Atlanta Chapter
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Volunteer

Wondering how you can help? Want to know what a volunteer does? Worried about the time commitment? The Atlanta Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication has several volunteer positions open and we’d like you to get involved. Read the descriptions below and find the volunteer position that best suits you!

Elected Volunteer Positions

Chapter President

Heads the administrative council and is responsible for all operations of the chapter. The Chapter President should be enthusiastic, energetic, responsive, and good at solving problems and resolving disputes. They should also be gracious and a good listener. The Chapter President also:

  • Conducts regular meetings of the administrative council (at least three to five meetings per year are recommended)
  • Assigns duties to other officers soon after their election
  • Suggests schedules for ongoing chapter programs both within the Society and in collaboration with other professional groups
  • Explores topics for the meetings in the coming year with the program committee manager and other officers
  • Appoints special assistants or committees for specific tasks not easily managed by standing committees applies and maintains controls for budgets, expenditures, and other fiscal activities, and, together with the treasurer, signs all chapter checks
  • Leads the formulation of goals and policies for the chapter
  • Contacts committee managers periodically to obtain status/activity reports for submission to the chapter officers
  • Submits a report describing chapter activities to the director-sponsor before each STC board of directors meeting
  • Submits frequent informal reports to apprise the director-sponsor of the general condition of the chapter
  • Time Requirement: 10 to 15 hrs. per month.

Vice President

Oversees the professional development area of the chapter which includes Currents, competitions, and Awards and Recognition. The Vice President is strongly encouraged to run for Chapter President the following year. Additionally, the Vice President:

  • Maintains a special awareness of all chapter operations and confers frequently with the chapter president, not only to advise and assist, but also to gain knowledge that could prove useful if the vice president becomes president
  • Helps formulate policy and establish the long-and short-term goals of the chapter
  • Monitors the chapter finances on a continuing basis
  • Assumes responsibility for regular meeting programs in the absence of the Program Committee Manager
  • Assumes the duties of chapter president when the president is unavailable performs other duties as defined by the president
  • Time Requirement: 10 to 15 hrs. per month.

Secretary

Responsible for recording the chapter history and information. Primarily, the Secretary of the chapter:

  • Takes official minutes at council and chapter meetings (or arranges for a substitute)
  • Prepares and distributes copies of meeting minutes to officers within ten days
  • Prepares correspondence related to chapter business at the direction of the president
  • Reviews and monitors the chapter email accounts
  • Assists with emailing notices of meetings
  • Time Requirement: 5 to 7 hrs. per month.

Treasurer

Works with the executive council to create a budget and maintain the chapter finances. They maintain all chapter financial accounts, including checking, savings, credit card, and Paypal accounts. The Treasurer records all expenditures and income, and makes payments on behalf of the chapter. In addtion, the Treasurer

  • Attends council meetings regularly to provide updates on chapter finances
  • Submits the chapter budget and the year-end financial report to the Society each year
  • Ensures the chapter conforms to all legal and Society-mandated financial procedures
  • Files any necessary tax forms
  • Time Requirement: 5 to 8 hrs. per month.

Non-elected Volunteer Positions

Programs/Events Manager

  • Identifies topics and speakers for chapter programs with the help of your committee
  • Organizes programs for regular chapter meetings with the help of the committee
  • Advertises the meetings, usually through Constant Contact and the website
  • Reports the status of chapter programs to the administrative council
  • Develops a budget for chapter programs
  • Time Requirement: 5 to 15 hrs. per month

Programs/Events Committee Volunteer

  • The Committee Volunteer assists the program manager with planning, coordinating, and publicizing the chapter events.
  • Time Requirements: 1 to 5 hrs. per month.

Membership Manager

  • Works with the chapter Council to recruit new members to the STC and the Atlanta chapter. A Membership manager:
  • Conducts a renewal campaign to encourage members to renew each year
  • Sends new members a welcome letter with information about the STC and the chapter
  • Answers membership questions as they arise
  • Maintains an up-to-date list of chapter members
  • Updates contact information of chapter members for email blasts on chapter events
  • Time Requirement: 3 to 5 hrs. per month.

Public Relations Manager

  • The PR Manager advertises STC Atlanta Chapter events and opportunities to the corporate community, STC members at large, the Society, and potential STC members.
  • Time Requirement:2 to 3 hrs. per month.

Webmaster

  • Maintains the Chapter’s web presence. They coordinate with all other chapter positions to make information available to the chapter membership via the web. Also, the Webmaster:
  • Reports site status and activity to the chapter at regular chapter meetings
  • Keeps the website up to date with current information and content, which may be provided by others or self-generated
  • Manages website users: examines and approves user posts, and responds to user comments, observes website traffic
  • Ensures the website is operating correctly and coordinates software/hardware and any other back office details including hosting
  • Designs, creates, edits, and maintains webpages
  • Creates and selects photographs and graphical elements used in webpages
  • Manages Social Media
  • Time Requirement: 3 to 6 hrs. per month.

Web Committee Volunteer

  • Web Committee Volunteer assists the Webmaster in developing and managing all the chapter’s web assets.
  • Time Requirement: 1 to 3 hrs. per month.

Employment Manager

  • Provides chapter members with access to information about open positions and employment opportunities, as well as resources that may assist them professionally. In addition, the Employment Manager:
  • Holds employment skills workshops (typically two, Summer and Fall) that focus on job search, resume writing, portfolio preparation, interviewing, and tools
  • Maintains a resume review committee to provide resume review services
  • Manages job postings on STC-Atlanta website
  • Hosts a social function, as they are typically well attended by job hunters
  • Contacts employers of technical communicators to introduce STC and our chapter’s exceptional pool of talent.
  • Time Requirement: 5-10 hours per month.

Student Liaison

  • The Student Liaison encourages student participation in the STC Atlanta Chapter, especially after graduation from student chapters; provides support and guidance to student chapters in Georgia and to the Region 3 student conference; manages the scholarship process.
  • Time Requirement:2 to 3 hrs. per month.

Sponsorship Manager

  • This manager coordinates and solicits corporate sponsorship of STC Atlanta Chapter activities and events; manages any advertising provided by the chapter; and builds the endowment for the scholarships and bookshelf programs.
  • Time Requirement:2 to 4 hrs. per month.

Hospitality Manager

  • Coordinating all arrangements for facilities, food, and other meeting needs for the chapter meetings and other functions are the most important duties of this position.
  • Time Requirement: 2 to 5 hrs. per month.

Nominating Committee

  • The nominating committee is responsible for selecting a slate of candidates, handling nominations by petition from members, and preparing the ballot in accordance with the Policies and Procedures.
  • Time Requirement: Approx. 5 hrs. during election months (typically Jan. and Feb.)

General Volunteer

  • Anyone is welcome to volunteer.
  • As a general volunteer, you are encouraged to attend the chapter Council meetings where the chapter business is discussed. These meetings are typically once a month and can be conducted in person or virtually.
  • If you are interested in volunteering, send us an email and tell us how you’d like to help out. We’d love to have you!