Newsletter | Jul/Aug 2015


NEW STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS NEEDED

At the Retreat we will be nominating at least four new Steering Committee members, and the roles of new and old members will be distributed among next year's Committee. The statements below from current members briefly describe the pleasures and obligations of our five Coordinators. Please think about what you would enjoy doing if you were on the SC, and perhaps consider offering your services!

INFORMATION COORDINATOR:
When someone is seeking to connect with the OWADP, the Information Administrator is often their first point of contact. My favorite recent example was a Girl Scouts troop looking for an office with woman architects they could visit. As with all positions on the Steering Committee, you also have the opportunity to initiate projects you believe will benefit our members. I am excited about our new efforts to facilitate members sharing our collective wisdom. Stay tuned for updates on that in future newsletters and at the retreat.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES COORDINATOR:
As the OWADP Policies and Procedures Coordinator the biggest part of my job is running the Steering Committee meetings and the annual business meeting. Every other month the Steering Committee gets together to plan OWADP events and talk about long term goals. I write the agenda for each meeting and make sure things run smoothly. I love getting together with the Steering Committee to brainstorm exciting new ideas for the OWADP. It is a fun and challenging job that has helped me get to know a lot of the other members.

NEWSLETTER COORDINATOR/EDITOR:

Six issues a year of our newsletter are published on our website, and are easily put into HTML (without needing to know it) by Bill Hocker’s template with convenient and elegant formatting. The newsletter generally gives an account of recent tours, announces upcoming events, and includes articles by and about various members. Some historical extracts from early newsletters have been included where they seemed relevant. Not everyone may read the newsletter on line, so soon we will be mailing hard copies to members in good standing, and to members who have recently lapsed. It has been great fun, and the help of Jean Nilsson (previous editor) has been invaluable.

EVENTS COORDINATORS (2):
Programs and events are a way for OWADP members to get together throughout the year. Programs are scheduled every two months and as coordinators, you can select from among the countless opportunities in the Bay Area for tours, speakers and discussion panels. You also secure the venue and provide refreshments if appropriate. Over the past two years our experience is that people are incredibly receptive to being a part of/hosting a OWADP program. As a coordinator, it's also a way to utilize/expand your network...it is actually quite easy to fill the calendar.


PUBLIC RELATIONS COORDINATOR:
The primary responsibility of the Public Relations Coordinator is to promote and represent the organization. I am always happy to speak to others and do my best to encourage membership and attendance at events. I maintain the OWADP Facebook and LinkedIn sites, and also serve as a liaison between the Logo Pod and the Steering Committee. To further visibility beyond our web presence this year, I proposed a physical flyer, which was posted at local schools, bookshops, and community boards. While working on this, I had the pleasure of collaborating with the steering committee, members, the community, and even connected with an architect in Iceland to get permission to use a photograph of her building I took.

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR

The membership coordinator keeps track of the membership and the current status for all people in the OWADP database. Her job includes trying to evaluate fluctuations in membership and determine how to increase membership. She devises ways to encourage lapsed members to rejoin OWADP, and ways to encourage non-members to join. Writing to members, outreach and communication are important aspects of this job.


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