Active in technical communication for more than 20 years and a leader at the local and Society level in STC since joining STC, my experience spans a diversity of technical communication disciplines. My ability to apply a technical communication mindset and skillset to information security awareness has enabled me to develop a benchmark security awareness program for higher education. A frequent speaker at both technical communication and information security/risk management conferences, I have consistently delivered effective seminars in creating security awareness programs and have sought to bring that awareness of effective security practices to technical communicators.
Always an advocate for end users, I have shared my knowledge of information security best practices with the local community, distilling complex information security principles into actionable strategies for the laymen through a series of courses I developed around digital self defense—helping individuals protect themselves and others. To further that effort, I authored a Kindle ebook, Shockproofing Your Use of Social Media: Staying Safe Online.
I have recently refocused my activities around mentoring and coaching leaders, especially introverts. To support mentoring and coaching (and to assist techcomm practitioners in studying for the Certified Professional Technical Coomunicator (CPTC) exam), I developed an online Introverted Leadership community and CPTC study group using Slack. This leadership community has over 100 participants. As an STC leader, locally and for the Society, I am a passionate advocate for leadership development. I actively seek to develop innovative and sustainable practices to help STC communities become stronger, leading STC Rochester to Pacesetter Awards several times. I am an APMG Accredited Trainer for the CPTC.
In my work as Governance, Awareness, and Training Manager in the Information Security Office of RIT, my goal has been to develop a strategic security awareness plan over a several year period that actively works to develop a culture of digital self defense. I work with representatives of my community to set realistic and obtainable goals and develop specific yearly plans to continue to move us forward to our end goal of changing our culture. Monthly plans that identify specific deliverables (tactics) that support our yearly goals. I teach a seminar at the EDUCAUSE Security Professionals Conference to help other universities and colleges understand how to think and act proactively and strategically in security awareness communications while reacting to and addressing whatever issues may come through the door.
I teach university classes in Intro to Computing Security and Technical Writing and Editing at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
