I'm emailing everyone to ask you to consider being the coordinator of our monthly meetings. This is a task that I have enjoyed doing since we first started meeting in 2006, but I'm ready to take a break (not that the work is particularly difficult!). I also think that fresh leadership is good for any group or organization, so I would be thrilled to see a new coordinator with some great new ideas or ways of coordinating the group.
My plan is to hand over the coordination of this group to someone else this summer, after our last 2009-2010 meeting (May or June) and in time to plan the kick-off of the 2010-2011 season in September.
In a nutshell, this position is a volunteer post and includes the following tasks and responsibilities:
1. Setting meeting dates and times that work for most members (last year we rescheduled the day and time via a poll). It might be nice to pick a new day starting in the fall, to accommodate people who couldn't attend this year on Thu. or previous years on Fri.
2. Coordinating the room reservations, either yourself or with another volunteer (and in case everyone isn't aware of this, Eric Eklund has been doing a wonderful job of reserving our rooms for us).
3. Setting the meeting format and topic(s). I've tried to do this on more of an ongoing basis, with an attempt at also trying to sketch out a year's plan each fall. A new coordinator should be welcome to consider other ways of doing this.
4. In many cases, also trying to schedule specific people to anchor each meeting with a presentation or demo.
5. Getting RSVPs for lunch and coordinating the food order (note: because the fund resides in my office, I can continue to assist with this task).
I think that's it --- am I missing anything?
(also, there is currently no set term for this position, so you don't need to consider doing this for 4 years like I have --- maybe we even want a new coordinator each year?)
If you are interested in this, it's an arguably nice leadership item to add to your resume even if it is a volunteer job. I've enjoyed doing it very much --- for the right person, it's a lot of fun.
But please note that this is also a humble position in another important way: this group has thrived, in large part, due to its members at large providing most of its leadership. It's my hope that a new coordinator would continue to vigorously poll the membership on most big decisions. I happen to believe that the continued success of this group will hinge on providing relevant and timely content to the University community of web designers. This can only happen if everyone has an opportunity to be engaged in the process.
Please email me if you are interested in this opportunity. And if we have multiple candidates, we'll have to figure out a creative way to designate a new coordinator. =)
Thank you,
Kris Layon,
coordinator-of-meetings
Kristofer D. Layon
Director of Web Design & Online Collaboration
- - - - - -
Office of the Senior Vice President for System Academic Administration
University of Minnesota Twin Cities