Category: Events (Page 2 of 3)

Game Night with Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society

This Thursday at 6:00 pm, we’ll be having a joint game night with Sigma Tau Delta UCF! There will be Jackbox Party Pack games and more to play together on Zoom. Come hang out with fellow writers!

Check out Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society:

Zoom link can be found at: https://linktr.ee/ucf.ftc

STC-FTC Annual Joint Meeting – “Where Are They Now?” ft. Past FTC Leaders

Join us this Friday, February 25, from 6:30-8:30pm for the annual STC/FTC meeting. In honor of FTC’s 20th anniversary, the topic for this joint meeting is “Where Are They Now?” To join, be sure to RSVP through STC in order to receive the Zoom link. 

Two decades ago, FTC was established and many members have come and gone, accomplishing great things along the way. To celebrate FTC’s history, a panel of past FTC leaders will be sharing their experiences and answering questions about their career paths.

Panelists include:

  • Jen Selix
  • Bonnie Spivey
  • Brittney Cooke
  • Rachael Swertferger
  • Dana Georgopolous
  • R.D. Sharninghouse
  • Amy Truong

You won’t want to miss this special  joint annual STC-FTC meeting. Bring your technical communication questions and come ready to receive great technical communication advice. 

Meeting details:

Friday, February 25

6:30-8:30 pm (6:30 pm networking; 7:00 pm presentation; 8:00 pm Q&A)

RSVP: https://stc-orlando.org/event/stc-ftc-joint-meeting-where-are-they-now-ft-past-ftc-leaders/

Meet the panelists!

https://memotomembers.stc-orlando.org/?p=4229

Bonnie Spivey, C/O 2004

Bonnie Spivey is a 20-year veteran in the technical communications umbrella of professions. Currently, she is a Director of Global Marketing Operations and Project Management Office at Universal Parks and Resorts. In this capacity, she oversees projects related to the design, development, and implementation of usage of Universal Studio’s multibillion-dollar array of ‘digital media assets’. To you and me, this includes things like Harry Potter, the Minions,

Transformers, and even Coca Cola. Bonnie’s team comprises technical communicators in so many flavors, include business analysts, project managers, and product owners (just to name a

few).

Bonnie has her BA in Technical Communication from UCF (go Knights!!!). She has her MBA from Stetson University in DeLand. Among her professional accreditations are five US patents (including one for a Dining Management Experience at Disney, and a Unified Access Control system at Universal Studios). She was awarded the 2013 New Venture Consulting Award at Universal right after earning the Disney Inventor Award at Disney (her third one!).

Bonnie, who is the founder of the current iteration of the Future Technical Communicators (FTC) served as its first president. For the parent STC organization, Bonnie contributed through presentations, workshops, and mentoring (she was the co-founder (with Dan Voss!) of the STC-

FTC mentoring program). Bonnie is proud of her FTC/STC roots and looks forward to

connecting with each of you today!

LinkedInhttps://linkedin.com/in/bonnie-spivey-mba-8646b03

Jen Selix, C/O 2005

Jen Selix graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2005, with a B.A. in English, Technical Writing. She spent several years exploring the Orlando, FL tech comm scene, as an independent contractor, helping companies like NBC Universal, Bloomin’ Brands, Verizon, Express Scripts, and Walt Disney World to develop technical and instructional content. In 2010, Jen decided to dive deeper into the educational side of technical communication and enrolled in the Education Media Design and Technology accelerated M.S. program at Full Sail University. The additional accreditation proved to be a catalyst, allowing Jen to earn a highly coveted role at Amazon, as the global Training Manager for Amazon Web Services (AWS) Customer Support and later move on to managing corporate communications for AWS Professional Services. Today, on her 5 year Amazon anniversary, Jen is excited to share the story of how her engagement with FTC and STC have played a pivotal role in her career growth and development. She is excited to connect and offer career coaching for any FTC or STC members who would like to learn about career opportunities at Amazon/AWS.

LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jenselix

Dana Georgopolous, C/O 2010

Hi, I’m Dana. I have a degree in Technical Communication from UCF and offer over 10 years of technical, web-based, and corporate communications experience. My strength is writing and editing online support content, especially within the field of Knowledge Management. Even though online support is my specialty, I also enjoy exploring other forms of media. I’ve collaborated on scripts for Telly-award-winning instructional (how-to videos) during my time at Bright House Networks. And I’m currently responsible for company-wide communications at Suncoast Credit Union. My goal is to provide exceptional content that’s tailored to unique audiences.

LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-georgopoulos-6992929/

Rachael Swertferger, C/O 2011

Rachael is currently enjoying life as a stay-at-home mom with her son, David, born October 2020. Prior to being a stay-at-home mom, she worked as a technical writer at Lockheed Martin, Carley Corporation, and Optum. At Lockheed, she worked on operator and maintainer manuals where she wrote the instructions and created supporting graphics using ArborText, HyperSTE, FrameMaker, Photoshop, and Illustrator. While at Optum, she focused on scripting and supporting documentation in their knowledge base for call agents to use while on the phone. She’s also worked with students in afterschool programs hosted at the library assisting with homework help and teaching them how to play and run their own Dungeons & Dragons games, while supporting the small non-profit by writing the monthly newsletter, maintaining the website, creating and preparing program materials, and managing the social media platforms.

LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rachael-swertfeger-1aa97122/

Brittney Cooke, C/O 2012

Brittney Cooke is a communications expert with over 10 years of experience, mostly in the Medicare Advantage industry. She is a UCF alumnus and former FTC Vice President. She is currently a Senior Marketing Project Manager at Anthem, Inc., where she oversees marketing campaigns and executes material development, ensuring accuracy and timely completion in accordance with government-mandated deadlines. She is passionate about making a difference in the lives of seniors throughout the country. Brittney is also a Certified Professional Résumé Writer (CPRW) and founded Enhanced Résumé and Writing Services in 2021. She holds a B.A. in English (Technical Communications) and is currently pursuing her Marketing MBA at Saint Leo University. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with her husband and kids, traveling, and eating good food!

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittneycooke/

Amy Truong, C/O 2019

Mrs. Truong graduated from UCF in 2019 with a degree in Technical Communications. During her time at UCF, she was involved in the Future Technical Communicators club, first as Secretary, and then as President. She was also a member of the Society of Technical Communicators and was involved in the mentorship program. She credits both the FTC and STC with helping her land her first technical writing job. Mrs. Truong has been a technical writer working in the defense industry for more than two years. When she’s not working, Mrs. Truong enjoys working in her yard and going on long walks with her husband and their dog, Bjorn.
LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ameliatruong

Five STC Events to Attend this February

Hi everyone,

Here are some STC webinars coming up this month! They’re focused on education and volunteering, and as such they should be helpful for STC students seeking to learn more about the field and get involved in the Society.

1. Honoring Our Own: Recognizing Your Community’s Volunteers
Date: Tuesday, February 15, from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET (tomorrow)
Presenter: Lori Meyer

STC communities do great things, thanks to their hard-working volunteers. Recognizing those volunteers is a vital part of your community’s success. This webinar will discuss why recognition matters, options for recognition from both STC and your community, and how your community can create a recognition program to honor your volunteers.

Register here for the webinar: https://access.stc.org/Shared_Content/Events/Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=WEBLR21522&WebsiteKey=749f84ca-cf54-4b3c-8272-9e3fe238c6a7


2. What is Information Architecture? A Guide for Technical Communicators
Date: Thursday, 17 February 2022, 6:30-7:30 pm ET
Presenter: Neil Perlin

On Feb 17, The New England Chapter is having a webinar on “What is Information Architecture? A Guide for Technical Communicators” presented by Neil Perlin, a leader in the Tech Comm field.

The price for students is $5.00 and they only need to be an STC member (not a member of the NE chapter).

Register here for the webinar: https://www.stcnewengland.org/2022/01/26/february-program-information-architecture/


3. We Are TechComm KnowledgeXchange: New Member Meet-Up
Date: 18 February at 3:00 PM ET

If you are new to tech comm or STC, then join in! Bring your questions and ideas and attend one session or all. Registration is not required, and attendance is free.

Learn more: http://ow.ly/sQaX50HSQsB


4. How and Why to Get Involved: A Student Leader Perspective
Date: Tuesday, February 22, from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM ET
Presenter: John Clement

I’ll be presenting at this one!

Are you a leader in a professional organization looking to recruit students? Are you a student looking for volunteer and leadership opportunities to get your foot in the door of the technical communications industry?

Please join the Rochester STC chapter for a conversation with John Clement about how to get students more involved in professional organizations. Rochester’s Amanda Patterson will be sitting down with John to hear his story about becoming a student leader in STC and the Future Technical Communicator’s club. Along the way, we are going to talk about what he is hearing from student volunteers (and soon-to-be volunteers), what challenges students face when volunteering, and what students are looking for in volunteer opportunities.

Bring your questions and your volunteer opportunities!

Register here for the webinar: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-and-why-to-get-involved-a-student-leader-perspective-tickets-265435413467?aff=ebdsoporgprofile


5. STC-FTC Joint Meeting: Where are they now?
Date: Friday, February 25, from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM ET
Presenters: Past FTC Leaders

Just a reminder that this month’s STC Florida meeting is ALSO an FTC meeting! An annual collaboration between our two organizations, this year’s joint meeting will be in celebration of 20 years of FTC history, bringing in guest speakers from the club’s past. We’ll be sharing all the details on our end as it gets closer. If you’re already all-in, you can RSVP on the chapter’s website.

RSVP: https://stc-orlando.org/event/stc-ftc-joint-meeting-where-are-they-now-ft-past-ftc-leaders/


Finally, did you know that STC’s main website now has an event calendar? It features online meetings and webinars from throughout the community that you can join. Check it out using the link below.

GBM: Session 2 of FTC’s Speaker Series featuring John Paz

The second installment of FTC’s Speaker Series is this Friday, February 11 at 6:00 pm. Join us as we talk with technical writing professional and UCF alumnus John Paz about “Resume Righting.”

You may remember John from our first Speaker Series session when he shared trends in tech comm and how to improve soft and hard skills. He’s back this week to answer all our questions about how to write the “right” resume. 

Meeting details:
Friday, February 11, 6:00 pm
Zoom: https://ucf.zoom.us/j/94513652385 

Twitter: @SrContentDesign
Instagram: @tiocafecito
https://www.johnpaz.com

GBM: L3Harris Guest Speaker Presentation

You won’t want to miss the General Body Meeting this Friday, February 4, 6:00 pm, when we welcome guest speakers from L3Harris! 

Eight members from L3Harris’ Integrated Product Support Team will share their experiences working at one of the nation’s largest aerospace and defense companies. The meeting will include a presentation about technical writing at L3Harris followed by a Q&A session. 

Join us to hear from these guest speakers: 

  • Marty Sisson, Engineering Manager IPS 
  • Melissa Rios, Sr. Manager IPS 
  • Stewart Brandt, Assoc Manager IPS 
  • Sally Jecmen, Lead IPS 
  • Luke Gilbert, Specialty IPS
  • Natasha Rosario, Specialty IPS 
  • Hunter Plante, Associate IPS 
  • Melissa Olds, Associate Tech Writing

Meeting details:

Friday, February 4, 6:00 pm

Zoom link: https://ucf.zoom.us/j/94513652385 

Meeting ID: 945 1365 2385

See below for the full bios of the L3 Harris Integrated Product Support Team.

Martin C. Sisson
Department Engineering Manager

Marty has been with L3Harris for 3 1/2 years in his current role as Engineering Manager. Prior to his time with the company, he retired from the United States Air Force with over 23 years of service in the Aircraft Maintenance and Logistics career field. In addition, he spent two years as a public-school teacher (Electronics) and nearly three years with the US State Department working on logistics projects around the globe.

You can connect with Marty on LinkedIn.

Melissa Rios
Sr. Manager, Integrated Product Support

Melissa graduated from UCF with a BA in Technical Communications in 1995. She has over 25 years’ experience in the Technical Writing field with most of that time in the defense industry. 

She has worked for L3Harris Technologies for a total of 20 years doing a variety of tasks from Technical Writing, Training Development, Logistics, Proposals, Business Development, Integrated Product Team Lead, and Group Leader. She is also the L3Harris POC for the UCF Technical Communications partnership.

You can connect with Melissa on LinkedIn.

Sally Jecmen
Lead, Integrated Product Support

Sally has been with L3Harris for 18 years. Prior to that, she worked for Lockheed Space Operations at Kennedy Space Center developing online training in support of Shuttle and Rocket Operations.

Sally graduated from UCF with an MA in Instructional Systems Technology and undergraduate work in Software Engineering. 

Currently in our Robotics Enterprise, Sally has worked in several positions as Integrated Product Support Lead, Integrated Logistics Support Manager, International Pursuit Lead, Proposal Manager, Learning & Development Manager, Employee Resource Group Manager, Instructional Systems Design Specialist, Training Specialist, Technical Writer, Group Leader, and Logistics/Depot Support Engineer. She also serves as an L3Harris United Way Ambassador. 

You can connect with Sally on LinkedIn.

Luke Gilbert
Specialty Integrated Product Support

Stewart Brandt
Associate Manager, Integrated Product Support

Stewart has been working with L3Harris for almost 5 years as a Technical Writer and Integrated Product Support Engineer where he leads a program on all IPS matters.  He also supports proposals within the IPS arena and is a Group Leader for personnel around the country. Stewart has also been a Field Engineer and Technical Trainer for communication equipment with a previous company.  He is also a member of the Georgia Air National Guard.

You can connect with Stewart on LinkedIn

Natasha A. Rosario
Integrated Product Support Specialist

Natasha graduated from UCF in 2011. She was hired at L3Harris in 2016 and has served L3Harris in Technical Writing, Logistics/Supply Support. She is currently supporting a Proposal, Item Drawings and Material Planning.

You can connect with Natasha on LinkedIn.

Melissa Olds
Associate Technical Writer, New College Grad

Melissa started working at L3Harris last year after graduating from UCF with a BA in English/Tech Comm. Before that she completed a Tech Writing Internship with L3Harris over the summer of 2020.

Melissa’s focus is in technical editing and complex document development.

You can reach Melissa at [email protected].

Hunter Plante
Associate, Integrated Product Support

Hunter graduated from UF in 2019 with a BS in Industrial & Systems Engineering. He was hired in 2019 specializing in Technical Writing, Process Improvement, Logistics, and Metrics. He also received his Maintenance Management Certification through Life Cycle Engineering.

You can connect with Hunter on LinkedIn.

GBM: Q&A Speaker Series featuring John Paz

Join us for the first installment of FTC’s Industry Q&A Speaker Series featuring technical writing professional and UCF alumnus John Paz. This series will kick off on Friday, January 21, 6:00 pm on Zoom: https://ucf.zoom.us/j/94513652385.

John Paz has over 15 years of experience as a technical communicator and content designer – a career that has taken him around the world and back. He is passionate about sharing his story and helping aspiring tech professionals enter the industry. 

Read John’s full bio below: 

John Paz graduated from UCF in 2008 with a B.A. in English and a focus in Technical Writing. He has over 15 years of experience working in the tech industry as a Technical Writing and Content Designer. He worked extensively as a short-term contractor in Orlando for some of the more reputable simulation and training defense contractors in the area for nearly a decade. In 2015 John accepted an offer from an Australian tech company to relocate him and his entire family to Sydney. Then, the Aussie Pazzies relocated again, to San Francisco, and once more back to Orlando, where he resides today. Technical Writing has taken him around the world, and he wants to share his story and help aspiring tech professionals with practical advice to help land more interviews and secure a lucrative job working in tech. John is also passionate about diversifying tech and regularly gives talks about how underrepresented folks can break into tech, and how working in technology can help break generational cycles of poverty. 

@SrContentDesign (Twitter) 

@tiocafecito (Instagram) 

https://www.johnapaz.com/ for portfolio, resume, blogs, etc.

First General Body Meeting – Fall 2021

Hello, everyone! We’ll be kicking off the year with our First General Body Meeting! Make sure to stop by on September 10th at 4:00pm. The General Body Meeting is the perfect way to learn about what FTC is, and what it can provide. We’ll also discuss our plans for the coming school year and leadership opportunities within FTC!

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