The Nominating Committee of the Boston Chapter is pleased to report that Deborah Sauer has been awarded the distinction of Fellow of the STC. Ms. Sauer's participation in the Society and the field of technical communication are inspirational to Society members.

Professional Experience

Deborah embodies the true career technical writer. Since 1981, Deborah has been working to improve customer contact and documentation. Early on, she focused on providing quality information. And as technology has changed, so too has Ms. Sauer's approach. She now delivers documentation in a variety of media: online help, print, and Web-based. She has worked to make documentation more visible, all the while promoting the importance of contacting customers for their comments and input on how to design documentation to better meet their needs.

Deborah's career has been richly varied. As well as working in many high tech organizations, she has taught in the Technical Writing Training Program at Northeastern University, as well as for the US government. As an instructor, Deborah has challenged students with "real life" tasks, such as writing a software user guide, from project plan through producing and delivering the final copy. Her students have consistently given her high ratings for her instruction and she continues to mentor students who have graduated from Northeastern's program.

Ms. Sauer has been a member of the STC since 1985 and from 1991 to 1992, she served as our chapter's President. More recently, Deb was Program Manager for the 47th STC Annual Conference (May 2000).

Contributions to Advancement of Technical Communication

Deborah has made many valuable contributions to the advancement of technical communication. In particular, she has contributed to the advancement of the profession in the following ways:

Providing an example to junior writers and to students
Enhancing the perception of the profession among colleagues across disciplines
Delivering quality documentation on schedule for 19 years and developing new strategies for complex information design and delivery project needs
Establishing and improving the relationships between users and those who write for them

Service to the Society

Since joining STC in 1985, Deborah has demonstrated exemplary service on many levels.

Deborah has held many positions within the Boston Chapter and has presented at many chapter programs and workshops. She continually promotes services to STC members through chapter leadership positions in the areas of competitions, workshops, programs, community service, special interest groups, volunteer development, strategic planning, and regional programs.

Presentations

Deborah has an impressive and extensive set of publications and presentations. Her work includes the following:

"Using FrameMaker," Workshop, Technical Writing Program, Bentley College, Waltham, MA, 2000
"Beyond the Bleeding Edge: WebTV," Presentation, Tools and Technology Stem, 46th STC Annual Conference, 1999
"WebTV," Web-based Technology Progression, Boston Chapter Program, 1999
"Contracting," Panel Discussion, Boston Chapter Program, 1998
Public Relations, presentation to Endicott College students promoting the technical communication profession and the STC, 1995
"Teamwork," panel discussion, Chapter Development stem, 39th STC Annual Conference, 1992
"Team Building," Region 1 Chapter Leaders Workshop, 1991

Honors and Awards

In her extensive career as a technical communicator, Ms. Sauer has achieved these awards and honors:

STC Merit Award, Avid EDL Manager Online Help, Boston/NNE Technical Publications Competitions, 2000
STC Merit Award, Avid MediaLog Online Help, Boston/NNE Technical Publications Competitions, 2000
STC Associate Fellow, 1997
STC Achievement Award, PictureTel GroupShare User's Guide, Boston/NNE Technical Publications Competitions, 1995
PictureTel Award of Recognition for contributions to the LIVEManager product, 1994
STC Chapter Achievement Award, 1993
STC International Award of Recognition, 1993

Summary

Deborah's professional goals are high. She provides quality work while advancing the profession. She has also spent a good deal of time mentoring new technical writers. The Boston Chapter and Society itself benefit greatly from her enthusiasm and love of her work.

Audrey Borus is documentation manager at Anchorsilk in Bedford, MA.