Conference Speakers

Janet Attar

Janet Attar is a Lead Sales Applications Engineer at Cadence Design Systems in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. She is responsible for working with customers in the Northeast to demonstrate, teach, benchmark, and support evaluations of Cadence’s products. She interfaces with customers and internal groups in the company to solve customer’s issues and improve the quality of the products, including documentation. She has been at Cadence for over six years and holds a degree in Electrical Engineering.

Carol Barnum

Keynote speaker Carol Barnum is an old China hand, having first taught in 1987 in Beijing at North China University of Technology. Six return trips have included travel and lecturing on technical writing, conducting an STC-funded Institute for English Teachers in Nanjing on Teaching Technical Writing, and most recently conducting similar teacher training in Changchun at Northeast Normal University.

Carol is Professor of Information Design and Communication, Coordinator of the graduate programs in Technical Communication and Information Design, and Director of the Usability Center at Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta, GA. She has been actively involved in the development of the first dual-degree program in technical communication approved by the Chinese Education Ministry and housed at Northeast Normal University. A similar program has recently been arranged with North China University of Technology. Students in these programs receive two degrees: an English degree from their home university and a technical communication degree from Southern Polytechnic. We hope through these programs to contribute to the efforts to develop quality product documentation within China and for export in the global marketplace.

Carol is the author of five books, the most recent being Usability Testing and Research (Longman, 2002). She is a Fellow of STC and a recipient of the STC Gould award for Excellence in Teaching Technical Communication. She is currently a Fulbright Senior Specialist with a focus on Asia.

Glenn D'Amore

Glenn D'Amore is a Senior Director of Information Development Services for ADP's Employer Services Division. Glenn has worked for ADP since 1990. He is currently managing user assistance projects for several Internet payroll and HR applications for both the Major Accounts and Small Business Services divisions of ADP. Glenn has previously presented talks on information development management at various industry conferences, including the STC, ACM, and CIDM Best Practices. Glenn holds a BA and an MBA from Rutgers University.

Dave De Yoreo

Dave De Yoreo manages a documentation team from the Cadence office in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Dave has more than 15 years experience in the technical communication field as writer, technical lead, and manager. Dave has made presentations at STC conferences on achieving minimalism through videos and most recently co-presented in the innovation council at the September 2005 CIDM Best Practices conference.

Charles Dowdell

Charles Dowdell currently works as Technical Publications Manager for The Raymond Corporation. He has a multi-disciplined background in a variety of highly technical positions as well as in technical communication. He is currently challenged by efforts to transform an old-manufacturing company culture to an information-aware solutions supplier. Charlie has an advanced degree in Information Management and is pursuing an advanced degree in Finance. His undergraduate studies include electronics and management. He lives on his Upstate New York farm with his wife, four pet llamas, four chickens, and two cats.

Neville Fleet

Neville Fleet is the Senior Documentation Manager for the Knowledge Management and Delivery (KMD) group at Cisco Systems, Inc., in San Jose, California. This group of 90 technical writers has overall responsibility for the majority of the software documentation for Cisco's Internet Operating System (IOS). Neville has 25 years of experience in technical documentation and product management for major international corporations in the IT industry. Prior to joining Cisco in 2001, Neville held management roles at IBM’s Application Development Group, Mercury One-2-One, and Digital Equipment Corporation. KMD is currently in transition to an XML-based structured content environment.

Michele Guthrie

Michele Guthrie is a Technical Writer in the Systems and Solutions Department of the Knowledge Management and Delivery (KMD) group at Cisco Systems. Michele is interested in and currently leading teams related to Web 2.0 technologies, improving content retrievability, and improving internal program communications. She is pursuing certification in project management and is a member of PMI. Michele has been active in information development for over 15 years as a writer, editor, instructor, and project lead.

Irene Hammerich

Irene Hammerich joined MDS Analytical Technologies just over 2 years ago as the Information Development Manager. Her mission is to bring new technology and innovation into the Information Development Department. Irene’s background includes teaching, writing, and media development and owning her own Media Development company for over 15 years. Irene’s philosophy is to find creative solutions to challenges while ensuring a positive environment for her team.

Ed Hougardy

Ed Hougardy is a programmer/analyst with The Boeing Company, working for the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) technical publications group in Kent, WA. His primary role involves the transformation of Extensible Markup Language (XML) data and (SGML) data into other formats which are used online or in print. Ed also writes application plug-ins for Arbortext Editor to assist writers in authoring text. Ed’s career includes over twenty years in the Computer/Graphic Arts industry, where he performed document and workflow analysis and Web application programming. Ed has trained and taught seminars in JSP and Web Tools, XSL, and PERL.

Brenda Horner

Brenda Horner is an Information Development Manager at Platform Computing Corporation. She trained as an Electronic Computer Engineering Technologist and began her career as a Customer Support Representative at IBM. In 1986, she changed careers to Information Development. She worked as an Information Developer and Information Planner at IBM, moved to Cybermation as a sole writer, moved to Platform as a member of a small team, and was promoted to manager. In her 3 years as manager, Brenda has written job descriptions, implemented DITA with FrameMaker, mapped current processes using Swimlanes, installed a Vasont CMS, and piloted agile processes within ID. Brenda was recently assigned the role of Product Manager for documentation.

Jeff Kaminski

Jeff Kaminski has a background in Performance Improvement consulting and project management. He is recognized by the International Society for Performance Improvement and the American Society of Training and Development as a Certified Performance Technologist. He also received Six Sigma Greenbelt training from Ceridian. Jeff manages Ceridian’s Enterprise Knowledge Base Team, focusing on content management and delivery. Before joining Ceridian, Jeff held positions as consultant, project manager, and director of development for a consulting firm focused on improving individual, team, and organizational performance.

Art Kedzierski

Art Kedzierski is a passionate evangelist of information technologies that improve the production, quality and delivery of end-user technical knowledge. He is currently a Technical Support Engineer with Tellabs, a major telecommunications solutions provider, where he designs and manages XML and CMS-centric technologies and processes that deliver just-in-time customer support information. He previously worked as a desktop publishing specialist and manager of information architecture. For three years he chaired the Telecommunication Industry Forum Information Product Interchange (TCIF/IPI) committee. Art is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre. In addition to his technical expertise, Art is also an accomplished actor and singer.

Monti Lawrence

Monti Lawrence is an Information Architect at Symantec. Since joining Symantec in 2000, Monti has contributed to the selection and implementation of an XML-based content management system and developed and maintained content models. She is developing a metadata strategy and best practices in the areas of information design and reuse. Monti has worked in editorial and writing positions with McGraw-Hill and several small business Web sites. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Library and Information Science at the University of California, Los Angeles.

 

Melody Locke

Melody Locke has been a Lead Information Developer at BMC Software, Inc., Houston, Texas, since 1999, but for more than 15 years, she has developed software guides and online Help systems. Since 2005, Melody has been working with Agile development and with other writers to establish writing guidelines for use in the Agile environment.

Melody has presented at WinWriters and STC conferences and co-presented an experience report during the Agile2006 conference.

Julie MacAller

Julie MacAller manages the documentation teams for Visual Studio Team System at Microsoft. Her teams have used Scrum to manage the content deliverables of a new and expanding product since 2004 and are now adapting it to a continuous publishing environment. Julie has been at Microsoft for 11years and in the technical communication field for more than 20. She has a BA in English from California State University, Northridge.

Palmer Pearson

Palmer Pearson holds the position of Operations Director at Cadence Design Systems in Chelmsford, MA. In this role, Palmer is responsible for Technical Publications, as well as Program Management for the Systems & Verification business unit. His writing teams are based in Chelmsford and in San Jose, CA, with additional capabilities in India.

With an excess of twenty years of management experience, Palmer has led technical publication and communication departments for companies such as Data Terminal Systems, Analog Devices, Delphax Systems (a subsidy of the Xerox Corporation) and GenRad Corporation. He holds degrees in both English and Electronic Engineering.

Mark Poole

Mark Poole has worked for Nokia Siemens Networks for 11 years. Originally employed as a Technical Author, he has held many other management positions prior to his current role as Solutions Manager for customer documentation. In this role he is responsible for the overall vision and strategic direction of customer documentation, the long term roadmap for customer documentation deliverables, and overall customer satisfaction. He also has five years experience working as a Technical Author in the Aerospace industry.

Janice (Ginny) Redish

Ginny Redish has been helping clients and colleagues communicate clearly for three decades. As President of Redish & Associates, Inc., in Bethesda, MD, Ginny has worked with many organizations and companies including AARP, American Airlines, Boeing, DuPont, Hermes Software, Hewlett-Packard, Hughes Network Systems, GTE, Marriott, Nokia, Project Hope, and Xerox.

Through consulting, mentoring, and training, Ginny helps her clients make their web sites, documentation, help systems, and applications meet both business goals and customers' needs. Ginny co-authored the first book on usability testing (with Joe Dumas), and with JoAnn Hackos, she wrote the major book on user and task analysis – teaching techniques that are widely used in companies around the world today.

Ginny's latest book focuses on the challenge of creating successful web content: Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works (Morgan Kaufmann / Elsevier, 2007). Ginny is a Fellow and former Board member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC). She studied Russian at Bryn Mawr College and earned a PhD in Linguistics at Harvard.

Rosanne Scriffignano

Rosanne Scriffignano is a Project Leader for ADP, Inc. Before joining ADP in 1993, she worked in the telecommunications, investment banking, and computer services industries. An ADP Leadership Coach and a founding member of the ADP Coach Advisory Board, Rosanne has been a guest speaker at events sponsored by the STC, American Medical Writers Association, and the New Jersey Professional Coaches Association. She has been published in various venues and is the recipient of several writing awards. She has taught graduate-level courses as an Adjunct Professor at Seton Hall University, where she holds an MA in Corporate and Public Communication. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Business Administration with a concentration in organizational leadership.

Suzanne Sowinska

Suzanne Sowinska has been a part of Microsoft since 1994. She manages a team chartered with driving efficiency improvements, developing people, defining business processes, and deploying and sharing the best tools for Content Publishers at Microsoft. Suzanne is the recipient of awards for Distinguished Technical Communication from the International STC in 2002 and 2003, as well as 13 other awards in technical communication from the STC Puget Sound Chapter. She has 10 years of academic teaching experience and holds a PhD from the University of Washington.

Valerie Stoehr

Valerie Stoehr is Managing Editor for the Learning and Media Development division of UGS PLM Software. She specializes in information design and the integration of user-centered design practices in software development organizations. Her focus at UGS PLM Software is the design of training and online help deliverables for the Product Lifecycle Management market. She has extensive experience managing technology partnerships with OEMs, VARs, and customers and with incorporating usability into software and learning media.

Beth Thomerson

Beth Thomerson has been an Information Design & Development manager for seven of her ten years at BMC Software. She has worked with Agile-based writing teams since 2005 and has recently received her ScrumMaster certification. Beth's 20-year career in technical writing has included working with teams to create standards and templates, creating task-oriented user guides and online help, and researching information design and delivery to support innovation and "just in time" customer documentation.

Craig Tobias

Craig Tobias is a Solutions Architect in the Technical Solutions Web team at Cisco Systems, Inc. He is responsible for the development and roll-out of next generation internet solutions to meet Cisco's customer support needs. Craig has an extensive background in the development of communication systems and network management solutions. Craig has been developing and deploying network management solutions for 16 years and is responsible for the deployment of a number of the world’s largest network management deployments.

Michel Uyttendaele

Michel Uyttendaele joined SWIFT in 1992. He is currently managing the User Documentation department of SWIFT. When he joined the department in 2004, his prime focus was to define and implement a strategy that would bring the department up to the next levels of quality and performance. IPMM has been a main guidance in this exercise. Prior to that, Michel held several positions in the Internal Systems department of SWIFT as Infrastructure Architect, MIS Operations manager, and MIS Service and Support manager.

Scott Wahl

Scott Wahl is Director of Software Documentation and Localization for Research In Motion Limited, a world leader in wireless communications technology and the maker of BlackBerry® devices. Scott has 12 years of experience in technical communication in the software industry. He holds a BA (Honors) in English and an MSc in Technical Communication, and is currently working part-time on an MBA. He lives in Waterloo, Ontario with his wife and two boys.

Daphne Walmer

Daphne Walmer is the Director of Technical Communications for the Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management Division of Medtronic, the world's leading medical technology company. Daphne has more than 20 years’ experience managing technical communications functions at international companies, including Fisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc., and CPT Corporation. Her areas of emphasis include language translation, content management systems, and electronic manuals for the medical device industry. She is a winner of Medtronic's distinguished Star of Excellence for quality.

Paul Zimmerman

Paul is a Senior Technical Writer in the Knowledge Management and Delivery (KMD) group at Cisco Systems, Inc., in San Jose, California. He counts involvement with departmental metrics and Web 2.0 implementation among his interests at Cisco. Paul has been working in technical communications for over 18 years, including a management position at Lucent Technologies and individual contributions at Octel Communications, Touch Communications, and Comtech Services.