IEEE Northern Virginia Section

First, I would like to thank all IEEE Northern Virginia Section members for electing me as your Chairman for 2013. I promise to make a difference to our IEEE members in the coming year. I believe that action speaks louder than words; hence, I will show my commitment to my Section members by action and not by words.

I am not going to tell you all about IEEE, as you are all IEEE members, but I want to say that your involvement in IEEE can change your life, career, leadership quality, outlook, and thought process. I am going to share some of my life story to encourage you to get more involved in IEEE for the betterment of your life.

I joined IEEE as a Student Member and have grown with IEEE in my professional career from Student Member to Associate Member, Associate Member to Member, and Member to Senior Member. My friends and colleagues compliment me on my leadership qualities, and honestly, I think it’s because of my participation in IEEE that I developed those qualities at a young age. When I was very young, I was not able to speak in front of any gathering, as I used to feel awkward and shy, but today, if you wake me up in the middle of the night and want me to give a speech, I am ready. This character has been developed by organizing and participating in IEEE events, conferences, meetings, and activities. The inspiration came to my mind that if the speakers can do it, so can I, and that’s how I generate my skills of talking to a large audience. The reason I am sharing this is to illustrate the importance of IEEE in our daily lives and why we should be part of the biggest and oldest technical organization of the world, with over 400,000 members worldwide. Also, it’s a great place to network with like-minded professionals. Hence, I encourage you to take an active part by volunteering and participating in future IEEE events and meetings for your own benefit.

I thank the outgoing 2012 Chairman, Mr. Jeff Poston, for his excellent service to the Section. He brought some new ideas to our Section Administrative Committee to achieve larger participation from the members. His calm nature and leadership quality is very much admirable. During my term as Vice-Chair, Jeff and I worked very closely, and his professionalism was really outstanding. I want to welcome our Treasurer, Mr. James “Dan” Cross-Cole, back to the Administrative Committee. He did a phenomenal job of creating the official Operations Manual for the Northern Virginia Section. I look forward to working with him and using his immense experience in higher education to help us inspire more future student members. I want to welcome Ms. Rhonda Farrell back as our Secretary. She is an amazing person to work with. Before even getting elected as Secretary, she was already filling in to do the jobs that the Section needed. Her sincerity and dedication to her work are really admirable. Dr. Carolyn Carroll was elected as Vice-Chair but will not be able to serve in that role. As Chair of the Women in Engineering chapter, she did a fabulous job—with the help of her team—organizing some outstanding events. I look forward to her volunteering in other roles. I must thank Mr. Pete Sypher, Ms. Monica Mallini, and the Scanner team, especially the Content Editor, Mr. Paul Frommelt, for doing an excellent job publishing our treasured Scanner newsletter during a transitional period, and we welcome Baltimore Section to the Scanner family (thanks to the wisdom and guidance of the late Walter Willing, 2012 Baltimore Section Chair).

I want to welcome our newly elected Directors: Mr. Hemant Mehta, who did a superb job as Section Treasurer for the past two years, Mr. James “Jim” Magee, and Professor Seddik Benhamida. I also want to thank our continuing Directors, Mr. Marc Apter, Mr. Michael Cardinale, and Mr. Oscar Reyes, PE, for their help and support. I want to extend my best wishes to Mr. Marc Apter as incoming President of IEEE-USA. I am very proud that one of our fellow IEEE Northern Virginia Section members is the President of IEEE-USA, and I look forward to working with him and encouraging more local volunteers to aspire to IEEE leadership roles. I must extend my special thanks to Dr. Tim Settle for his faith in my leadership when he nominated me as a Vice-Chair candidate. I will always remember his statement that a successful Chairman is one who leaves the Section in a better state than before. We are very fortunate in the Northern Virginia Section to have such a dedicated core of volunteers serving our IEEE members.

Also, I extend a special welcome and offer my best wishes to the incoming IEEE Washington, DC Section Chair, Ms. Monica Taysing-Lara. Our two Sections share a special bond, and as Chairman of the Northern Virginia Section, my main objective will be to strengthen it even more in 2013. Focusing on the activity of 2013, I have many ideas to share with you in the coming year. I offer the accompanying list of my top ten priorities.

I welcome you all to attend the Administrative Committee (AdCom) meetings on the second Wednesday of each month. In these AdCom meetings, the officers, technical society chapter chairs, affinity group chairs, and members plan future professional and technical events. Even if you are unable to attend, I welcome your suggestions. Please don’t hesitate to contact me and let me know your specific needs so that I, with the help of the Section Executive Committee, can serve you.

Mithun Banerjee
Chair, IEEE Northern Virginia Section
mithun@ieee.org

Employment Support

Post local job openings on our Section website as a Job Board and invite local recruiters to post their jobs for our IEEE members. We have a new Employment Network chapter, kicked off on December 13th through a grant from IEEE-USA. (Thanks to Jeff Poston for his encouragement to apply for this grant!) Mr. Richard Swerdlow is kind enough to help run the new chapter. We will work together to organize several networking and workshop events in the coming months so that all of our IEEE colleagues will be fully employed. Through this forum, we will also encourage and support Senior Member elevation.

Volunteer Support

I propose a policy of registration fee reductions or waivers at selected events for unemployed IEEE members and event volunteers, based on available funding. Tap into our volunteer network to provide great speakers at meetings and events at a minimal cost.

Scanner

Make the Scanner newsletter financially self-sustaining. Ideas include an increase in advertising, creative fund-raising approaches, and improved variety of content through the recruitment of student interns. Let’s encourage local journalism students to avail an excellent opportunity to join the Scanner team as volunteers under the tutelage of our capable editorial staff.

Student and GOLD Support

Bring these members—the future of IEEE—into greater participation at events and meetings and provide them with mentoring and guidance as they make career choices in their lives. Fees for IEEE Student Members should be partially subsidized whenever possible. This support will build a strong IEEE member base for years to come.

Annual Conference

Found an annual conference in the Washington-Baltimore metro area to give our IEEE members a Section-based conference platform. The local IEEE sections can join hands with prospective partners, such as the Project Management Institute’s Baltimore and Silver Spring chapters, the Information Systems Security Association’s three local chapters, and other professional and technical organizations, to provide our IEEE members similar benefits to members of those organizations while potentially enlarging our own membership base.

IEEE-USA Alliance

Strengthen our ties with IEEE-USA, which is physically located within the National Capital area. As a Section, support IEEE-USA’s government outreach to encourage STEM programs as a national priority and educate government leaders about the importance of research and development funding to future generations.

Chapter and Volunteer Recognition

Incentivize our local chapters to promote high-quality events and presentations. Award extra funding each quarter to those chapters organizing exceptional events with high attendance. Also, nominate volunteers for special recognition and high-visibility regional, national, and international awards for their services to IEEE.

Student Scholarship Program

Establish Northern Virginia Section Scholarships for some outstanding and deserving students with financial need in the NoVA Section. I am planning on giving three scholarships as follows: 1) 10th STDs, 2) 10+2 STDs & 3) Bachelors/Masters. The details will be released soon, based on the funding availability for 2013.

Encourage Senior Member Drives

To encourage Senior Member drives, the Section will contribute additional funds for any events organized by IEEE NoVA Chapters or Affinity Groups, when they will include a Senior Member drive before, during or after the meeting, based on the funding availability for 2013.

IEEE Sections Congress

The Section will set aside some amount of money to send the Section Representatives to the IEEE Section Congress 2014 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, at the Rai Convention Center, from 22-25 August 2014. The Section will present the Scanner Project to share with the other IEEE entities, demonstrating how to transform an expense sinkhole into a self-sustainable program. Hopefully by 2013, Scanner will be a self-sustainable program.

Take an Active Part:
Making a Difference in 2013

Northern Virginia Section Chair’s Priorities for 2013

Employment Support

Volunteer Support

Scanner

Student and GOLD Support

Annual Conference

IEEE-USA Alliance

Chapter and Volunteer Recognition

Student Scholarship Program

Encourage Senior Member Drives

IEEE Sections Congress

eSCANNER Calendar Index › Welcome Officers Family Liaison Directors Technical Societies and Affinity Groups Student Branches Affiliated Organizations History & Bylaws Past Chairs Bylaws Operating Manual Awards Banquet LINKS Virtual Community Washington Section IEEE Region 2 eMeritBadges Contact Us News	Take an Active Part: Making a Difference in 2013 First, I would like to thank all IEEE Northern Virginia Section members for electing me as your Chairman for 2013. I promise to make a difference to our IEEE members in the coming year. I believe that action speaks louder than words; hence, I will show my commitment to my Section members by action and not by words. I am not going to tell you all about IEEE, as you are all IEEE members, but I want to say that your involvement in IEEE can change your life, career, leadership quality, outlook, and thought process. I am going to share some of my life story to encourage you to get more involved in IEEE for the betterment of your life. I joined IEEE as a Student Member and have grown with IEEE in my professional career from Student Member to Associate Member, Associate Member to Member, and Member to Senior Member. My friends and colleagues compliment me on my leadership qualities, and honestly, I think it’s because of my participation in IEEE that I developed those qualities at a young age. When I was very young, I was not able to speak in front of any gathering, as I used to feel awkward and shy, but today, if you wake me up in the middle of the night and want me to give a speech, I am ready. This character has been developed by organizing and participating in IEEE events, conferences, meetings, and activities. The inspiration came to my mind that if the speakers can do it, so can I, and that’s how I generate my skills of talking to a large audience. The reason I am sharing this is to illustrate the importance of IEEE in our daily lives and why we should be part of the biggest and oldest technical organization of the world, with over 400,000 members worldwide. Also, it’s a great place to network with like-minded professionals. Hence, I encourage you to take an active part by volunteering and participating in future IEEE events and meetings for your own benefit. I thank the outgoing 2012 Chairman, Mr. Jeff Poston, for his excellent service to the Section. He brought some new ideas to our Section Administrative Committee to achieve larger participation from the members. His calm nature and leadership quality is very much admirable. During my term as Vice-Chair, Jeff and I worked very closely, and his professionalism was really outstanding. I want to welcome our Treasurer, Mr. James “Dan” Cross-Cole, back to the Administrative Committee. He did a phenomenal job of creating the official Operations Manual for the Northern Virginia Section. I look forward to working with him and using his immense experience in higher education to help us inspire more future student members. I want to welcome Ms. Rhonda Farrell back as our Secretary. She is an amazing person to work with. Before even getting elected as Secretary, she was already filling in to do the jobs that the Section needed. Her sincerity and dedication to her work are really admirable. Dr. Carolyn Carroll was elected as Vice-Chair but will not be able to serve in that role. As Chair of the Women in Engineering chapter, she did a fabulous job—with the help of her team—organizing some outstanding events. I look forward to her volunteering in other roles. I must thank Mr. Pete Sypher, Ms. Monica Mallini, and the Scanner team, especially the Content Editor, Mr. Paul Frommelt, for doing an excellent job publishing our treasured Scanner newsletter during a transitional period, and we welcome Baltimore Section to the Scanner family (thanks to the wisdom and guidance of the late Walter Willing, 2012 Baltimore Section Chair). I want to welcome our newly elected Directors: Mr. Hemant Mehta, who did a superb job as Section Treasurer for the past two years, Mr. James “Jim” Magee, and Professor Seddik Benhamida. I also want to thank our continuing Directors, Mr. Marc Apter, Mr. Michael Cardinale, and Mr. Oscar Reyes, PE, for their help and support. I want to extend my best wishes to Mr. Marc Apter as incoming President of IEEE-USA. I am very proud that one of our fellow IEEE Northern Virginia Section members is the President of IEEE-USA, and I look forward to working with him and encouraging more local volunteers to aspire to IEEE leadership roles. I must extend my special thanks to Dr. Tim Settle for his faith in my leadership when he nominated me as a Vice-Chair candidate. I will always remember his statement that a successful Chairman is one who leaves the Section in a better state than before. We are very fortunate in the Northern Virginia Section to have such a dedicated core of volunteers serving our IEEE members. Also, I extend a special welcome and offer my best wishes to the incoming IEEE Washington, DC Section Chair, Ms. Monica Taysing-Lara. Our two Sections share a special bond, and as Chairman of the Northern Virginia Section, my main objective will be to strengthen it even more in 2013. Focusing on the activity of 2013, I have many ideas to share with you in the coming year. I offer the accompanying list of my top ten priorities. I welcome you all to attend the Administrative Committee (AdCom) meetings on the second Wednesday of each month. In these AdCom meetings, the officers, technical society chapter chairs, affinity group chairs, and members plan future professional and technical events. Even if you are unable to attend, I welcome your suggestions. Please don’t hesitate to contact me and let me know your specific needs so that I, with the help of the Section Executive Committee, can serve you. Mithun Banerjee Chair, IEEE Northern Virginia Section mithun@ieee.org Northern Virginia Section Chair’s Priorities for 2013 Employment Support Post local job openings on our Section website as a Job Board and invite local recruiters to post their jobs for our IEEE members. We have a new Employment Network chapter, kicked off on December 13th through a grant from IEEE-USA. (Thanks to Jeff Poston for his encouragement to apply for this grant!) Mr. Richard Swerdlow is kind enough to help run the new chapter. We will work together to organize several networking and workshop events in the coming months so that all of our IEEE colleagues will be fully employed. Through this forum, we will also encourage and support Senior Member elevation. Volunteer Support I propose a policy of registration fee reductions or waivers at selected events for unemployed IEEE members and event volunteers, based on available funding. Tap into our volunteer network to provide great speakers at meetings and events at a minimal cost. Scanner Make the Scanner newsletter financially self-sustaining. Ideas include an increase in advertising, creative fund-raising approaches, and improved variety of content through the recruitment of student interns. Let’s encourage local journalism students to avail an excellent opportunity to join the Scanner team as volunteers under the tutelage of our capable editorial staff. Student and GOLD Support Bring these members—the future of IEEE—into greater participation at events and meetings and provide them with mentoring and guidance as they make career choices in their lives. Fees for IEEE Student Members should be partially subsidized whenever possible. This support will build a strong IEEE member base for years to come. Annual Conference Found an annual conference in the Washington-Baltimore metro area to give our IEEE members a Section-based conference platform. The local IEEE sections can join hands with prospective partners, such as the Project Management Institute’s Baltimore and Silver Spring chapters, the Information Systems Security Association’s three local chapters, and other professional and technical organizations, to provide our IEEE members similar benefits to members of those organizations while potentially enlarging our own membership base. IEEE-USA Alliance Strengthen our ties with IEEE-USA, which is physically located within the National Capital area. As a Section, support IEEE-USA’s government outreach to encourage STEM programs as a national priority and educate government leaders about the importance of research and development funding to future generations. Chapter and Volunteer Recognition Incentivize our local chapters to promote high-quality events and presentations. Award extra funding each quarter to those chapters organizing exceptional events with high attendance. Also, nominate volunteers for special recognition and high-visibility regional, national, and international awards for their services to IEEE. Student Scholarship Program Establish Northern Virginia Section Scholarships for some outstanding and deserving students with financial need in the NoVA Section. I am planning on giving three scholarships as follows: 1) 10th STDs, 2) 10+2 STDs & 3) Bachelors/Masters. The details will be released soon, based on the funding availability for 2013. Encourage Senior Member Drives To encourage Senior Member drives, the Section will contribute additional funds for any events organized by IEEE NoVA Chapters or Affinity Groups, when they will include a Senior Member drive before, during or after the meeting, based on the funding availability for 2013. IEEE Sections Congress The Section will set aside some amount of money to send the Section Representatives to the IEEE Section Congress 2014 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, at the Rai Convention Center, from 22-25 August 2014. The Section will present the Scanner Project to share with the other IEEE entities, demonstrating how to transform an expense sinkhole into a self-sustainable program. Hopefully by 2013, Scanner will be a self-sustainable program.
	Updated 4/21/13. Send updates to Webmaster at nova@ieee.org.




IEEE Northern Virginia Section

Take an Active Part: Making a Difference in 2013