1999 Conference Update: Program Committee

Déonda Scott

It's time to start thinking about the next conference in St. Petersburg, Florida. Soft breezes blowing across sandy beaches, palms gently swaying, the surf lapping at your toes. I'll bet you can picture it now. Of course, all that will be there after 5:00 p.m. when the sessions conclude. You'll want to spend the day attending the great program we're planning, right? The Foundations Track will include workshops and presentations designed to cover the basics of assessment techniques and principles. The Management Track will feature presentations about testing innovations, program management, and assessment as part of the overall HR environment. Concurrent sessions with panel discussions, symposiums, and paper presentations virtually guarantee there'll be something for everyone at any given time. You'll also have the chance to exchange information with other professionals at informal round tables. We'll give you updates throughout the year with more specifics about speakers and other features, but for now, read on to see what you can do to make the next conference a great success.

A Call to Propose!

David Hamill has been working hard on the Call for Proposals which should be hitting your desks very soon (if it hasn't already). Don't let this opportunity slip through your fingers! Surely there's a project that worked out well, some data you've been waiting for an excuse to run through SPSS, or a topic you'd like to present along with other professionals. There are lots of people who want to learn from your experience. Even if you've never presented before, please take a few minutes to respond to the call.

Recruit Proposals

Prior to my first IPMAAC conference, I received a call for proposals but didn't submit anything because I didn't know what topics would be a good fit. Attending the conference in Boston, I was really impressed with the ease with which a first-timer was accepted into the group. Little did I know it wasn't my social grace that made the induction easy. These people were expert at spotting new recruits who were willing to work! Jeff Feuquay drafted me for a committee almost immediately.

When I got the next call for proposals, I remembered there hadn't been any coverage of legal cases in testing at the last conference and thought it would be a good addition. Being the modest person that I am, I picked something I knew almost nothing about, talked Jeff into co-presenting to keep me out of trouble (turn-about is fair play), and wrote a proposal. I'm not recommending this strategy to everyone. My point is that there are many people out there who could make significant contributions to our conference (hopefully in areas they actually KNOW something about). Many of them won't submit a proposal without some prompting. David and I would like to challenge each of you to think of people who wouldn't normally submit a proposal and convince them to do so. Tell them what a great group we are! Tell them about the stimulating professional atmosphere! Tell them the conference is at the BEACH!!! Make an effort to draft new blood into our conference and we'll all benefit.

Chicago Bulletin Board Blues

An interesting thing happened on the bulletin board in Chicago. The sign-up list for the Program Committee disappeared! We've tried to reconstruct that list, but recognize the limits of short-term memory. If you signed up or are interested in joining, and you haven't received a call or message about the Program Committee, please give one of us a call. We'll be very glad to hear from you!

David Hamill
Pittman McLenogan Group LC
6626A Wilson Lane
Bethesda, MD 20817
Phone: 301-320-9500; Fax 301-320-9525
e-mail: davidh@pittmanlc.com

Déonda Scott
Civil Service/Testing Manager
City of Orlando
400 S. Orange Avenue
Orlando, FL 32801-3302
Phone: 407-246-2061; Fax: 407-246-2019
e-mail: dscott@ci.orlando.fl.us