To: Region 3 ExCom Cc: Region 3 Section Chairs Fr: Lee Stogner, Region 3 Director Sb: Director Report for January 24, 2011 Region 3 ExCom Dt: 24 January 2011 Welcome to 2011. For many of us, the past several years have been challenging at work because of the economic downturn. We have faced plant closures, layoffs and unexpected change in our daily routine. But for IEEE members, you do have a "network" of people that you can depend on for support. As mentioned in the new January, 2011 newsletter, I would like to ask for your help in building a better IEEE in Region 3. This will be an IEEE in which the Members are truly united in a Network of people, skills and shared communications. This Network of IEEE professionals would start during the early years of technical training and extend into retirement. There are other professional institutions that have already built strong Networks for their Members. Those Members benefit every day from the strength of their Network. If we can work together, our organization could be just as strong as any medical or legal group. I'm sure you've seen the local and national benefits their Members enjoy just because they are able to work together as a group. We have all of the tools and technology required to build a Network that will extend down to every single Region 3 Member. In fact, we Electrical Engineers invented the technology that other organizations use to protect their Members and project their influence throughout society. It's time that we do it for ourselves. If we don't build a bigger, stronger IEEE Network, then others will continue to think of us as variable resources and not fully vested members of their organization. You can build the better IEEE Network by participating in local and national activities. Go to Section / Chapter meetings and learn ideas that you can use the next day at work. Meet fellow Engineers at those meetings that can help you find your next job. You can also build the influence of the IEEE by volunteering to help in the name of the IEEE. Finally you can help by letting your local Congressional Representative know how what they do impacts Engineering and Science. Just think of what we could do if one morning, Congress received letters, phone calls and visits from the more than 212,000 IEEE Members in the United States. Why, we might be able to make a difference in the world. I need your help to make this difference in Region 3. It won't require a big budget increase. All we have to do is participate in our organization and work together towards a better IEEE. I do have 2011 goals that I need you to work with me on, - Every Section needs a complete ExCom in 2011. To build the network and bring value to our members, we need a team with a full roster including PACE, the MD Chair and the Employment Coordinator. - Every Section needs to ensure that we are the best connected that we have ever been in Region 3. Please make sure that every Section has updated the IEEE Officer Roster with complete contact information. Encourage your members to attend Section meetings and meet fellow members that they do not know. - Every Section needs to turn in their Reports early to qualify for the 10% premium payment on your rebates. - Every Section needs to have a delegate at the IEEE-USA Annual Meeting on March 3 - 6. - Every Section needs to participate in Southeastcon 2011 in Nashville on March 17 -20. We do have openings for sponsorships and we need your company's support. Please contact the General Chair, Dr Jeffrey Black, jeffrey.d.black@vanderbilt.edu . Dr Black will ensure that your company receives a lot of visibility and value for their sponsorship. - Every Section needs to have a delegate at Sections Congress in San Francisco on August 19 - 22. We are being asked to provide recommendations on what we can do to improve the IEEE. These recommendations are developed at the Section level and delivered as a set by the region during Sections Congress. More information on the process will be made available to the Sections shortly. Your Sections Congress resources are Jim Howard, j.howard@ieee.org and Sean Haynes, s.a.haynes@ieee.org . - We do have other conferences that will be held across Region 3 in 2011. Please learn more about these conferences in the new Region 3 2011 Newsletter. I do highly recommend the Clemson University Power Systems Conference 2011 that will be held in Clemson on March 15 - 18. - Every Section needs to become well acquainted with their local Student Branch. Please, before the May graduation, schedule a joint meeting at their school location to talk about careers and life after graduation. - Every Section needs to have a hard focus on Membership Development. Region 3 has a new Membership Development Chair, Jim Anderson, jim.anderson@ieee.org . Jim can help you develop all of your local MD campaigns. Please make an effort to welcome every new member to your Section. Send an email but make sure you follow up with a phone call and invite to the next meeting. Give them a volunteer position and you will have a long term member. - Every Section needs to know the benefits of membership and especially participation in the IEEE. Try to make benefit discussion a part of every Section meeting and newsletter. There is also a "benefits" flyer that you can download and share with members and potential members. - Every Section needs to take a inventory of the training needs of their ExCom and their members. The IEEE and IEEE-USA have a well developed library of courses that are self taught or delivered in a workshop format. Region 3 has contributed a rich selection of Leadership Development courses to the IEEE training library. Determine what your needs are and we can work together to deliver the training. Contact John Montague, j.montague@computer.org , and he can get you started. Much of this training qualifies as a PACE Project. Contact the Region 3 PAO Chair, Susan Ronning, susan@ieee.org , and she will help you write your project funding proposal. - Every Section needs to become visible in the local community. David Bower, d.bower@ieee.org , has ideas on how to promote your Section. All of this is very useful for activities such as EWEEK. Who knows, maybe you can meet that company you are interested in through your Section outreach. - Last but most important, lets help every Region 3 IEEE Member get back to work. The economy is showing a return. Engineering firms in my home town of Greenville, SC are once again being asked for proposals after a long three year drought. Please help me share information on openings in your company and Section with our fellow members. Please establish a Section Employment Coordinator to help your members directly with their career questions. Region 3 has a Employment Assistance web site. We're making updates now. Please let us know what needs to be added to the web site. The Region 3 Employment Assistance Representative is Ed Kirchner, ed.kirchner@ieee.org . Please contact Ed for Region 3 support and information on what the IEEE and IEEE-USA are doing to support our careers. - I encourage you to visit the Region 3 web site and explore it's resources. The more you know about the IEEE in Region 3, the more we can do together to support our members. Let me know if you see a function that you want to volunteer for. What have I missed ? I need your feedback so we can make these goals "our" goals and build on the Member Development efforts of Past Director Bill Ratcliff in recent years. Sincerely, Lee Stogner, PMP Director, Region 3 Mobile 864-360-9415 Email l.stogner@ieee.org