Society Pages

President’s Midterm Report

January 25, 2013

Alan Houser

By Alan Houser, STC President

My predecessors, Mike Hughes and Hillary Hart, began a tradition of providing a mid-year report from the Society President. I’m privileged to continue, especially since there are lots of exciting things to share!

  1. The Society is 60 years old this year! We will celebrate our anniversary at the 60th STC Summit, 5–8 May 2013 in Atlanta. The Conference Committee, under the leadership of Paul Mueller, has designed us a world-class education program, selected from presentation proposals and augmented with invited speakers from around the globe. I’m thrilled to have New York Times columnist and prolific technical writer David Pogue return as keynote speaker. I hope to see all of you there! Summit registration is open at http://summit.stc.org.
  2. Our communities—chapters and special interest groups—are the core of the Society. Based on community feedback, we’ve changed the community funding model so that all communities will receive a fixed amount of funding per member. The Community Affairs Committee (CAC) is working directly with communities to handle ongoing issues, provide coaching, and advocate for community needs to the STC Board of Directors. Follow the CAC on Twitter @STCCAC.
  3. Our certification credential—Certified Professional Technical Communicator™—continues to attract applicants. Under the leadership of Steven Jong, the STC Certification Commission continues to manage the certification process and design new offerings. Do you wish to validate your expertise as a technical communicator? Get certified! Learn more at www.stccert.org.
  4. STC continues to expand our global initiatives and partnerships. The Society lowered 2013 dues for members in emerging nations. We have a vibrant STC chapter in India and are making inroads to support the profession in China. We’ve partnered with Germany’s tekom for cross-promotional activities. STC had a booth at the 2012 tekom conference in Germany, and tekom will have a booth at the upcoming STC Summit. For the second year in a row, STC participated in the global TC Roundtable, cooperating and collaborating with organizations around the world to support our global profession. It’s clear to me that the Society is globally known, and globally respected.
  5. The Society is a leader in online educational offerings. We’ve augmented our webinar series and certificate courses with virtual conferences—most recently in technical editing and content strategy. In 2013, the MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) is coming to STC. MOOCs are changing higher education, and you can have your first MOOC experience through STC. To learn more, view STC Education Chair Phylise Banner’s STC webinar presentation, available at www.stc.org/education/online-education/recorded-seminars.
  6. The Society has exciting news in membership. Members who joined or renewed before 15 January 2013 received a rate of $195 for a Classic membership. Following up on member requests at the annual business meeting, the Society loosened requirements for the Retired member category. STC continues to increase member value, with sponsored live webinars, additional free archived seminars, and a new affinity program for member savings. Check out the value of your STC membership at www.stc.org/membership.
  7. We often forget that STC is a 501(c)3 organization, tax-exempt under U.S. law, chartered with promoting the profession of technical communication. This also means your STC dues may be tax-deductible as a charitable contribution. Each of us can support STC and support the profession more thoroughly by giving to the Society. Under Immediate Past President Hillary Hart, STC has developed a range of giving opportunities for individuals and organizations. See www.stc.org/support-stc-now.
  8. STC acknowledges the service of former STC CEO Kathryn Burton, who left the Society in June 2012. With change comes opportunity. The Executive Director Search Committee, under the leadership of STC Vice President Nicky Bleiel, is charged with recruiting our next executive director. I hope to introduce him or her to the Society at the 60th Anniversary Summit in Atlanta.

In summary, the Society is globally supporting the profession, providing value to our members, launching new programs, and preparing for the future. I look forward to working with each of you—our Society’s members—as we launch into the next 60 years!