Support for STC Community Leaders

Guest post from the Community Affairs Committee

Ask most STC members how important their STC community is to them and they will say it is their primary connection to the STC. Community networking, educational, and job-hunting events are significant ways members interact with the STC throughout the year.

As leaders, we instinctively all know it is important to run vibrant and active communities (whether they are chapters or SIGs). Yet it has become more challenging to maintain the high bar we have set through the years. There are many reasons for this: Members are looking for different services from the STC and its communities. Fewer members attend local monthly meetings. There is more competition from other professional organizations. It is harder than ever to find volunteers who have the time and ability to commit to a leadership position for a year.

You’re not alone. Addressing these challenges as a leader for many is very daunting. That’s why the STC Director for Community Relations and the STC Board are giving focus this year on increasing the community services that are provided by the Community Affairs Committee (CAC). Here’s the list of services for 2012:

  • Community Outreach.  A new initiative, the Community Outreach Team led by Ben Woelk will be proactively reaching out to communities and supporting them with more leadership communication to improve the communication between the STC Board and community leaders.
  • Communities in Transition. Richard Mateosian and a team of volunteers will continue to provide answers to communities that are in transition or need immediate help. Contact Richard using the CAC email address.
  • Leaders’ Webinar Series. We will continue providing monthly webinars to guide leaders through the STC monthly activities for running a more efficient community. Watch your email for announcements of future webinars. The webinars are also archived for your convenience.
  • Community Handbook and Leaders’ Resource.  We’re analyzing the handbook and Leaders’ Resource website to identify content that will provide the most immediate value when updated. The plans are to update that content this year. Additionally, Sarah Baca and her team have been asked to put together a plan for updating the entire handbook.
  • Leadership Day 2012. Volunteers have been helping to improve this event (which takes place at the annual Summit) the last couple of years and have been very successful. The 2012 event is being planned with the same energy led by Anna Parker Richards.
  • Support for Students.  With a focus on serving students better, Dan Voss and Bethany Bowles are looking for ways to improve the STC experience when student members graduate and become a professional STC member.

These teams are also working closely together, because there’s natural overlap in the work that’s being done. There is so much positive energy in these teams for supporting communities, it could launch a rocket ship!

How to get more information? Check the Notebook blog for regular communication from the CAC, led by Ray Gallon. A new column, called “A Community Affair,” will include progress updates of the work the CAC is accomplishing and other important community-related information. For more information about the CAC leaders and their work, go to the CAC page and the Leadership Resources page on the STC website. Feel free to direct questions to the CAC email address.

0 Replies to “Support for STC Community Leaders”

  1. I wanted to share a little more background on the Community Outreach.

    The initiative was born of conversations among community leaders who were looking for a way to “give back” to the society and who wanted to ensure that new (and continuing) leaders received proactive support as they worked to build strong communities. The team is composed of former (and some current) community leaders who are excited about helping other leaders by sharing their expertise and lessons learned, and providing a bridge between them and the Office and Board. We’ve been in the trenches and understand your challenges.

    We’re still building the team, but we’ll begin reaching out to communities this week.
    If you have questions, please direct them to cac@stc.org or contact me directly.
    Ben Woelk
    Outreach Lead
    Community Affairs Committee

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