Home » Meetings » Spring 2007 Section Conference

2007 Spring Section Conference and Dinner Chapter Speaker: TRobert Bishop (r.bishop@ieee.org), IEEE Distinguished Lecturer Topic: "You're Dilbert's New Boss - Overview of Engineering Management Issues" Thursday, March 29, 2007 5pm-9pm Fairlane Center, UofM-Dearborn

Our Engineering Management Society Chapter speaker will present an overview of engineering management issues, from the perspective of a new manager. This presentation will be at either 5pm or 6pm, depending on when the Conference Chair schedules our chapter.

2007 Spring Section Conference and Dinner Keynote Speaker: Teresa (Teri) M. Takai Topic: "Technology and Michigan: Re-Engineering Government" Director of the Michigan Department of Information Technology (MDIT) Chief Information Officer (CIO), State of Michigan Thursday, March 29, 2007 5pm-9pm Fairlane Center, UofM-Dearborn

Keynote Abstract:
Teri Takai, Michigan Chief Information Officer and Director of the Department of Information Technology, examines the increasingly dominant role of technology in state government and how technology is emerging as a key partner in all state operations. From citizen services to department operations and economic development, Takai explores how technology in government is impacting life in Michigan every day.

Keynote Biography:
Ms. Takai was appointed by Governor Jennifer Granholm and was confirmed by the Senate in February 2003. Her broad experience includes working as a senior executive at Ford Motor Company, where she led the development of company's IT strategic plan. Ms. Takai has also held senior positions at EDS where she managed the global supply chain for General Motors and at Federal Mogul, where she was the Director of Process Development. She has extensive experience in computer systems planning, logistics and financial lending systems. Teri's position as the Director of MDIT represents her first experience in the public sector, reporting directly to the Governor.

Ms. Takai is responsible for developing a new organization and its 1,700 employees in order to provide critical IT services to Michigan government. One of her ongoing challenges includes developing measures for MDIT to meet the demand for cutting costs while still meeting the demand for providing information technology services for Michigan. She has led Michigan to the #1 ranking among the 50 states when it comes to digital government in an evaluation performed by the Center for Digital Government.

Ms. Takai was named Public Official of the Year in 2005 by Governing magazine. She had been named to the Crain's Detroit Business list of the 100 Most Influential Women. Detroiter Magazine named Ms. Takai as one of the top 100 emerging business leaders in Southeast Michigan. The Association for Women in Computing presented her with the "Top Michigan Women in Computing" award. VARBusiness Magazine named Takai to their 2005 list of "The Top 50 People, Trends, Technologies, Innovations and Projects in Government You Should Know." She serves on the Walsh College President's Advisory Council, Junior Achievement Board, Oakland University Meadowbrook Art Gallery Board, and the Cherry Commission for Higher Education.

Ms. Takai received a BA in Mathematics from the University of Michigan, and holds a MA in Management from the University of Michigan. A metro Detroit native, she enjoys traveling and time with her family.

The entire program poster is now available.

2007 Spring Section Conference and Dinner Professional Activities Speaker: Russell T. Harrison (r.t.harrison@ieee.org) IEEE-USA Legislative Representative Thursday, March 29, 2007 5pm-9pm Fairlane Center, UofM-Dearborn

Mr. Harrison is a staff member at IEEE-USA in Washington, D.C. More precisely, he is one of your lobbyists in Washington, helping to represent the views and concerns of IEEE members to Congress and the Federal government.

Among other things, one of his jobs at IEEE-USA is to visit local IEEE sections to discuss Congress and public policy. In the past three years he has visited almost 60 sections in 28 states. However, our state was not among them. Now he will be coming to Michigan.

His talks usually focus on what IEEE-USA is, issues it is currently working on in Congress and what individual IEEE members can do to help. I can also focus my discussion on a particular public policy issue, if there is something that your members are especially concerned about. For example, last year I gave a talk on the Energy Bill and several on offshore outsourcing. My goal is to inform members about their advocacy efforts in Washington and to give them a few tools for influencing government on their own.

Read about Mr. Harrison's interview in April 2006 IEEE Today's Engineer IEEE Members Meet With Rep. Tom DeLay

Thursday, March 29, 2007
5:00pm to 9:00pm
Fairlane Center Building
University of Michigan-Dearborn
Web registration will be open in February. Get on the mailing list on our listserv page.

Download the keynote poster as a PDF file.

Registration will be online beginning in late February. See http://www.ieee-sem.org.

Prices: $25 for IEEE Members (including members of other ESD Affiliate Council Societies), $30 non-members, $10 students/retirees/unemployed. Early registration begins in October.

Location is: 19000 Hubbard Drive, Dearborn, Fairlane Center Building, University of Michigan-Dearborn. Contact: Mark Ciechanowski, P.E. (mark.ciechanowski "at" ieee.org) Section Chair, or Prof. Chris Mi (mi "at" ieee.org), Conference Chair.

This event is put on as a technical and professional service to the local IEEE members - this is not a "fundraiser".

You get your choice of two (2) of the fourteen technical session, plus networking, vendor showcases, dinner and the keynote speaker. Here is the evening schedule.

Start Time	End Time	Activity
4:30pm	5:00pm	Registration and Check-In
5:00pm	5:45pm	First half technical sessions, seven parallel sessions
5:45pm	6:00pm	Vendor exhibition and networking
6:00pm	6:45pm	Second half technical sessions, seven parallel sessions
6:45pm	7:15pm	Vendor exhibition and networking
7:15pm	8:00pm	Buffet Dinner from Park Place Catering
7:30pm	8:00pm	Awards program during dinner
8:00pm	9:00pm	Keynote speaker

Twice per year we hold our Spring and Fall Section Conference and Dinner, in April and November respectively. This evening meeting begins at 5pm where all fourteen technical chapters (including us as one of the chapters) hold an hour-long technical session. We always have a speaker presenting a management topic, and other chapters have speakers on other technical topics. We then have dinner and a keynote speaker. We typically have about 150 people attend the conference. Members and their guests are welcome to attend, as are prospective members, engineers, managers, technical professionals, and engineering students. Business attire is preferred. Registration information, including fees, is available about one month before the event. See our meetings page.