FY19 Introductions: Virtual Brand Team (VBT)

Contributor: Theresa Krack, FY19 VBT Coordinator

A long time ago, in a corner of the Pacific Northwest, the SWE PNW Virtual Brand Team (VBT) was launched. It all started with a multiple year strategic plan to implement improvements to our Section's internal infrastructure and communication to our members. But that is a story for another day!

We've come a long way since then and accomplished a ton of great improvements to the Section's infrastructure and communication platforms - and we continue to evolve the vision and role of the VBT to provide support.

In FY19, we've further updated the VBT model to provide a higher focus on Section Operations, technical support, tool deployment, and documentation. The lead for the communication content generation has shifted back to the Secretary role and to the Officers, Chairs, and Leads that plan the events.

Our key focus items on the VBT for FY19 are:

• Tools: set up, maintenance, management of our section digital and communication tools
• Templates: to improve overall communication and lower level of effort for officers
• Infrastructure: electronic record keeping, doc templates, etc
• Branding: aligning templates and communications to society and section branding
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): backstage details for VBT and guides for Executive Council

These are broad areas that cover everything from social media to helping generate PPT and google docs templates, to providing tech support to officers/chairs/leads as they plan events. Even though we have deployed lots of new tools, platforms, and best practices over the last several years, it is always a work in progress and a challenge to stay current with the various tool set changes and integrations.

The great thing is that we have had a core team that has been supporting these tasks over the last several years. We split our team roles into the level of support that each member can provide:

• Core Team Member: provide continually support and task tracking, supports brainstorming, and are the first stop on the team for needed help
• Adjunct Team Member: provides help when and where they can, taking on a specific project or task set throughout the year
• Content Contributor: some one who is able to provide content to the blog or help lead a facilitated discussion on social media; these are typically one-off activities

So, without any further ado, I'd like to introduce you to our VBT members and thank them for their continued and new support!

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Theresa Krack, Virtual Brand Coordinator

Theresa Krack has led the SWE PNW Virtual Brand Team since its inception in 2013. Theresa is a Development Program Manager at Honeywell Aerospace, coming from an aircraft certification engineering background. Theresa is a proud Cheesehead, enjoys martial arts, and getting out on her bicycle to ride the trails.

Theresa has held leadership roles in both SWE-WI and SWE PNW, including Girl Scout Liaison, Section Rep, and SWE PNW FY19 President-elect. She joined the Leadership Coaching Committee in FY18 and is the FY19 LCC Strategic Planning SME.

Theresa earned her B.S. from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering & Mechanics from the University of Minnesota, and her Master of Engineering Management from UW-Madison.

Claire Robinson, Core Team Member

Claire Robinson joined the SWE PNW VBT in 2016.  She is currently working as the Honeywell on-site engineer for Boeing, supporting communication management on their commercial aircraft. Claire loves to travel, read, and hike whenever she is not working on homework for her online master’s degree.

Claire earned her B.S. from Harvey Mudd College in engineering.  She is working on her master’s degree in systems engineering through Georgia Institute of Technology.  She is a Chicago native, and has lived in Los Angeles, CA, Paris, France, and Phoenix, Arizona before making her way to Seattle.

Elaine Reeves, Core Team Member

Elaine Reeves has over nine years of experience in EMC and Environmental Hardware Compliance in both commercial and medical equipment. She graduated with a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington, Seattle in 2017. She is an active in SWE PNW as is the current FY19 President.

Elaine has held numerous leadership roles in both SWE MN and SWE PNW including: Professional Advisor to St Cloud State & University of St Thomas, SWE PNW Section Representative, College Relations Chair, FY18 President Elect, and Region J Secretary.

She earned her undergraduate degrees from the University of St Thomas in Electrical Engineering, Physics, & Music Performance with a minor in Applied Mathematics.

Shari Wang, Adjunct Member

Shari Wang is an adjunct member of the SWE PNW Virtual Brand Team. She is an Industrial Engineering Manager at Boeing, supporting Everett Site Operations through daily management, continuous improvement, and data analytics. Shari enjoys singing with the Seattle Women’s Chorus, skiing, hiking, and playing video games with her husband.

Shari co-founded the community volunteering team of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers Puget Sound chapter, supports the University Relations Team and Boeing Asian Professional Association at Boeing, and organizes the talent show for the Seattle Women’s Chorus.  She earned her B.S. Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences from Northwestern University, and her Master of Engineering Industrial and Systems Engineering from University of Washington.

Ashley White, Adjunct Member

Ashley White is an adjunct member of the SWE PNW Virtual Brand Team and was involved with SWE throughout college. She is a Systems Engineer at Honeywell Aerospace working in the communication and navigation area. In her free time, Ashley likes to travel, enjoys attending different conventions, and watching bad movies with her friends.

Ashley has held several leadership positions throughout her time with SWE. At Seattle University Ashley was the Treasurer and Section President. After graduation, she transitioned into the role of professional mentor for her collegiate section. Ashley earned her B.S. in Electrical Engineering with a Specialization in Computer Engineering from Seattle University.

Kat McCoy, Adjunct Member

Katharine McCoy is a Senior Systems Engineer with Honeywell Aerospace in Redmond, WA. Katharine holds a BSE in Computer Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Katharine has 15 years of experience testing software and hardware for a variety of aerospace applications including communication, navigation, radar and satellite systems. Her career and education have moved her all over the US over the years.