Message from the chair - Summer 2014

Hello communicators!

That was some conference, right? It's not every day I get to see my design author hero, Ellen Lupton; get inspired by artist Seitu Jones; and hear a compelling talk and then musical performance by Dessa, joined by Aby Wolf. And it's not every day all these communicators emerge from the U's nooks and crannies, and beyond. It's my favorite thing about the conference each year.The people.

The conference is a great example of what professionals like all of you can make happen. We are an engaged group. Like past year's themes, we're good at "making something out of nothing," "making our case," seeing "the big picture," and exploring "unchartered territory."

Our theme this year was "craft the future" and we certainly did. A lot went down in 2013-14:

9 monthly programs of relevant content, with around 30 peopleconsistently attending 
Collaborations: Web People, PCMC, OIT, Portal... 
Events Circle launched: 3 programs + monthly brownbags

425 members at our peak
33 members profiled on the blog 
Monthly member newsletter 
Monthly Mixers at Campus Club

200+ RSVPs for 2nd year: Member Appreciation Event and Awards Celebration at the Weisman Art Museum

34 awards given | 144 awards submitted, up 10% from 2013 |New awards categories introduced to better reflect the work of communicators today | Innovator award introduced | Improved submission process! | 2nd year of online voting for Mike (people's choice)

Listserv » now Google group | New, improved website planning underway 

Am I a member? No guessing needed. Members can check their last renew and join dates online!

1 awesome conference | 3 keynotes | 202 registeredparticipants

Letterpress coasters created, nachos consumed, connections made: Many, many, many!

This is my last issue of the newsletter as your chair, and I'd like to welcome your new chair for 2014-15, Sarah Howard. Sarah was chair of the programs committee this past year and she was the Communicators Forum 2013 Volunteer of the Year, as a member of the programs committee. Monthly programs are core to what we offer members. Sarah has shown great leadership to find relevant programming for all of us. She's a true blue communicator and I'm excited to be on her board of directors team this upcoming year.

In the conference program I included a quote from Charles Eames, half of the inspirational, design innovator team with his wife, Ray:

"Choose your corner, pick away at it carefully, intensely, and to the best of your ability and that way you might change the world."

This has always resonated with me as a communications professional at the U. It's not always bounteous, glamorous, notorious, and glorious on the grassy knoll. Our buildings can be old, cracking, stinky. People don't get what we do, often. Editing an article in an alumni magazine or drafting how-to content for a web page might not bring fame and yachts. We can't always get the U's great research on the cover of Newsweek, but we get it in front of people who matter. We target. We accomplish. Looking at this year's award winners at the member event, I was impressed with all the content we cover and the range of what we do, discover, and deliver as communicators at the U.

So go forth, stronger together: Make it happen. Make connections. Make sense of it all. Make a difference.

Thanks for all you do,
Rebecca Noran, chair, Communicators Forum, 2013-14