Hello. My name is Karl Davis. I'm the new president of the STC Intermountain Chapter.

What values, traits, experience do you bring to the office?

Here are the top three things I bring to the office:

1. I am PASSIONATE about creating great content for web, print, and mobile mediums.
2. I am ACTIVE in the Intermountain Chapter. As Vice President, I have participated in board meetings, helped manage chapter business, won two awards in the annual writing contest, and volunteered as the featured speaker for our April 2008 meeting.
3. I have a detailed ACTION PLAN to reinvigorate our membership base, tailor chapter activities to the expectations of our customers, and deliver a compelling value proposition to the business community.

Most importantly, I bring my education, expertise, and 18 years of experience to the job. I will make my promises a reality—keep reading for complete details!

What is the most important challenge or issue you see facing the chapter? What possible actions or solutions do you see?

Growing our membership base, reaching out to college students and peers, and educating the business community regarding the value of STC membership/participation.

My action plan involves analyzing our membership base to identify the benefits they most want STC to deliver, creating mentoring programs for aspiring student writers through partnerships with all higher education entities in the state, and reaching out to the business community regarding the benefits of STC membership.

STC service, awards, honors

My accomplishments with the Intermountain Chapter include:

1. Vice President, 2007-present
2. Board Member, 2007-present
3. Merit Award, March 2008; Software Help Systems (Converge Pro Console Software for Audio Mixing & Routing)
4. Achievement Award, March 2008; Technical Manuals (Converge Pro Family of Audio Conferencing Mixers & Routers)
5. Volunteer Presenter, April 2008
6. Multiple SIG memberships

Education, other (non-STC) professional affiliations, awards, honors

My education includes:

• A.S. Degree, Salt Lake Community College
  • Maintained a 3.98 GPA (graduated with high honors)
  • Awarded multiple scholarships
  • Completed one year of additional classes in engineering, science, and mathematics
• B.S. Degree in Business Administration, University of Utah
  • Maintained a 3.98 GPA, graduated on Dean's list
  • Awarded academic merit scholarship
  • Completed one year of additional classes in computer science and writing
• Adobe-trained CS3 Developer (proficient in Flash, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat Pro, and Dreamweaver)

In 2006 and 2007, I received four ClearOne "Key Contributor Awards" for my work on the Converge Pro, MAX, and Chat product lines.

Professional experience

I started my career in 1990 as a Novell Certified Netware Engineer, along with my own business. After four years, I sold my business and went to work for a large manufacturing company as IT Director. From there, I went to work for a Fortune 50 energy company as a Senior Business Analyst and SQL programmer.

In 1994, I started developing computer-based training content, and doing freelance technical writing. I have been writing for a living ever since (over 14 years and counting). I have worked in multiple sectors, including government, defense, manufacturing, retail, information technology, and software. I have created technical content for some of the biggest names in the business, including the Federal Government, ATK, CIT (the largest SBA lender in the nation), Cisco, Hewlett Packard, Novell, and Trend Micro.

Through it all, I have maintained my passion for staying abreast of the latest development tools and using them to create great content. I am fluent on PC, Mac, and mobile development platforms.

Today, I am the Managing Partner of Focus 4: Creative, LLC. Feel free to call me anytime @ 888.634.8884 to talk shop, or to brainstorm on how we can make the STC Intermountain Chapter all that it can be.