Category: Events (Page 2 of 3)

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:

• Discord: https://https//dsc.gg/ucfsigmataudelta
• LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/ucfsigmataudelta
• Website: https://english.org/

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

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!

LinkedIn: https://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.

LinkedIn: https://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.

LinkedIn: https://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.

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

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.