Re: Certification

["Kathy E. Gill" <kegill -at- HALCYON -dot- COM>]

I have been following the certification thread for some time now ...

(1) By education, I am a journalist/economist. I have spent most of my
career in the non-profit sector. Six years ago, I decided to become a
Certified Association Executive. This is a Voluntary program of
accreditation sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives.
I would urge Society of Technical Communications staff to join ASAE or
local chapter and for board members to review the ASAE accreditation
program. This program is combination of degree/experience/test; it requires
continuing ed for re-certification. It is comprehensive (that is,
everything from financial management to publications to meeting planning to
board succession). I know that I learned a lot during the 6-months of
bi-weekly study groups ... and I believe I am a better professional because
of it.

(2) I have chosen to forego certification in two other professional fields
... those offered by Public Relations Society of America and International
Association of Business Communicators. Why? The certification content is
too narrow for the types of work that I do today.

(3) I have spent six years working in environmental communications (trust
me , this is Technical Communications, even if it has nothing to do with
Help Manuals). Because this field is evolving, as is the field of technical
communications, STC might be best served by joining forces with existing
accreditation programs ... or developing  guidelines for study or
experience. The field may be too broad and/or too young for an
accreditation program, but that is no reason to stiffle debate.

Kathy E. Gill, CAE
Northwest Pulp & Paper Assn.