IEEE Richmond Section Chair Report
27 October 2007

Section Officers
  * Chair - Ralph Russell
  * Vice-Chair - Bill Tiedemann
  * Treasurer - Vennie Filippas
  * Secretary - Jerry Barnett
  * At-Large & Membership Chair - Esther Hughes
  * At-Large & PES Chapter Chair - Dev Walia
  * At-Large - Joe Florino
  * At-Large - John Cross 

Synopsis of Activities

  * Monthly Section Newsletter - Section members received an electronic copy of the
    September and October newsletter by IEEE e-notice. To announce the November Section
    meeting, the members received an electronic copy by e-notice and a postcard printed
    and mailed by the US Postal Service. Local engineering Society leaders, community
    technical educators and management receive the monthly newsletter by email. The
    newsletter is posted on our Section website www.ieee.org/richmond and our Section Blog
    at https://ieeerichmond.blogspot.com.

  * Monthly Section Meetings - Recent meetings have included a Student Project Poster
    Contest, a tour of the VCU School of Engineering facilities, and a presentation by the
    Project Management Institute.

  * Communication Activities - Our website is frequently updated with our monthly
    newsletter and posting of an electronic copy of each month's speaker's presentation.
    We have also developed a Blog to increase and improve communications with our
    Section's members. Our Blog appears to be the first Blog by an IEEE Section, "IEEE
    Spectrum: Blogs Away". We have developed an IEEE On-Line Community for our Section
    leaders.

  * Student Activities - Support Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and Virginia State
    University (VSU) Student Branches financially each year. One monthly Section meeting
    is annually dedicated to Student Branch Activities. In April 2007 we are sponsored a
    Student Project Poster Contest. The Students at Virginia Commonwealth University are
    planning an IEEE SPAC.

  * Membership Activities - Our Section has a Membership Chair that is participating in
    the MDC Web Conferences being run by Lee Stogner and who also be attending the
    Training Session at SoutheastCon 2007. The Section Chair attended the IEEE Membership
    Development Retreat in New Brunswick, NJ.

  * PACE Activities - A PACE grant proposal has been submitted for a local Teacher In
    Service Program activities.

  * Pre-College Activities - Planning has started for Section participation in the 2008
    Virginia Children's Engineering Convention to be held in Richmond, VA. The IEEE
    emeritbadges.org Project, www.emeritbadges.org, which originated in the Richmond
    Section in 1980, is currently planning their activities for the next four years. The
    group has been invited to sponsor the Electronics Merit Badge Booth at the 2010
    National Scout Jamboree to he held at Fort A. P. Hill, VA. It is anticipated that the
    budget for the project's activities over the next four years will exceed $100,000. The
    IEEE emeritbadges.org website continues to get over 3,000 daily hits.

  * SoutheastCon 2007 - The IEEE Richmond Section was one of the host Sections for
    SoutheastCon 2007. Many of the top leaders of this annual conference were from our
    Section.

  * Power Engineering Society Chapter Activities - Our PES Chapter has been very active
    but has not had any Chapter activities since the last Section report in March 2007.
    The PES Chapter Chair and the Section Chair did meet with the PES ExCom at their
    global meeting held in Williamsburg, VA in April.  
     
Goals

  Strategic Plan for 2007

  * VISION - Enhance members' careers, promote the profession, manage pre-university
    technology education programs and promote community to strengthen the IEEE within the
    Richmond Section.

  * MISSION - Maintain, enhance, and support the Section, Chapters, Student Branches, and
    individual members in the geographic area assigned to the Richmond Section through
    local meetings, traditional media and newer electro-media. Emphasize the development
    of the membership through increased direct personal involvement in recruitment,
    retention, elevation, recognition, recovery and career enhancement activities and by
    the development of effective leaders in all units. Encourage pre-university students
    to pursue electro and information technology and science careers.

  * STRATEGIC FOCUS - Energize and engage each member, keep them in the loop. Ultimate
    goal: Every member an active IEEE Team participant, an informed and a satisfied
    member. Remember..."Together Everyone Achieves More".

Discussion Items for Meeting

  Thanks to IEEE Region 3 leaders for support of IEEE Richmond Section
  activities!

Submitted by:
Ralph W. Russell, II
Chair
IEEE Richmond Section
Email: r.w.russell @ ieee.org
Web site: www.ieee.org/richmond
Blog: https://ieeerichmond.blogspot.com
Phone: 1-800-298-7495