Sonora Region

2012 Orange County Professional Development Conference – April 21

30th May, 2012 - Posted by Post Submission Engine - Comments Off

2012 Professional Development Conference – April 21
Blue and green balloons led the way to the Junior League of Orange County building, where the 11th Annual Professional Development Conference took place. This year’s conference brought together engineers from all fields, students, women and men, and five wonderful speakers, to create a day full of networking and learning for everyone.
A continental breakfast and hot coffee led the way into the cozy conference room where SWE-OC Alternate Section Representative Kim O’Rourke opened the conference with a warm welcome. Groups of six or seven chatted as they shared their personal interests through hand-drawn artwork on their name tags. The first speakers, attorneys Michele Gamble and Nicole Davis Tinkham, shared legal secrets that every engineer should know in their surprising presentation “Necessary Legal Tools for the Engineering Trailblazer.” Cindy Shulstad, retired Disneyland software engineer, followed with a behind-the-scenes look at the Indiana Jones Ride in her presentation “Sketches to Reality.” The afternoon session began with Dr. Judy Rosener, retired professor and expert in gender issues in the workplace, and her witty and thought-provoking presentation on “Why Gender Matters.” Frank Del Valle, long-time recruiter, ended the day with “Are you Just Another Resume in an Inbox?” providing insight into the little-known workings of the recruiting world. Raffle prizes and networking opportunities finished off the day, as attendees went home knowing more than they did when the day began.
If you attend the conference every year, you may notice that each year offers something different as new ideas come about during planning. This year’s conference was, for the first time ever, co-hosted by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), who added special touches to the activities throughout the day. Attendees enjoyed an outdoor taco stand lunch, and in perfectly warm weather. And raffle prizes included iPod speakers with a SHPE emblem. To top it all off, the afternoon break included ice cream sandwiches, a perfect energy boost between speakers.
Many thanks to the sponsors of the event: David Felipe from SHPE for designing and printing the program, Frank Del Valle for donating raffle prizes, and the Junior League of Orange County for offering the use of their facility. Thank you to the Planning Committee, consisting of SWE and SHPE members, who dedicated many hours of time to help make the conference a success.
The Professional Development Conference is a learning experience not only for those who attend it, but for those who help plan it. We encourage you to find your interest and join us next year, either as a planning committee member or as an attendee. See you at next year’s conference!
Leah Larson
FY12 Professional Development Conference Chair