Across the Nation: News of the Councils

Déonda Scott, Associate Editor

MAPAC

The Mid-Atlantic Personnel Assessment Consortium held its Winter Conference on January 22-24 in Harrisburg, PA. Conference topics included: Integrity Testing, Promotional Test Batteries, Administrative Issues in Conducting Oral Examinations, Selecting Entry-Level Corrections Officers, Simulation-Based Assessment of Managerial Competency, Intelligent Database Systems and other topics. Those with internet access had detailed information available through IPMAAC Online! MAPAC is planning a two-day workshop in late March or early April on "Examination Planning" in Philadelphia, PA. This workshop will be open to all IPMAAC members. For information regarding upcoming workshops, contact Bob Schneider at (717)787-5974, extension 3539.

WRIPAC

The Western Regional Intergovernmental Personnel Assessment Council (WRIPAC) is comprised of working assessment professionals from sixty small, medium, and large public agencies throughout the western region of the United States. WRIPAC held its first 1997 training workshop and regular meeting in Phoenix, AZ on January 29-31. Invited non-member guest speakers included Dr. Joyce Hogan and Dr. Robert Hogan from the University of Tulsa, Dr. Diane Halpern of California State University in San Bernardino, and Cheryl Mahaffey of Psychological Services, Inc. The next WRIPAC training workshop and regular meeting will be in Berkeley, CA on April 30-May 2. For information on WRIPAC call T.R. Lin, President, at (213)743-3532.

Metropolitan New York Association for Applied Psychology

The December meeting of the Metropolitan New York Association for Applied Psychology consisted of a discussion "What is Our Profession?" by the Metro officers. Dr. Judith Sedgeman of Pransky & Associates presented "The Untapped Human Resource" at the meeting on January 30. The topic "Spirit in the Workplace: An Exploratory Dialogue About Purpose, Vitality, Creativity, and Work" will be presented by the Metro Officers and facilitated by Allen Schoer, CEO of the Actors Institute, on February 27. A Career Development Event will be held on March 20 (speakers TBA). For information on Metro membership or upcoming events, contact the Metroline at (212)539-7593.

Bay Area Applied Psychologists

The mission of this San Francisco Bay Area organization is to promote professional and social contact among professionals working in the area of Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Dr. Robert Most will speak on "Industrial/Organizational Psychology in the Web Age" on Feb. 13 in Oakland, CA. For information on upcoming meetings call Dr. Edie Goldberg at (510)676-6265 or Dr. Becca Anhalt at (415)393-5685.

PSC/Florida

Personnel Selection Council of Florida conducted a breakfast seminar on January 15th entitled "Strategies for Dealing with Public Records Law" presented by Attorneys Robert Soloff and Kevin Kelleher. Contact Michael Chasin, President, at (954)357-6434 for information on upcoming events.

PTC/Arizona

Personnel Testing Council of Arizona started 1997 with a half-day workshop on January 16 entitled "Emotional Quotient: When Being Smart Is Not Enough" presented by Mark Leathers, M.C. and Dr. Jim Paisley. Additional programs are in the planning stages. For more information on upcoming activities contact Terry McKinney at (602)261-8861 or Vicki Packman at (602)236-8731.

PTC/NC

The Personnel Testing Council of Northern California's January meeting featured Dr. Richard Biddle of Biddle & Associates, Inc. speaking on "Some Implications of Proposition 209 to Personnel Management, Affirmative Action Plans, and Disparate Impact Analyses." Dr. Wayne Cascio from the University of Colorado will present "The New World of Work: Implications for Testing Professionals" at the February 7th meeting. The Personnel Testing Council of Northern California Spring Conference will be held on March 13 - 14. The conference theme is "Personnel Perspectives: Bridges to the 21st Century." For more information on monthly meetings or the upcoming conference, contact Suzanne Holloway (916)440-5035 or Ninette Brintz at (916)653-0890.

PTC/SC

The Personnel Testing Council of Southern California will present a full-day employers' forum on employment discrimination on February 26th. Speakers include Jim Sharf, David Copus, Al Latham, Barry Goldstein, and Warren Jackson. Regular luncheon meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Contact Kristine Smith, President, at (909)387-6086.

PTC/Metropolitan Washington

The Personnel Testing Council of Metropolitan Washington is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year! They are making plans to celebrate this noteworthy event. PTC/MW's January meeting featured Marilyn Gowing of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management presenting "The Personnel Resources and Development Center: The New Entrepreneurial Government." Dr. Bert Green of Johns Hopkins University will be the presenter at the February 12th luncheon meeting (topic TBA) in Washington, DC. For information on upcoming activities and the luncheon, contact Dr. Beverly Dugan at (703)706-5681. PTC/MW will be presenting a series of half-day workshops this year. The first workshop, entitled "Anatomy of Individual Assessment: Practical and Ethical Issues" and presented by Dr. Vicki Vandaveer, will be held on March 12. Contact Dianne Brown at (202)336-6000 for more information on the workshop.

WRIB

The Western Region Item Bank (WRIB) is a cooperative organization of public agencies using a computerized test item bank. Services include draft test questions with complete item history, preparation of "printer ready" exams, and exam scoring and item analysis. Membership includes 175 agencies nationwide. For more information, contact Kristine Smith at (909)387-6086.

Upcoming International, National and Regional Conferences and Workshops

February '97
7	PTC/NC. Meeting: "The New World of Work: Implications for Testing Professionals" by Dr. Wayne Cascio. Contact Suzanne Holloway (916) 440-5035 or Ninette Brintz (916) 653-0890.
9-13	Training Magazine. Annual Conference (featuring Scott Adams and Tom Peters). Atlanta, GA. Contact (800)765-7616.
10-12	Center for the Study of Work Teams. Strategies and Skills Conference for Effective Teaming. Dallas, TX. For information call (817)565-3096.
12	PTC/Metropolitan Washington. Luncheon meeting. Speaker Dr. Bert Green. Washington, D.C. Contact Dr. Beverly Dugan (703) 706-5681.
25	Development Dimensions International. Conference Series entitled "The Competency Connection" and Preconference Workshop. Orlando, FL. For information contact Cathy Nelson (412)257-3952.
26	PTC/SC. Employer's forum on employment discrimination. Speakers: Jim Sharf, David Copus, Al Latham, Barry Goldstein, and Warren Jackson. Contact Kristine Smith (909) 387-6086.
27	Metropolitan New York Association for Applied Psychology. "Spirit in the Workplace: An Exploratory Dialogue About Purpose, Vitality, Creativity and Work" facilitated by Allen Schoer, CEO of the Actors Institute. For information call Metroline at (212) 539-7593.
March '97
3-5	University of Michigan Business School. "Job Analysis and Compensation." Ann Arbor, MI. For information call Linda Short (313)764-8430 or UM (313)763-1000.
10-12	Society for Human Resources Management. Legal and Legislative Conference. Washington, DC. Contact SHRM (703)548-3440.
12	PTC/Metropolitan Washington. Workshop ( day). "Anatomy of Individual Assessment: Practical and Ethical Issues" by Dr. Vicki Vandaveer. Washington, D.C. Contact Dianne Brown at (202) 336-6000.
13	Bay Area Applied Psychologists. "Industrial/Organizational Psychology in the Web Age," Dr. Robert Most. Oakland, CA. Contact Edie Goldbert (510) 676-6266 or Dr. Becca Anhalt (415) 393-6434.
13-14	PTC/NC. Spring Conference." Personnel Perspectives: Bridges to the 21^st Century." Contact Suzanne Holloway (916) 440-5035 or Ninette Brintz (916) 653-0890.
20	Metropolitan New York Association for Applied Psychology. Career Development Event. For information call Metroline at (212) 539-7593.
25-29	American Educational Research Association. Annual Convention. Chicago, IL. Contact AERA (202)223-9485.
25-29	National Council on Measurement in Education. Annual Convention. Chicago, IL. Contact NCME (202)223-9318.
April '97
3-4	Development Dimensions International. Conference entitled "Teams and the People Who Keep Them Going" and Preconference Workshop. Shaumberg, IL. For information contact Cathy Nelson (412)257-3952.
10-13	Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Annual Conference and Preconference workshops. St. Louis, MO. For information call SIOP (419)353-0032 or Katherine Kline (301)405-5925.
11-12	Arizona Chapter of IPMA. Annual Conference. Tucson, AZ. Contact Marnie Green (602)262-7140 for information.
27-30	Development Dimensions International. International Congress on Assessment Centre Methods. London, England. For information contact Cathy Nelson (412)257-3952.
28-30	National Occupational Competency Testing Institute. National Conference. Grand Rapids, MI. Contact NOCTI (800)334-6283.
30-5/2	WRIPAC. Training Workshop and Meeting. Berkeley, CA. Contact T.R.Lin (212) 743-3532.
May '97
18-22	American Society for Training and Development. International Conference and Exposition. Washington, DC. For more information contact ASTD (703)683-8100.
23-26	American Psychological Society. Annual Convention. Washington, DC. For more information contact Anne Clarey (202)783-2077.
June '97
22-26	IPMA Assessment Council. Annual Conference on Public Personnel Assessment. Newport Beach, CA. For more information contact IPMA-AC (703)549-7100.

(Some of the information contained in this calendar was reprinted by permission from the PTC/MW Newsletter which was compiled by Lance W. Seberhagen, Seberhagen & Associates.)

Déonda Scott is the Civil Service/Testing Manager for the City of Orlando. If you have regional organization news or an item to add to the calendar, please contact her. She can be reached by phone (407)246-2061; fax (407)246-2019; or e-mail dscott@ci.orlando.fl.us. Snail-mail will eventually find her at the City of Orlando, 400 S. Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801-3302.