Bob Hays, Martha Chambliss, and Gerry Cohen shared what they remember about the STC Atlanta Chapter and some memorable moments as technical communicators.
According to Chapter organizer, Bob Hays, as few as three people in the field met at Volt Engineering, a company sponsor. Prior to organizing the STC Atlanta Chapter, some of our members belonged to the Society of Technical Writers and Publishers (STWP). From this group, the STC Atlanta Chapter was formally organized in 1980.
The STC Atlanta Chapter began meeting at the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) facilities. By that time, the monthly attendance had grown to 10-20 attendees per meeting. The meetings were informal and there was usually a speaker. The Chapter met at TAPPI from 1979 to mid 1985. The organization moved its meeting site to the MSA facilities and met there until around 1992. From there, the Chapter moved to various meeting sites including the Marriott at Perimeter.
According to Martha Chambliss, a society member since 1959, the Chapter has seen phenomenal growth and change. The quality of the membership is high. Members have broad and diverse backgrounds. In 1980 technical communicators in the computer and software industries focused on print documentation, now the focus is on online access.
The focus of the STC Atlanta Chapter has not changed: the advancement of quality technical writing. There are a number of people who are a part of the Chapter’s history and whose involvement helped to make the Chapter a success in meeting the membership’s goals.
