On Saturday, June 1, 23 attendees to the Dallas SWE Award and Membership Appreciation Banquet met to enjoy delicious food at Abuelo’s Mexican restaurant and celebrate the section’s accomplishments of the past fiscal year. Guests visited with each other before partaking in the savory buffet of shrimp, chicken, or beef fajitas, tasty sides, salsa, guacamole, and queso dip.
After dinner, keynote speaker Stephanie Watts Butler gave an entertaining and informative presentation on program and people management. Using clever references to Dr. Seuss books and characters, she illustrated the importance of modern control theory and knowing your audience to accomplishing measurable goals in an engineering environment.
Stephanie’s insights precipitated an engaging discussion among attendees about their own struggles in the workplace, management concerns, how and when to give and receive appreciation for accomplishments, and how managing people in a company differs from encouraging and inspiring people in a volunteer organization like the Society of Women Engineers.
Later in the evening, Jennifer Vilbig, EIT and Dallas SWE President, announced awards for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. These awards included certificates of appreciate to outgoing officers and committee chairs, highlights on the internship opportunities granted to Dallas SWE collegiate scholarship recipients, and Regional and National awards given to Dalals SWE members. Awards announced at the banquet are listed below. Jennifer then welcomed new members and the next fiscal year’s incoming officers, offering words of encouragement for an exciting new year ahead! Thanks to everyone who attended this year’s Award and Membership Appreciation Banquet and to all members of Dallas SWE for making FY13 a great banner year, full of successes, events, outreach, fellowship and professional achievements!
Outgoing Officer and Committee Chair Certificates of Appreciation
Barbara Read – Vice President, for organizing many of the section’s monthly meetings and speakers and for her contributions as a member of the 2013 Region C Conference Programs Committee.
Lindsay Clem – Vice President of Membership, for catalyzing a membership increase of 40%.
Amy Herbel – Treasurer, for 2 years of excellent financial service to the section.
Nandika D’souza – Secretary, for improving our section’s email communication via the use of Constant Contact.
Shelley Stracener – Webmaster, for redesiging the Dallas SWE webpage via the use of WordPress.
Neha Dobhal – Professional Awards Committee Chair, for organizing technical tours and meetings, for leading award submissions to SWE National, and for leading the Professional Development Session Committee during the Region C Conference in February 2013.
Arwa Kassamali – Outreach Awards Committee Chair, for organizing technical tours and meetings and increasing the number of certificates awarded to STEM students.
Barbara Vilbig, for her efforts in the selection of Outreach Scholarship and Certificate recipients.
Regional and National SWE Award Recipients
Outstanding Educator – Lynette Bachand, Travis Middle School, Irving ISD
Emerging Leader Award – Jennifer Vilbig, EIT
Outstanding Outreach Event – Etiquette Creative Fashion Camp, organized by Amy Pickup, Julie Strickland, Letia Blanco, and others.
Outreach Scholarship and Certificate Recipients
Scholarship Renewal Recipients – Victoria Marie Ehlinger and Anna Kristine Larson
Scholarship Award Recipients, June 2012 – Krystil Bella Pruett and Harshita Pilla
Certificate Program – 13 Certificates Awarded
Check our Officer and Chair page for a list of incoming officers for FY 14!
If you are interested in an appointed chair position for FY14, please email us at dallas.swe@gmail.com!