The Distinguished Community Service Awards committee is pleased to announce the 2024 recipients of the Distinguished Chapter Service Award (DCSA) and the Distinguished SIG Service Award (DSSA).
These recipients will be recognized at the 2024 STC Summit in Bloomington, Minn., and formally honored at the STC CAC Annual Virtual Leadership Program on June 6 at 4pm EDT.
Receiving the DCSA:
Russel Hirst – East Tennessee Chapter
Citation: For your sustained contributions to the East Tennessee Chapter including but not limited to serving as the chapter's UTK faculty sponsor for more than 30 years, providing ongoing mentoring for students and chapter leadership even into retirement, and furthering the profession through the establishment of International Journal for Nuclear Security in 2015.
Kylie Jacobsen – Michigan Great Lakes Chapter
Citation: For your sustained contributions to the Michigan Great Lakes Chapter including but not limited to serving in multiple leadership positions and leading the chapter to a Platinum CAA award in 2022, designing the chapter logo, and continuously fostering student engagement through blog and Intercom articles.
Erika Konrad – Arizona Chapter
Citation: For your sustained contributions to the Arizona Chapter including but not limited to your five-year service as both NAU faculty liaison and chapter treasurer, presenting multiple seminars on technical communication subjects, and serving as a stabilizing force during chapter leadership turnover.
Sian Mehl – Chicago Metro Chapter
Citation: For your sustained contributions to the Chicago Chapter including but not limited to serving as newsletter editor for three years, designing and implementing a more engaging interactive email newsletter, and providing invaluable advice and support to chapter leadership during times of significant turbulence and turnover.
Jennifer Prior Schledorn – North Texas Lone Star Chapter
Citation: For your sustained contributions to the North Texas Lone Star chapter during the six years you served as secretary, including but not limited to multiple CAA application submissions that led to nine community achievement awards over four years.
Receiving the DSSA:
Ruth-Anne Klassen – Instructional Design & Learning SIG
Citation: For your sustained contributions to the Instructional Design & Learning SIG including but not limited to fostering student engagement at multiple levels, serving as SIG secretary for multiple years, and magnificently coordinating the SIG's annual virtual open house in 2023.
Susan McGowan – Technical Editing SIG
Citation: For your sustained contributions to the Technical Editing SIG including but not limited to exemplary student outreach efforts, organizing virtual chat meetings, and managing the SIG table at Summit.
Tricia Spayer – Policies and Procedures SIG
Citation: For your sustained contributions to the Policies and Procedures SIG including but not limited to your service as the SIG's programming technical manager since 2019, managing logo and photo contests such as “Where in the World is Monte?”, and continuously facilitating engagement at virtual and in-person events.
No nominations for the Distinguished Service Award for Students (DSAS) were received for 2024.
The DCSA, DSSA and DSAS represent the highest level of recognition that an STC member can receive for service to their community. Each year, leaders from STC chapters and special interest groups (SIGs)/communities of interest (COIs) nominate members and student members who have served their specific community. The STC DCSA Committee considers the qualifications, contributions, and achievements of those members whose community achievements have been submitted for review, and then submits recommendations for awardees to the STC Board of Directors.
Special thanks to committee chair Kim Rosenlof, Allison Phillips, Marcia Shannon, and Tavia Record for their work on this year’s DCSA committee as well as to STC Board Liaison Lori Meyer and STC Director of Membership Erin Gallalee for their guidance and assistance throughout the process.
Congratulations to all award recipients!