to get married, start a family, and develop my career. During that "time off," I served STC as manager of the Nominating Committee and assistant to the president for publications.
Four years later (in 1983), I was nominated for the office of director-sponsor, which was a great development opportunity for me because I was responsible for sponsoring the leaders and members of the chapters in my geographic region. I learned a lot about the variety of problems regional and student chapters face, and I became a well-rounded leader.
After that I served in numerous Society board positions, including assistant to the president for member programs and as a member of the STC finance committee, and took on additional roles for my chapter. My STC work led to being elected an Associate Fellow in 1983.
In 1987, I was elected to the position of second vice president, which automatically acceded to first vice president, and then president in 1989–1990. I had the honor of being the first STC president to be installed in his home city.
Being STC president was definitely a peak in my career. Among our many accomplishments that year were holding STC’s first international member reception, conducting formal research into STC’s future success in international growth and influence, and helping Canadian members benefit from the new North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Between 1975 and 1990, STC changed dramatically due to major shifts in industry. In July 1975, STC had approximately 2,900 members, but by July 1990, its net worth had grown and membership was over 13,000. Demographically, the membership also went from about two-thirds male to about two-thirds female, and our average age dropped by 20 years. And we grew from 48 chapters to 121. I’d like to think I was instrumental in influencing some of those changes, but I know that nearly 100 board members, committee managers, and STC employees worked together to achieve them.
I am often asked how I can devote so much time to STC over such a long period of time (almost every single year since 1964). The answer is that, first of all, I feel very fortunate to be in this profession. It was the right profession for me, and I care a lot about our members, about the success of our profession, and about getting the recognition that our profession deserves. I’m willing to donate a piece of my time every single year. I continue to have active roles in both my chapter and international STC.
Through my STC career I have learned what opportunities there are in STC and how one can take advantage of them. I hope that the success I have achieved will influence other STC members to strive to achieve all that they can.
