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11.07

Success Tips for IEEE Volunteers

By John W. Meredith

As the world’s leading professional association for the advancement of technology,
the IEEE is a very large non-profit organization, with 370,000 members worldwide (215,000 of them in the United States). It takes many dedicated people, both professional staff and volunteers, to carry out the important work of the IEEE. Needless to say, the IEEE needs a steady supply of volunteers.

The IEEE is divided into six major organizational units: Standards, IEEE-USA, Regional Activities, Publications & Services, Educational Activities and Technical Activities. Each of these units need more volunteers at the local, regional, national and global levels. Opportunities exist to participate in a wide range of technical and professional activities. Volunteer involvement ranges from casual participation, such as recruiting colleagues to assist in organizing a local workshop, to a more committed role, such as serving as an officer in your local IEEE section.

The important thing is to get involved. Begin by assessing your talents, skills and interests to determine what you would like to do. Local activities run the gamut from manning the registration desk for a local meeting, publicizing meetings and events within your company, organizing a local event, hosting a tour of your work place, speaking at a local meeting, participating in educational outreach efforts through Engineers Week, or meeting with senior management to identify opportunities for IEEE to better serve your company.

Leadership opportunities at the section or chapter level abound. I was recently asked by a new member, “How do I become an IEEE section chair?” The answer is to work your way through various officer roles in an IEEE section or chapter. The typical progression is secretary, treasurer, vice chair and then chair.

Here at IEEE-USA, we have opportunities for you to serve on one of our policy committees. These include areas dealing with energy, research and development, careers, licensure and registration, intellectual property, precollege education and medical technology, to name a few. Leadership roles include committee vice chair and chair. If you do well in those positions, you might be asked to serve as an IEEE-USA vice president. If you’re really fortunate, like I was, you might get elected IEEE-USA president. See IEEE-USA’s current volunteer leaders at www.ieeeusa.org/volunteers/leadership.asp.

Engineers also have a responsibility to speak out on important public policy issues that affect the profession and public well-being. U.S. IEEE members are often called as witnesses before congressional committees to lend their expertise and perspective to an important issue before Congress. Not every member can do that, but you can communicate with your congressional representatives, or write a letter to the editor to voice your opinion. These public-advocacy roles are another form of volunteerism.

For members already active at the IEEE local level, I have a challenge for you: Become involved at a higher level. Consider volunteering on board-level activities. There are ample opportunities to participate on region executive committees or society administrative committees. Check out the IEEE Web site at www.ieee.org for possibilities.

Lastly, I have three tips for you on how to succeed as an IEEE volunteer:

1. Bring new ideas to the table.
    

2. Be a team player; build on others’ ideas.
    

3. Support other volunteers and help them develop as IEEE leaders — mentoring is an essential element of leadership.

Please consider becoming an IEEE volunteer. Not only is it fun and rewarding, it’s also a good way to give something back for all the good things that have come our way through our parents, teachers and mentors. Happy volunteering!

John W. Meredith, P.E., is 2007 IEEE-USA President. Comments may be submitted to todaysengineer@ieee.org.