STC Management SIG

2005 Elections

Our listserv is our Management SIG's virtual meeting place for those who choose to opt-in; that is attend our meetings. To assist our members learn more about the STC Society candidates’ position/interest in our community/SIG, to help our virtual community stay informed, to facilitate communication, and to encourage more members to take ownership and vote, we are posting candidate positions on pertinent issues.

Questions for Candidates? We queried Management SIG members for a list of questions to ask the candidates. The statements below are those responses.

Responses from candidates for 2nd VP:

Paula Berger
Linda Oestreich
Deborah Sauer

Responses from candidates for:

William C Wiese
Doug Woestendiek

Paula Berger

1. What are your thoughts about transformation? How will you help the incoming Board members gain an understanding of this initiative to continue this initiative as the outgoing Board members leave their positions?

The defined purposes of transformation are to help STC become stronger, more financially stable, more valuable to members, and better able to lead our profession. The earliest work done on the transformation very clearly lays out the goals, principles, landscape analysis, and vision for this initiative. I go back and review those statements every time I need to explain the transformation They define succinctly what the transformation is trying to do. I recommend that everyone read (or reread) them: http://www.stc.org/transformation/newsLetter1.pdf.

The transformation is simply a group of plans to improve many aspects of the society. I think presenting it as one huge initiative made it seem a bit overwhelming and may have overshadowed the basic ideas – to restructure membership to better serve current members and appeal to new members, to add education programs, to improve our use of technology to create efficiency and to deliver added services to members, and to support all our communities effectively.

In my opinion, the governance issues (changing sponsorship and representation) being hotly discussed now are not central to the success of the transformation and are distracting us from focusing on what is most important: creating more value for members. I am not implying that these issues are not important, but I do question whether they needed to be raised at this time and in this way.

This phrasing of Question 1 is interesting, because I would be an incoming board member! However, I believe I understand the overall transformation initiative as well as any Board member. I have helped to write many of the board communications about the transformation (and was frustrated by how few there were), and I have also worked on the membership and education transformation committees. I also believe that it is not only important for incoming Board members to understand the transformation, but also for new board members to provide the Board with a fresh perspective.

As the transformation process continues, it will be important for the Board to communicate better with all members about what is planned and implemented. Strong communication using multiple channels will help keep all members aware of ongoing changes, so all future incoming Board members should have a good understanding of the transformation as it progresses.

2. The 2nd VP must be able to manage the Directors. What is your plan for managing this diverse group with the geographical dissolution occurring in the near future? Will this make the job easier or more difficult?

Managing or working with any diverse group requires skills like listening (and hearing), understanding different perspectives, recognizing cultural differences, and respecting a range of learning and working styles. Though the 2nd VP doesn’t actually manage the Directors, I believe that working with the them will, in fact, be far easier than working with many other groups. Anyone who runs for STC office is doing it by choice, and is hard-working, focused, and dedicated to the success of the organization.

Each elected Director represents all member of STC when they make decisions about the welfare of the Society. Regardless of whether regions are dissolved or how the issues of sponsorship are resolved, Directors need to have that overall perspective to make appropriate decisions.

I am quite comfortable working with or managing the Directors, and then eventually doing the same with the entire Board when I am President. When I was President of the Boston chapter long ago, we were the largest chapter in STC. We had a large board, lots of standing committees, ongoing activities, and many opinions. We may all have been from Boston, but we were definitely a diverse group!

3a. How will you apply any experience you've had managing projects and people to the STC Society-level leadership role of 2nd VP?

For most of my career I have managed consulting projects. The team members were different on almost every project, selected to meet specific client needs, but the principles of managing projects and people are the same. Learn from the situation and from each other. Evaluate alternatives. Decide on a strategy and plan how to get it done. Re-evaluate your decisions at logical points. Communicate at every step of the way.

When SOLUTIONS, my former company, developed a curriculum of public seminars on technical communication, I worked closely with industry leaders to develop each seminar. It was a joy to collaborate with smart, thoughtful, dedicated, opinionated people from all over the world. I look forward to that opportunity again on the STC Board.

I taught project management courses for seven years in the University of California, Santa Cruz Extension program in Managing the Development of Technical Information. I also developed and taught a range of project management courses for public seminars and clients.

b. How do you think management and STC support for the SIGs change as part of the entire Society transformation process?

Chapters have had more support than SIGs in the past, but I believe that people now understand that all communities in STC need strong and equitable support. As I write this, just a few days after the town hall conference call to discuss representation, the related issues of support and representation for communities are being widely discussed and debated. The questions being discussed now revolve around how best to provide the support that communities need. The Board has indicated that its preferred approach is to develop a Leadership Community that is separate from the Board, though how that will be implemented has not yet been clearly defined or communicated. Whatever approach is ultimately chosen, support for SIGs must be as strong as support for chapters.

SIGs will need to transform too. The new membership options allow members to join only SIGs if they wish. That means that SIGs now need to take on the responsibilities of being a primary source of value to members and also a primary conduit of information. The responsibility for providing information became apparent in this election, as we realized that SIGs could no longer assume that all members would get information about candidates from their chapter newsletters and websites.

Now that the commitment has been made to recognizing SIGs as communities “equal” to chapters, other changes will have to follow. An obvious area for change is SIG finances and budgets; I expect that eventually a standard community financial model will evolve that encompasses all communities. Over time, I would also expect that SIGs will begin to develop their own competitions, education programs, conferences, recognition programs, and more.

4. Many within the Society see corporate sponsorship, at the Society, chapter, and SIG levels, increasing in value. How would you, as 2nd VP, identify, solicit, and promote corporate support?

Corporate recognition and sponsorship of STC is critical if we are to become a leader and advocate for our profession, which is one of the stated goals of transformation. I have always felt this was something STC needed to pursue more aggressively.

I strongly advocate creating am STC Board of Advisors, consisting of senior corporate managers who understand that quality information adds value to their organization. This level of corporate involvement will help us define the skills and roles that will allow us to stay employed and diversify our jobs. We can then use that information to create training programs that better match industry needs.

Participating companies will benefit by helping us provide them with better-educated, better-prepared employees who understand the business value of their work. We can work with corporate advisors to develop cross-industry standards, to promote best practices, and to examine how the technical communication and user experience disciplines interact to add value and support their customers.

Once we begin to promote the value of our work more aggressively, we can solicit financial sponsorship. A good starting point is to solicit support for recognition programs, such as competitions and awards. For example, just as Westinghouse became synonymous with awards for high-school science, we can find sponsors who wish to be associated with our Best in Show awards for our international competitions. Similarly, we should be able to develop sponsor programs for conferences, student scholarships, and continuing education programs.

At the chapter level, corporate support is often related to geography. In the early 1990s, I began a Boston chapter corporate liaison program. We were able to gain a great deal of financial support from local companies that wanted to make a public commitment to quality communication products, and also from companies that were simply interested in supporting us as a form of advertising their services.

Corporate sponsorship for SIGs is likely to revolve around companies and organizations aligning with a practice area or industry segment that matters to them. For example, companies that are highly regulated might be interested in sponsoring relevant SIGs (perhaps the Quality SIG or the Environmental, Safety & Health SIG) to demonstrate their commitment to quality regulatory writing. Some SIGs (like the Single-Sourcing SIG or Indexing SIG) might find the best corporate sponsors to be tool vendors. As SIGs mature, the SIG leaders can regularly evaluate and investigate sponsorship possibilities.

5. The candidate for 2nd VP is making a four year commitment to the leadership of the Society. Four years allow for the 2nd VP to make significant impact. What is your vision of the Society after you complete your tenure?

Four years is indeed a long time, and this is an exciting four years. STC has committed to change, and most of the initial changes will be completed in that time. Here is my vision for STC in 2009, when I would finish my four-year term.

STC has made strides in leading the profession. We have defined what we do and have we articulated our value. We have organized working groups to develop common standards. Our SIGs are defining and promoting best practices for their areas. We are working with other organizations to integrate and promote all the communication and user experience disciplines. New SIGs have formed to address new interest areas, which could be anything -- perhaps content management, localization, digital imaging, knowledge management?

Membership has begun to grow again, particularly in key areas targeted by the membership committee. Even more countries are represented than today and a smaller percentage of total members are from the US. We have a more global perspective and have moderated our US-centric tendencies.

Our education programs have greatly expanded. We now offer affordable STC-sponsored certificates in several specialty areas, with curricula developed by the SIGs in conjunction with an education committee. (Note that I am not suggesting formal certification, but rather a method of offering an affordable continuing education program to promote career growth.) Classes are offered online and at conferences if appropriate. Webinars are tied to specific programs. Many of the programs aim at expanding the skills of advanced technical communicators who have “topped” out in their present roles. Our education committee confers with representatives of academic technical communication programs to ensure that the curricula of the academic programs meet the needs of industry.

Our strongest SIGs have grown and gained parity with chapters (including taking responsibility for being the primary connection to the society for some members). Small or struggling SIGs have found a model that works for them or joined with another SIG or a different society. SIGs have begun their own competitions and small conferences and have become self-funding. All SIGs offer active forums for discussion and collaboration, using web-based technology the society provides to all communities. Local SIGs are now affiliated with society SIGs as well as (or perhaps instead of) chapters.

Chapters are less dependent on dues rebates and have added other sources of income. Smaller chapters may have merged with other chapters or joined together in other formations. For example, the TransAlpine chapter, which covers five European countries, only meets as a group twice a year. But it has grown several small Local Interest Groups (LIGs), which meet more regularly. This model could easily be transferred to a group of smaller chapters that wish to remain together somehow, but are too small to be a viable chapter on their own.

Competitions now accept entries in several languages. SIGs hold competitions too and have added categories appropriate to their interest areas.

The Annual Conference continues as a wonderful central gathering place. SIGs now “own” some of the stems and are responsible for populating them. For example, the Management SIG Conference Committee evaluates and determines the sessions for the Management stem. Paid remote attendance at some conference sessions is starting to be considered. Some SIGs have a small conference each year. Regional conferences continue, though the “regions” may no longer be simply geographically proximate, but instead are other groupings of chapters and perhaps even SIGs.

Every member has a portal to the society on their desktop. Technology support is available for all society and community activities (judging forms are online, all conference forms are online, etc.) All technology is web-based and centralized, using standard technologies for ease of maintenance and scalability. This consistency has reduced the administrative overhead for both volunteers and staff, saving us all time and money and improving our access to the information we want.

My vision IS just a vision, and many of these ideas may not come to pass within four years, or ever. But my eyes are open to seeing many things that STC can be, and I would like to see us all move forward with our eyes open to lots of exciting possibilities.

Linda Oestreich

This question certainly has power in light of all that’s been happening over the past couple of months. Nonetheless, I believe STC needs to change. I believe that the Society leaders have the good of each member at the core of their decisions and vision. As a member of that Board, I am legally bound to reflect the views and decisions that the Board makes. Although we can bring our own personal views into discussion, once a vote is complete, my legal position is to stand with the Board. I do that with pride. At the early stages of the transformation plans, I spoke to a wise mentor of mine who said, “Why are you putting a name to the changes? The Society has been in constant change since its inception. By naming it and drawing attention to it, you’re asking for trouble.” He was right. But that trouble is a reflection of better communication (despite the complaints!). Members know more, so they are asking more questions. The Board has shared more ideas, asked for more input, and listened to more advice from members over the last two years than I ever remember it doing in my 25-year relationship with the Society. Despite the unrest and the challenges it produces, I believe it is all for the good of the Society. So that’s my answer to your second question as well. Communication—even when it’s received with derision, confusion, and concern—is better than no communication. Whether I’m elected or not, I hope to continue to be part of the transformation and I will share my thoughts, concerns, and advice to all incoming Board members who choose to listen.

If the referendum passes to allow open voting (and thus, dissolving voting according to geography), it is likely that the changes to the role of 2nd VP will also pass. The new wording of the bylaws reads, “The second vice president acts for the first vice president when the occasion arises. The second vice president also performs such other duties as the president or the Board may assign.” After the word “arises”, the current bylaws add this phrase, “and serves as coordinator of the Society’s chapters by assigning the directors to sponsor specific chapters and by such other means as is deemed advisable.” Under no circumstances does the 2nd VP “manage” the directors. The 2nd VP acts as mentor and advisor to the directors and as a bridge between the executive council of the Board and the directors. I do not think much will change in the way work is divided on the Board, even if the referendum passes. The transition of a sponsorship role from the directors to another entity will take longer than the year that anyone on this ballot might be in this office. So, my answer is that I will continue to do what I do now. I will try to be a voice of experience and wisdom to the directors; I will encourage them to do the best that they can for the members of the Society, and I will counsel the other members of the Board with the same enthusiasm that I do now as a a director. I do not believe that dissolving the regions of the Society will make a difference in the job of the 2nd VP.

3. How will you apply any experience you've had managing projects and people to the STC Society-level leadership role of 2nd VP? How do you think management and STC support for the SIGs will change as part of the entire Society transformation process?

I have been a member of the Society for more than 25 years. I have served on the Board of Directors for 4 years in an official capacity. I have another 5 to 10 years of experience with the Board as a committee manager and interested community leader who attended Board meetings just for the experience of being there. My experience in the workplace can’t be separated from my experience within the Society when it comes to managing projects and people. I do some things well; and other things not so well. I am strong and capable as a mediator, facilitator, and coach. I don’t like detail work and will likely delegate most of that type work to others who love it and do it better than I do.

I think Society management and support to the SIGs is changing and will continue to change through this transformation. SIGs, which began as simple gatherings of people who had common interests, have become a magnet for membership (possibly because membership has been so inexpensive), and as such have the potential to become influential and strong. Some SIGs already have that influence. Some don’t. The Society is hoping to establish parity between SIGs and chapters—thus the common name of community to both entities. However, along with a better method for financing and governance comes responsibility. SIGs will have to adhere to bylaws and requirements that will be established for communities of all types. They will have to think of the succession of their leadership and will have to plan activities—both virtual and face-to-face—that include their membership. The Society must provide the technology and infrastructure to support these communities. I see geographic communities becoming more virtual every year. I believe that in many cases, the models exhibited by the strong SIGs are closer to what all communities will someday follow than the models in place today for geographic communities. To follow that change, the Society must have a mechanism in place to listen to the needs of SIGs and a process in place to respond to those needs when they are beneficial to the Society membership.

4. Many within the Society see corporate sponsorship, at the Society, chapter, and SIG levels, increasing in value. How would you, as 2nd VP, identify, solicit, and promote corporate support?

I agree that the Society and its communities must find ways to tap into the corporate world to become more self-sufficient. I believe it’s important for the Society to do a better job of publicity and marketing. We provide a skill and expertise to the corporate world that has long gone unnoticed and unrewarded. I believe that the Society can and should find a way to become known by the corporate world and thus, receive some support from that world. I believe we can identify corporations that depend on our services and emphasize to them their dependence on our expertise. I believe we can continue to find ways to show our value to the technological and scientific world that we support. I believe that the Society needs to develop an honorary group of corporate knowledge leaders who know who we are and will support us to their counterparts throughout industry, science, government, and academe. We provide a skill that helps them deliver messages, products, and value. As a member of the executive council, I will vote in favor of actions that support these views and I will promote ways to put these practices into place.

5. The candidate for 2nd VP is making a four-year commitment to the leadership of the Society. Four years allow for the 2nd VP to make significant impact. What is your vision of the Society after you complete your tenure?

Four years may seem a long time, but in the timetable of an organization that is 50+ years old, it is a short time. The transformation was put into place because the Society, if it had continued on the path in the way it had been going, was headed for oblivion. In light of that knowledge, my vision for the next 4 years is this:

to see the Society financially secure, with at least 3 years operating expenses in savings, · to see all communities approaching self-sufficiency—bringing in enough of their own operating costs to make their dependence on the International Society less important,
to see our global membership rise because we have made membership affordable to those countries whose members make far less money than we do here in the States,
to see us using inexpensive and accessible technology that helps each member and his or her communities do the work of the Society
to see communication from the Board to the members through the communities happen without rancor or spite or self-aggrandizement
to see our profession well-recognized as a viable part of the world and our Society as the de facto organization for every responsible communicator in that world
to see us serving as a bridge for education, leadership, and management of communication professionals and projects through various means such as conferences, seminars, distance learning, publishing, and web-based training

My vision may seem more fantastic than real, but I believe it can happen, and if it’s not all here in 4 years, I believe we can certainly be on our way.

Thanks so much to the members of the Management SIG for giving me the opportunity to state my views, to increase my visibility, and to think about some important issues that will face me if I am elected as 2nd VP of STC.

Deborah Sauer

The transformation is really nothing new. The Society has been changing all along. Every organization must change to be viable, to survive. I will assist in bringing new Board members up to speed on the tasks that are in process and those that have yet to be done. It is important that new Board members understand the reasons why each task was chosen. They can choose whether to support continuing with the tasks, or to advocate for other directions. It is in everyone’s best interest that new Board members be educated as quickly as possible so that they can best serve the membership.

The important change here is that the Directors will be better able to represent members because they reflect the composition of the membership in many ways, not just geography. This will be a diverse group, as the Director-Sponsors always have been, as well. I have worked with vastly diverse groups many times over the years, as Boston chapter president, as a project manager for a company, and as a consultant. I see diversity as a strength and an asset rather than a detriment. It is through our diversity that we are exposed to multiple opportunities, learn from each other, and make the best choices possible with the information we have at hand. That said, I will always work towards keeping the focus on member value and member needs. That is what should be on the forefront of every decision that Board members make.

3. a) How will you apply any experience you've had managing projects and people to the STC Society-level leadership role of 2nd VP?

In both my STC and my professional careers, I have managed groups of people of diverse experience, interests, geography, nationality, and so on. I have managed projects involving team members in Europe, eastern North America, western North America, Hong Kong, Singapore, and India. In those cases, even scheduling a conference call was a challenge! My skills in diplomacy and team building were an advantage in getting the job done and the product shipped. Team members, including Board members, don’t always agree, but they should always focus on protecting their interests (in this case, member need and member value), and they should not stop until they have attained a level of comfort with a decision at the minimum.

3. b) How do you think management and STC support for the SIGs change as part of the entire Society transformation process?

SIGs need the same type and level of support as chapters, and that will happen with the transformation. But, the transformation isn’t happening only at the Society level. Chapters and SIGs need to transform as well. Communities need to develop new approaches to existing problems and they must think creatively to grow their communities into the future. The Society is a member-based organization. Members must drive change from the community level.

4. Many within the Society see corporate sponsorship, at the Society, chapter, and SIG levels, increasing in value. How would you, as 2nd VP, identify, solicit, and promote corporate support?

I encourage the STC to investigate all possible areas for corporate support, including sponsorship of conferences, training programs, scholarships, and so on. We can then decide which of the opportunities are the best fit for the Society. We should know what the possibilities are, even if we do not exercise them.

Four years sounds like a long time, until you think about all that is planned to be done (the Transformation roadmap), and then it seems like a very short time, indeed! My vision is simple, yet maybe not that easy to attain. In four years (preferably less), the Society should be fiscally stable and the membership should be growing. Members should feel that the Society is the preeminent organization for their profession. They should also feel that it is providing exceptional value, and that it is responsive to their needs, or even better, anticipating their needs and providing for them so members can lead the profession. The Society should be proactive about member needs, rather than reactive. Four years is enough time for our focus to change, and I believe that it is equally important that the leadership be flexible and responsive to change. Just because we have a long-term plan today, doesn’t mean that we have to complete all phases of it before rethinking our path or entertaining new ideas. The Society is a dynamic organization and it’s leadership should be equally dynamic. I want to work together with the membership to ensure that all of this happens.

William C. Wiese

1. The structure of the STC is complex and as a result of the transformation may become even more so. Unlike other administrative bodies with the STC, the Board of Directors is the only body in the STC with specific financial oversight responsibilities and obligations--even though acting with financial prudence is a responsibility for all of us. Especially in light of the organizational changes taking place, what do you see as the best and most effective way for the STC Board--as guided by you, the Treasurer and de facto chief financial officer--to exercise its financial oversight responsibilities?

As Treasurer, I will expect the Board to clearly identify its priorities for funding and investment. Although the Society has over 50 years invested in a previous funding model, the rules are now changing, and the Board of Directors will need to build a new template for what we have to fund and what we would like to fund to stimulate future growth for the Society and its reputation. I expect to be the voice that demands a clear expression of these goals, ensures that we have consensus, and makes certain they are published.

These will be interesting times – we will need to support change through new investment at a time that our funding and reserves have tightened.

In truth, however, there is no need to reinvent the successful practices that have served previous treasurers. It falls to me to ensure an open working relationship with the STC Office to make certain I have a clear understanding of what the Society spends and that it has been authorized. It also falls to me to benefit from the experience of recent Treasurers Mary Jo Stark and Martha Collins in carrying out my responsibilities.

2. Throughout the discussions about the transformation, the phrase "running the STC more like a business" crops up with some frequency. What does that phrase mean to you and how will "running the STC more like a business" potentially affect how you fulfill your role as treasurer?

No one expects Doug or me to quit our current jobs and go be treasurer to STC for 2 years. But STC’s expenses and revenue do continue throughout the year, so it makes sense to depend on full-time administrators in our office. I see the Treasurer’s role in a Board of Directors framework. Our members’ money needs to be spent in their interests as expressed through the Board to provide services and resources, balanced by sufficient infrastructure to preserve the Society and its timely operation. My responsibility will be to help focus our professional staff on the Board’s objectives and to interpret our strategic intent for use of resources. I expect to work closely with a professional administration, but not to do their jobs.

Dr. Gail Lippincott has recommended that perhaps we could have some kind of Best Practices or documented models that would assist our chapters and SIGs through advice and templates that would be helpful as they raise and spend funds. And she’s right. STC has long experience reviewing the financial reports of successful chapters. I’m hopeful that we can survey, collect, and distribute financial management budget templates and success stories uniformly throughout STC for our mutual benefit.

3. In the corporate world, finance has been an area of great innovation for years, allowing businesses to expand where they otherwise might not and permitting new synergies, creating even greater growth and innovation. As you think about the STC from a top-down vantage point, what ideas come to you about ways in which our organization could apply greater financial innovation to achieve even stronger results?

I’ve never claimed to be the smartest guy on the bus, but my father – a cost accountant for 37 years – did teach me to demand value for our money.

I don’t expect that we will be doing anything too drastic regarding business model in the next 2 years. I don’t anticipate new methods that generate significant new revenues. Our position as a volunteer-based professional society beset by the issues confronted by similar societies argues against any quick form of extreme makeover.

Where I am entrepreneurial is in our need to become a more visible and valuable partner to other societies and businesses.

Why have so many other communication organizations sprung up? Could we consider folding candidate organizations into STC for administrative economies of scale while they retain identity as communities of practice? What would it take to make another 5000 professionals feel good about membership in STC?

We have vast intellectual property resources (as in Technical Communication and our smooth-running conferences) and an ability to generate research projects. We have over 18,000 members who work around the world and understand the needs of global customers. Within the limits of our not-for-profit status, I’d like to see us consult or broker research projects that address business communication issues on a partnership footing. I’d like to see businesses sponsor (endow?) STC research grants that are of unique benefit to them. I’d like these businesses to become more invested in STC while we to raise our public profile together through publicity and a more successful public affairs outreach. And I’d like to see us convert business leaders into STC members through free limited-membership offers that demonstrate the benefits of who we are and give us the opportunity to gain advocacy in their companies.

If we can find new ways to benefit more members and employer/sponsors, STC’s bottom line will take care of itself.

Doug Woestendiek

The most effective way for the Board to exercise their financial oversight responsibilities is to focus on developing and implementing a new financial model for communities.

The STC's long-term financial strategy will be critical for delivering value to STC communities and members. The strategy must focus on developing and implementing a new financial model for funding communities. To support this, the society needs an easy-to-use budgeting and tracking system that can be used by community leaders and community treasurers. A large amount of money is spent at the community level, so it is important that the society develop training modules for new community leaders and treasurers to ensure that these volunteers can properly manage funds and that they can easily provide information to the society office and board so they can complete their oversight duties.

First, let me state that "Running the STC more like a business" does not mean that the STC is trying to make as much money as possible from its members. It means that much like a business sells goods to consumers, we need to recognize that we have members who purchase memberships from STC in exchange for the value of being a member.

The STC needs to compete with other organizations for the member's dues and needs to ensure that it is delivering the value that members want and expect. The STC should create business cases for new programs which are then tracked against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in order to determine the success of the program. The STC can't put programs in place that are automatically funded year after year without any review showing how well they are accomplishing their goals and addressing the ever-changing needs of our members.

It also means that we have to market the Society to potential members. We can't just expect potential STC members to know about the STC and all the STC has to offer. We must be proactive and put membership programs in place. This includes segmenting our market to determine where there are large groups of potential members whose needs are not yet served, then developing programs to attract those members.

It is important that the treasurer develop the cost visibility, metrics and benchmarks for financial success. As treasurer, I will need to ensure that we allocate and track our costs against the programs we have put in place so that we know how much they really cost. I will need to ensure that we are using our fiscal resources to deliver meaningful value to our members and that our spending is aligned with those members needs.

In the age of corporate greed, many organizations have maximized short-term financial results via financial innovation and "trickery" that in the long-term have ended up closing down the institution and have wreaked havoc on the lives of millions. It is important that the STC remain conservative in the management of their financial assets.

However, there is value to be had by using STC's size and combined resources to get the best deals and prices. To do this, we need to look at where it would make sense to manage the finances of STC as a whole. Currently a lot of resources (i.e. member dues) are not being spent to provide value back to the members, but instead are being "saved" by individual communities for a rainy day or accumulated to fund a large program once every few years. Those are both very important reasons for communities to accumulate cash, but I think there are inefficiencies realized when each community does it on their own. In order to maximize the amount of resources actually providing value, we need to find the right balance between centralized management of society resources and community management. In much the same way that group health plans bring down the cost of health care for individuals, the society can have central rainy day accounts and help bring down costs by buying in bulk.

The new easy-to-use web-based budgeting and tracking system I mentioned earlier is one technological innovation that can allow us to get better visibility into how we spend our money and help manage the flow of STC resources. As mentioned in the transformation vision, STC resources should flow to the communities and activities supported by our members through selection and participation.

Our financial results can also be improved by actively going after corporate sponsorship and even by offering an easy, yet non-intrusive option for donating funds or setting up scholarships programs.

Information on the STC Election Process and the current slate of officers is available on the STC web site at http://www.stc.org/intercom/pdfs/2004/2004012_28-29.pdf.