Director Pacific Region three-year term, 2000-2003: Helen Marie Streck

Helen Marie Streck

A RIM consultant, Helen Marie Streck owns C&H Solutions, East Palo Alto, CA. Previously, she was Records Manager for San Mateo County, CA and Records Supervisor for Cooley, Godward, et al. Streck's career has given her experience in a wide range of records and information management areas, including:

Retention scheduling

Program development

Program audits

Implementing imaging systems

Project planning

Planning and design of EDMS

Database design

Active file system design and implementation

Inactive records and records center management

In addition, Streck brings to her Pacific Region Director's candidacy special skills and talents she's developed in:

Project planning and management

Public speaking

Conference/seminar planning

Proposal and grant writing

Leadership training

Besides her intensive experience as an ARMA International member over the past dozen years, Streck has been:

Member of the National

Association of Female Executives

East Palo Alto Planning

Commissioner since 1998

East Palo Alto Human Resource

Commissioner, 1995-1998

Member, East Palo Alto Family

Partnership Foundation

Helen Streck holds a Bachelor of Science in Laboratory Technology from the University of Oklahoma and has taken graduate hours in business administration at University of California at Berkeley. She is also a 1999-2000 Leadership Midpeninsula Student and has participated in a wide range of personal and professional development workshops, conferences, and seminars.

Streck's current and previous ARMA positions/honors include:

Chapter

President (two terms), Silicon Valley

Chapter

Newsletter Editor

Chapter Member of the Year

President Elect

Past President Advisor

Region Lead Regional Coordinator, 1998-1999

Regional Manager, 1999-2000

Seminar Chair

Treasurer

Association Member, Professional Development Committee

Industry Chair for Municipal Government USA

Speaker at six annual conferences since 1991

Post Conference Workshop Presenter, 1998

Position Statement

1. What key strengths or skills do you possess that will make you an effective member of the Board of Directors?

I possess the following strengths and skills:

Ability to listen effectively. This means that I not only hear what someone says, but strive to understand the reasoning and value behind what is being said. Not all people are effective communicators, this is a key strength in bringing issues to the Board on behalf of the membership or explaining the changes in the Association that are imperative to its survival and progress.

Ability to get things done. It takes a unique person to start tasks or projects, but it takes strength to see those tasks completed. I bring that strength to the Board in being able to complete projects.

Ability to set a vision. In order to lead the membership effectively, a Board member must be able to create a vision, communicate it to the members and make it real and achievable. In my personal and professional life I have the ability to help chapters, companies and individuals create visions to advance their product, service or goals to another level.

Ability to educate and be educated. In order to grow, I must continue to educate myself. As a Director, I must stay educated in my industry, to the needs of the membership, as well as to the resources for resolutions.

2. What do youseeas ARMA International's future roles and responsibilities in light of changes in the workplace and less time for volunteering?

ARMA's primary role of education should not change regardless of the changes in the workplace. The leadership must create avenues to continue fostering education, promoting the benefits of education and belonging to a professional association.

ARMA will need to answer the question of"What is in it for me?" The leadership must define the benefits and values of volunteering and allow local chapter leaders to find creative ways to assist them and the association as a whole in communicating this value to the membership. A significant percentage of our membership is comprised of new members. A large number of these new members join to learn more about records and information management, network with their peers, and take home the skills and knowledge for success.

The Association has begun using technology in a very effective manner to develop educational programs, make them available and to take the knowledge to our members. However, this must be reviewed and evaluated constantly, because as methods of communication change and improve, so must our delivery systems.

3. The image of Records and Information Management (RIM) continues to change. How or what would you do to elevate the RIM profession?

We can elevate the profession by taking on leadership roles inside and outside of the Association. These leadership roles should cover all areas of Records and Information Management. The efforts of the current Board in spearheading CIMA (Collaborative of Information Management Associations) is one of the best efforts to date of the Association participating in a leadership role. A continuing plan or strategy in the direction of information management will increase exposure, confidence and respect.

Another area involves working diligently to see that new members are provided with the quality education and resources to elevate their knowledge and understanding. When we elevate knowledge and understanding, we elevate confidence. This confidence in our profession and in our roles elevates the way we portray ourselves.

Programs we can foster, improve or develop include a mentoring program and increased publicity of National Records and Information Management Week during the first week of April. New people join every year and have limited support by ARMA members or their companies. However, when one member fails - it is a reflection on the membership as a whole. We must establish standards, communicate expectations and mentor the membership for success.

Lastly, continued efforts need to be made in improving the services and public relations surrounding NRIMW. It is a great opportunity to recognize the profession in a public forum.

4. If you are elected to the Board of Directors, on what two areas will you focus, and why?

I would like to focus on education and the elevation of the profession.

Education. I want to leverage every opportunity to educate the membership. As stated in Question Four, when we continue to increase our knowledge of the industry and we stay abreast of technology, we provide avenues for success. The field of Records and Information Management has principles that cross industries and have been well-grounded for decades, yet much has changed.

I want to leverage the use of the Industry Specific Groups to provide education that is specific to and industry and allow the chapters to work with the ISG Groups to provide the education demanded by the members.

Profession. I believe we need to continue to encourage and participate in efforts to coordinate with all the information-specific associations to create and implement standards and competency requirements for the members. We should challenge the membership to participate in partnering with other groups at local levels. Again, we must participate in and publicize the NRIMW activities held by many of the chapters and regions.

5. ARMA is going through significant changes. What are your thoughts on these changes, and what other changes would you like to see evolve?

Growth requires change! Nothing that stays the same can exist successfully for very long. Changes also need to be implemented in a regular manner. We have waited so long to effect changes, that some of these changes are difficult for the membership to accept. Status quo is more comfortable; members know what to expect.

I not only took the opportunity to hear about the changes and ask questions, but became a part of the changes by serving the membership as Lead Region Coordinator for the Pacific Region 1998/99 and as Region Manager for the 1999/2000 fiscal years. The demands of the chapters and membership were well-noted by the Board of Directors when putting this program into place. The chapters wanted more support, wanted better communication, and a stronger voice in the association as well as their organization.

ARMA is trying to do both by having the International Board of Directors focus on association-wide policies and outside leadership efforts. The Board is setting the vision for the association and improving its position among other professional organizations and executives while the coordinators support chapters at a more local level. The changes have allowed members to advance within the organization in more ways than before and have a greater voice in their association.

Three Issues ARMA Is Facing

ARMA International has a number of issues that they are addressing in promoting Gisele Crawford has devoted her RIM career to Canadian municipal and regional service. First, she served the Provincial Government of Alberta as Microfilm Supervisor, then the City of Edmonton in the same capacity. Since 1985, she has held the position Corporate Records Administrator for the City of Edmonton.

Crawford's public service has provided her a broad range of RIM experience covering such diverse areas as micrographics, records center operation, corporate records management, records retention, consulting services, and training.

Specifically, she has: Operated an in-house microfilm service bureau that designed systems, developed policies and procedures for 16 and 35 mm filming, controlled processing, and supervised quality control

Operated an in-house records center including the design, selection, and installation of a triple mezzanine system Developed policies and procedures for the implementation of a corporate records management program

Developed records retention scheduling and implementation of the records retention approval process

Acted as internal consultant to assure that all programs fell within guidelines of corporate policies and procedures Developed and delivered RIM training for the corporation

In addition to her RIM experience, Crawford also offers the Association specialized skills such as strategic planning, public speaking and training, leadership by example, and recognition and appreciation of volunteers.

Her association memberships other than ARMA include the Canadian Information and Imaging Management Society (CIIMS), which she has served as Membership Director and Publication Director, and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, on whose Advisory Council she has served since 1997.

Crawford's RIM and management education encompasses numerous administrative, supervision, leadership and management training programs, Canadian Region and ARMA International Conferences, and Infor-mation Technologies Management, in which she holds a certificate.

Crawford's current and previous ARMA positions/honors include:

Chapter

President, Edmonton Chapter

Chair, Membership Committee

Member, Program Committee

Member, Awards Committee

Chapter Member of the Year

Region

Member, Program Committee

Manager, ISG, Governments Canada

Association Canadian Region Director, 1998 to present

Member, Strategic Planning

Member, International Issues and Growth Committee

Position Statement

1. What key strengths or skills do you possess that will make you an effective member of the Board of Directors?

I have the dedication, energy, enthusiasm and leadership skills to contribute positively to the Association. I lead by example, and encourage all individuals I meet to do the same. I'm committed to listening to all views, and I appreciate concerns and ideas with an open mind before making decisions in the best interest of the membership and the Association.

2. What do you see as ARMA International's future roles and responsibilities in light of changes in the workplace and less time for volunteering?

Support and communication!

As we continue to move to a staff-driven Association, we can meet this need. ARMA International's future role and responsibility in light of changes in the workplace and decreased volunteer time and support needs to be in the area of increased support to and communication with Chapters and our membership. Chapter Leaders and members in the future will require much information and encouragement, and can be supported by the provision of pre-packaged information on topics such as "Chapter Operations", "Programming", "Recruiting and Retaining Members", "Conducting Seminars" and "Marketing and Promotion".

3. The image of Records and Information Management (RIM) continues to change. How or what would you do to elevate the RIM profession?

We, as RIM practitioners, have a genuine concern for the profession. In addition, the profession manages a valuable asset of any organization it is a part of. Because the management of information is key to the success of our employers, all that we can do to enhance our professional ability and our skills will reflect positively on our individual members and on our professional organization.

However, elevating the image of the Records and Information Management professional is a responsibility of every individual in the profession. We must continue to be strong advocates for RIM in the face of technological changes, corporate re-structuring and the fast-paced changes in technology. We must sell our profession to our management and the management of the organizations in which we each work.

We must capitalize on activities such as National Records and Information Management Week to promote recognition of our profession and the value we add to our organizations. Elevating the image of RIM is a professional responsibility of all RIM practitioners.

Once we recognize that elevating the image is each and every member's responsibility and we begin to act on that realization, the results will only be positive for the profession and the organizations we serve.

4. If you are elected to the Board of Directors, on what two areas will you focus, and why?

As Region VIII Director, I have focused on Canadian issues, and I will continue to do so. International issues are a continuing concern of the Canadian Region and to other Regions, as well. Because the Canadian region is large and diverse in many ways, the pending issues facing Canadians represent a broad scope that has relevance to other Regions outside the US. As a Director outside of the US, I feel that I have an awareness of concerns from a wider perspective. As a member of the International Relations and Growth Committee, I bring a Canadian perspective, which is also representative of a much broader view.

The second area I will focus on is the successful implementation of the Region Coordinator program.

The Region Coordinator program is intended to better serve the membership and Chapters. Because Canada will continue to elect at least one Canadian to the International Board of Directors, I intend to work closely with the Region Coordinators and the Canadian membership to make the transition to the Region Coordinator program a success. Once the Region Coordinator program is successfully implemented in Canada, the "at large" Director from Canada can then focus on the Association.

5. ARMA is going through significant changes. What are your thoughts on these changes, and what other changes would you like to see evolve?

Over the past several years, ARMA has developed a focused vision for our future; these changes have been made in the interest of moving the association forward. Moving to a staff-driven Association has been one of the best changes to occur in ARMA. There have been many benefits to the chapters and membership that would have taken years to happen had there not been dedicated staff at Headquarters who made sure that the production and distribution of Chapter Operations manuals, membership support, education and marketing information was completed in a timely manner.

The realignment of regions and the move to Region coordinators and at large Directors will, again, better serve the membership. The Region Co-ordinators will be closer to the Chapters and can assess their needs more clearly, and provide communication to the ARMA Board for decision and implementation. The Region Co-ordinator program is a living program; our first groups of coordinators are in place, and these individuals will take their experiences and make the program stronger and better to serve you, the membership.

Three Issues ARMA ls Facing

Issue 1: Education

Quality education for the records and information management professional is the first issue that continues to challenge ARMA International and its membership. ARMA is uniquely positioned to develop and deliver education to a broad audience through our Chapter Network, local seminars, International and Regional conferences. As the leader in the Records and Information Management field, ARMA must continue to seek ways to enhance the variety, content and delivery of its educational resources. We must be aware of the educational needs of the Records and Information Management professional and improve our offerings through multimedia capabilities. Records and Information Management professionals consider ARMA International's Annual Conference to be the best educational opportunity for them; however, we must continue to look for ways of delivering this educational opportunity to members who cannot attend the conference. Video conferencing, distance learning and home study courses need to be investigated, promoted and distributed to the membership to assist all Records and Information Management practitioners to continue their learning initiatives.

Our Chapter network is the grass roots of this association, and we must continue to deliver the tools necessary to assist the Chapters to succeed in meeting the educational needs of our membership and in providing quality programs and speakers at the local level.

Issue 2: International Dues and International Member Services

Resolving the issue of dues payment is a significant issue for Canadians. The Canadian region has prepared a position paper on services rendered to the Canadian members. In summary, Canadians believe in dues parity as long as there is parity of services.

As a result of the position paper, the Association is currently looking at the quality of service delivery to all International members and is analyzing economic zone structures, services and service delivery. I will continue to pursue this issue until it is resolved on behalf of the Canadian membership and in the best interest of the Association.

Issue 3: Restructuring of ARMA International

Although previously unaffected by the realignment of regions, the Canadian Region will be impacted by the implementation of Regional Coordinators and transition to "at large" Directors on July 1, 2001. Traditionally, ARMA members have elected a Canadian to the International Board of Directors to represent Canada and Canadian issues. Canada will continue to have the opportunity to elect at least one Canadian to the International Board of Directors. As a result of the changes on July 1, 2001, Canada will also have at least three Region Co-ordinators to serve the membership in a more efficient and cost effective manner.

The Region Co-ordinator program has been established to assist Region Coordinators so they can serve the membership and Chapters more effectively. I intend to work closely with the Canadian membership to make this transition a success by continuing to communicate the goals and objectives of this program in a positive manner.

As ananlarge" Director, it is my intent to continue to bring a Canadian perspective to the International Board of Directors. As a policy-setting Director interested in achieving the best overall results for the Association, I will be able to focus on committee work and ensure a focus on International issues where policies may impact ARMA members outside the USA.

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