Procedures for STC’s 2004 Election
The annual STC election will be held in early 2004. Only members who have paid their dues by February 27, 2004 will be eligible to vote. An option on the dues renewal forms and new membership applications for 2004 allows members to receive their election materials via e-mail. In March, members who selected this option will be e-mailed the slate, candidate biographies, and voting instructions. Members who did not select this option will receive these materials by first-class mail. The election closes at noon EDT on April 15th. Be sure to renew by February 27th to have a say in STC’s future!

Nancy Hoffman Running for 2VP
Early in 2004, you will elect a new STC Second Vice President (2VP). After serving as 2VP, that person becomes First Vice President, then President, and finally Immediate Past President. Whoever wins the upcoming election makes a four-year commitment and performs a lot of volunteer work on behalf of STC and its members. I’m one of the candidates and I will be very happy and very proud to make that commitment of time and effort to our Society.

Improving Communication
I want to improve communication in all parts of our organization. At a given point in time, there are many (possibly hundreds of) activities being planned, organized, and carried out in STC’s chapters, regions, and SIGs. I believe that there are many untapped avenues for sharing information about STC’s activities and the work associated with providing them. I believe there are many additional ways in which we can use current technology to share that information within our organization, with industries that are related to our field, and with academic programs that support technical communication.

Increasing Scholarships
STC’s future lies in the abilities of upcoming technical communicators at all ages and all levels of education, and we must strive to better support those future professionals. One key way we can do this is to greatly increase the dollar amounts and number of scholarships that STC gives to technical communication students of all ages. By better preparing those who are entering the technical communication field, we can help ensure that our field and our organization remain relevant and vital as the technical and business environments grow and evolve.

Increasing Research
We need to keep up with—no, get ahead of—technology related to our field. STC needs to greatly increase its support of pertinent, new, technology research in technical communication. Along with our increased support of research, we need to receive from our researchers regular, timely reporting of the status of these projects so we can use the results of their findings as soon as possible.

Increasing the Value of Membership
We need to expand services for our members. We can offer members more training—through STC meetings, seminars, and conferences, for example—so they can get better jobs. Some members are unemployed or think they might be facing unemployment soon. We can and we must provide help to members who are in those positions.

How To Pay for These Things
In an era of shrinking budgets and financial restraint, where can we find the money to support expanded services, increased scholarships, and new and relevant research? I believe that much of the needed funding can come from external fundraising activities. We can and should set up programs for soliciting contributions from industry and academic institutions. We also can solicit funding from STC members who are willing and able to provide additional support for specific projects, such as research or scholarships. STC’s new and expanded efforts need not result in increased membership or conference fees if untapped, external, funding sources are found and used.

My Background—and Your Vote
I have many years of experience in STC as a member and an active volunteer at all levels, including chapter president, Region 4 Director-Sponsor, and Assistant to the President for Communication. I also have served for three years as Communication Director on the board of another non-profit association. It has given me experience that will, I believe, benefit STC as we move forward.

I worked as a technical writer, editor, project manager, and manager of other writers for twenty years. Now I have my own business, editing many different kinds of documents for many different kinds of companies. I also edit doctoral dissertations. I have experience in the business world—working as both a full-time employee and as an entrepreneur in the field.

I encourage you to vote in the upcoming election. I believe our field is very important to industry and that STC is very important to our field. I’m ready to make major contributions of time and effort to help STC grow and prosper and to promote STC as the premier professional association serving the technical communication field.