NEO Society for Technical Communication

Dear Readers,

We have had a great year at NEO STC, and I want to thank all of you for your contributions to the chapter! Administrative board volunteers, committee volunteers, business sponsors and hosts, presenters, event attendees, academic relations partners, and renewing, new and not-yet members – you all played an important role through your efforts.

Over the summer, there are ways for you to stay connected to NEO STC through networking events (socials and lunches) and book clubs. Details are available through the Events tab on the NEO STC website. Incoming chapter president Paul Holland will also meet this summer with committees and the administrative board to plan for the 2013/14 year. If you are interested in getting more involved as a volunteer in your award-winning chapter, please feel free to contact Paul at paul_holland@me.com. He’d love to hear from you!

It has been an honor and privilege to serve as your chapter president this past year. As I make the transition out of this role, I look forward to seeing our chapter continue to grow and move forward.

Janean Voss
NEO STC Chapter President

NEO STC events

All NEO STC events are listed in the Events Calendar.

6/5/13: Book club: "Contagious: Why Things Catch On," at Panera Bread in Independence. Details.

6/28/13: Social event, at Wine Bar in Rocky River. Details.

7/18/13: Networking lunch, at Bar Louie (Crocker Park) in Westlake. Details.

8/7/13: Book club, book TBD.

8/24/13: Social Event, at Fun 'n' Stuff in Macedonia. Details.

Committee meetings will be going on over the summer to prepare for the 2013-2014 NEO STC year. Committee chairs, watch your inbox and the website for the board meeting in August too.

Other events and dates of interest

Visit the STC website for the most current list of Live Web Seminars.

By Claudia Thompson

It's been a great year for NEO STC — a year full of successful events and new initiatives, all made possible by the dedication and hard work of our volunteers, community partners, and corporate sponsors.

On May 16, 2013, NEO STC celebrated this success with its annual Awards Banquet and Election at the DoubleTree Hilton in Beachwood, Ohio. Voting for the NEO STC 2013/2014 officers was held during the event, and the results were announced at the end of the evening.

To kick off the event, Janean Voss, 2012/2013 NEO STC President, reviewed the year's achievements and expressed her thanks for the hard work everyone put in to make these achievements possible. She then began the presentation of awards. A summary of these awards follows.

COMMUNITY-LEVEL AWARDS

This year, NEO STC earned two community-level awards:

• Community Achievement Award, Community of Distinction. The highest possible level of community recognition, NEO STC earned this award for exceptional service to its members and for meeting Society goals well beyond expectations.
• Pacesetter Award. This society-level award recognizes successful implementation of a single beneficial innovation that can be implemented by other STC communities; our community earned this distinction for its NEO STC Book Club.

SOCIETY-LEVEL AWARDS

A number of NEO STC members received honors for their extended service to both the Society and NEO STC:

• Kelly Graham, Associate Fellow. The STC organization bestows the rank of Associate Fellow upon a senior member who has attained distinction in the field of technical communication.
• Ginny Haas and Denise Kadilak, Distinguished Chapter Service Award. The DCSA is the highest level of recognition that a member can receive for service to their community.
• Jeff Bryk, Ginny Haas, Paul Oleksa, Colleen Price, and Janean Voss, New Senior Members. These NEO STC members received Senior status for five years of continuous STC membership.

NEO STC VOLUNTEER AWARDS

Each year NEO STC recognizes its volunteers for their service in several categories. This year's winners:

• Paul Holland, Lisa Mileusnich, Genelle Pretty, Joann Rasmussen, and Tricia Spayer, NEO STC Volunteer Recognition Award. Awarded to volunteer(s) annually by the Notheast Ohio community president for their volunteer efforts and active participation during the year.
• Claudia Thompson, Rookie Volunteer of the Year. Awarded to a new first year chapter volunteer annually by the Northeast Ohio community president for their outstanding efforts to help the community accomplish high goals.
• Ginny Haas, Volunteer of the Year. Awarded to an individual annually by the Northeast Ohio community president for their outstanding efforts to help the community accomplish high goals.
• Nicole Derr and Barb Philbrick, Competitions, Committee of the Year. Awarded to a committee annually by the Northeast Ohio community president for their outstanding efforts to help the community accomplish high goals.
• Jill McCauslin, President's Achievement Award. Awarded to an individual by the Northeast Ohio community president for consistent contributions to keep the community running smoothly over the years.

ELECTION RESULTS

Following the awards ceremony, the votes for 2012/2013 NEO STC Board positions were counted. A quorum of the NEO STC membership voted: sixteen members voted in person, and two members voted by proxy, for 18 total votes.

The vote was unanimous for the 2013/2014 candidates for the open board positions of Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

The board identified below will serve in their respective roles from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014:

• Paul Holland, NEO STC President
• Lisa Mileusnich, NEO STC Vice President
• Debbie Mekker, NEO STC Treasurer
• Claudia Thompson, NEO STC Secretary
• Janean Voss, NEO STC Immediate Past President

By Kelly Graham 

Youngstown State University (YSU) Junior Sarah Perrine was awarded the NEO STC Technical Communication Scholarship for 2013. This ambitious young woman will complete a B.A. in Professional Writing and Editing, and a B.S. in Environmental Studies in May 2014. "Sarah demonstrated a dedication to her technical communication studies, a passion for sustainability and environmental awareness, and a true potential to be a leader in the field," said Sarah Burke, NEO STC Academic Relations Committee co-chair.

"The writing skills I have developed through my Professional Writing and Editing major are extensive and contribute greatly to my significant achievements," said Sarah. Last summer she completed an internship with the Mahoning Soil and Water Conservation District. Sarah wrote a successful Ohio Environmental Education Fund (OEEF) grant application for a Mahoning County Junior Envirothon. She did site visits to oversee that proper precautions were taken for soil and water resources, and participated in outreach to local schools by monitoring stream quality. Sarah also helped manage the website for the Grey to Green Festival hosted by a coalition of community organizations and environmental groups in Youngstown, Ohio.

She would like to study abroad, in Europe, before graduation. Her "dream profession" is to work at an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoo. Sarah’s long-term plan is to live in Colorado.

Sarah and her mother Amy attended the NEO STC Awards Banquet on Thursday evening, May 16th, at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Beachwood. Poised, articulate, and funny, Sarah fit right in with STC members.