by Phyllis Thompson

January is the traditional time for resolutions and reflection. The resolution part seems easy at this point--I can picture all the things I'll accomplish in 2001 and how good I'll feel about them. The reflection part is a bit more challenging ... What were my accomplishments? Were they meaningful?

When I apply this same process to the goals and accomplishments of the Willamette Valley chapter I have an easier time seeing the answers. I see that we've hosted some highly successful meetings this past year--remember the Ginny Reddish Writing for the Web seminar and program meeting last March? Remember getting the inside scoop on FrameMaker 6 from Thomas Neuberger last May? Remember the highly informative and entertaining meeting on Flash and Dreamweaver? These are just a few highlights from a very successful year.

Looking forward to 2001, I see another great year. We're trying a few new things this year as a way to better meet the needs of our diverse and growing membership. To start, Lance Gelein will bring a technical communicator's view to the topic of " February we have two offerings from Andrea Ames: a program meeting about 'Creating Embedded Assistance for a Better User Experience" and a one-day seminar about "Designing Online Information as Software," aimed at experienced technical writers. In February we're also sponsoring two one-day workshops on conflict resolution and negotiation skills.

March brings the annual awards banquet that highlights the winners from Region 7--come see the best that the local community has to offer. This year we'll have all the winners on display, including the Distinguished award winners who have been selected to compete at the international level.

In April we're honored to host JoAnn Hackos for a program meeting focused on User and Task Analysis and a two-day workshop on Single Sourcing and Documentation Databases. The trend toward database publishing is an important one to watch because of all the opportunities and challenges it presents. JoAnn will make special pricing available for STC members so watch for the registration announcements.

Usability is the topic of the May program meeting, when our presenter will be Jenny Greenleaf from Medscape. Jenny's group is responsible for Medscape's Internet-based product, Logician Internet. Medscape has won numerous awards for their documentation, and their development process is highly customer focused.

A big highlight of 2001 will be the Region 7 Conference in October--2001: A Communication Odyssey.

This local conference is a fantastic opportunity for you to share your accomplishments and learn about new trends. It's also a great way to better get to know other local writers. Watch the announcement list and the Web page for periodic updates. Also consider getting involved as a volunteer or presenter.

I hope 2001 is a happy and prosperous year for each and every one of you! Let me know what you think about these programs and seminars. I'm also looking for suggestions for next year's agenda because before you know it, 2001 will be history too.

Phyllis Thompson serves as president of the STC Willamette Valley chapter and is a documentation manager at Merant. She can be reached at Phyllis.Thompson@Merant.com.