SHPE - Fall 2007 - (Page 35) Engineering and leadership skills were put to the test during Project Egg Drop, a highlight of Region VI’s RLDC. REGION I ‘Riding Your Lift Ticket to Leadership Success’ When the three-year-old SHPE chapter at the University of Nevada, Reno, was selected to host a RLDC for the second consecutive year, it set its sights on attaining new heights. “We wanted to introduce them to another side of our area, Lake Tahoe, and at the same time show our region that we can have a better conference because we want to improve our region,” explained Linda Murillo, RLDC chairwoman. “This conference was a good way to show our region that we’re dedicated and here for them.” Some doubted SHPEUNR’s ability to pull off a conference of this magnitude, but Murillo credits its success to the hard work of the six-member committee and its advisor, Dr. Olivia Graeve. Together, they tapped every resource to generate sufficient funding in meeting its financial goal to hold the conference at the Mountbleu Resort and Casino, which required twice as much Committee members from UM-SHPE invested time and effort to make RLC a first class event. Redefined to properly transition documentation and skills to incoming officers. Lastly, RLDC is the venue to present National Point System Awards. The new approach not only transforms RLDC into a forum to transfer information and training to incoming officers, but also as a means to inspire future leaders. www.SHPE.org R Fall 2007 New Structure Enhances SHPE’s Leadership Development RLDC Objectives RLDC’s effectiveness is measured through feedback (via surveys, e-mail, phone calls and letters) which is considered by each committee shortly after the event. Resulting recommendations are then incorporated into the plan for the following year. RLDC’s objectives can be simplified into five points: • Unite all SHPE chapters within the region • Effectively transition all leadership positions in all chapters • Promote organizational and administrative development of SHPE’s regions as well as its student and professional chapters • Encourage leadership development in each regional chapter • Reinforce a strong working relationship among all regional SHPE chapters as last year’s budget. She noted that while it isn’t always easy for engineers to think in business terms, the members’ enthusiasm was instrumental to landing sponsors for RLDC. “When we talked to companies, we were outgoing and got them excited about being part of something that was really big,” Murillo said. Contributing to the success of the event was an outreach effort by Cheryl Go, marketing chairwoman, who contacted each chapter president to extend a personal invitation to RLDC. “That definitely helped our numbers, which increased participation and ensured the success of the conference,” Murillo said. Last year’s attendance of 101 students broke a record for Region I, and with 125 participants this year, it exceeded expectations. Students attended all workshops as one large group and along with the nine professional participants, giving them ample opportunities to network with other chapter leaders. In addition to AHETEMS and SHPE 101 workshops led by SHPE National representatives, other workshops on résumé writing and leadership were presented by corporate sponsors. Lifetime member Greg Stephens of Choice Consulting led a session on “Emotional Intelligence” which offered advice on how to handle the emotional component of professional situations. For Marisela Benitez, a civil engineering junior and chapter vice president at San Jose State University, Stephens’ workshop was her favorite part of the conference. “He was really interesting and made you think critically about relationships and your leadership abilities,” she said. Overall, she said that 35 http://www.SHPE.org
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