Greater Seattle Chapter President's Digest

Dear member,

The new 2009-2010 ARMA year will be starting in two weeks!! The Greater
Seattle board is energized to bring you engaging topics and programs at
a very low cost. My pitch for these meetings are--cheaper than your
local coffee shop. The board is committed to provide you all year long
low cost meetings to ensure you are receiving Records and Information
Management education. So, this year don't expect fancy dinners at
hotels, but breakfast and brown bags around downtown Seattle and
throughout our area. Dean Koga and Paul White are working furious
locating great speakers and great topics. I hope to send out a list of
the programs in the next few weeks.

Our next meeting will be on September 3, at Stoel Rives, 600 University
St., Suite 3600 in downtown Seattle. Our speakers will be Greg Trosset
and Patty Holmquist, who will share with the Greater Seattle Chapter
some of the successes and failures they've encountered in applying
technology to achieve an effective RIM Program in the last four years at
King County. To find out more details the meeting please go the Greater
Seattle Website.

I hope you plan on attending!

Andrea Bettger

ARMA International Education Foundation Raffle Tickets

The Greater Seattle chapter has ARMA International Education Foundation
Raffle Tickets. You may be asking yourself a few questions. So here are
some frequently asked questions.

What is ARMA International Education Foundation? They are an on-going
research entity of ARMA International. Funds are available for
continuing education, graduate students, and research on Records and
Information Management Topics.

What are the ARMA International Education Foundation Raffle Tickets?
They are raffle tickets for some great prizes. You can win a Wii,
Blackbarry, or FREE Registration to ARMA International in San Francisco,
California or the 2010 ARMA International conference.

How much are the raffle tickets? Raffle tickets are only $5.00!!!

How can I get a raffle ticket? Contact me, Andrea Bettger President
Greater Seattle Chapter.

How can I found out more about ARMA International Education Foundation?
Follow the link provided.

Do I need to be present to win? No, you don't need to be present to win.
Make sure to fill out the information correctly.
Good Luck!!!

Upcoming Webinars
As a member of ARMA you may go online at anytime and hear Podcast or
listen to previous Webinars. Or, schedule to attend a Webinar. The
following two are the upcoming courses:

• Seven Questions Guide Records Management Strategy and
Implementation, September 4,
• Keys to Effective Business Communication, September 18

To register for these Webinars go to the ARMA International Website.

Western Washington Student Master Thesis
Danelle Roath, student at Western Washington University and a chapter
member is working on her master thesis. You should have received the
request to complete her survey. Her thesis question is: how people are
implementing electronic records systems, which include but are not
limited to: electronic records management systems (ERMS); electronic
document management systems (EDMS); electronic content management
systems (ECMS) or e-mail archiving systems.

To take the survey go to:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=6fAvCIk_2bCf0YMOdmibRrmg_3d_3d

The survey will close Friday, August 28.

Andrea Bettger
City Records Management Program
City Clerk Office, City of Seattle
andrea.bettger@seattle.gov
206-615-1609

September 3, Applying Technology to Achieve an Effective RIM Program

Date: Thursday, September 3, 2009

Time: 8:00-8:45 networking and breakfast; 8:45-9:45 program

Cost: $5, less then that coffee store!

Location: Stoel Rives, 600 University St., Suite 3600 Seattle, WA 98101

Program: Applying Technology to Achieve an Effective RIM Program

Program Description: Over the last four years King County has been
planning and implementing an Electronic Records System. Greg Trosset
and Patty Holmquist will share with the Greater Seattle Chapter some of
the successes and failures they've encountered in applying technology to
achieve an effective RIM Program.

Speakers:

Patty Holmquist, CRM, joined King County Records Management in September
2004. Patty graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a degree
in Business Administration, specializing in Organizational Behavior.
She completed the Records and Information Management certificate program
at the University of Washington in 1997 and was awarded her CRM in 2002.
Her experience in records management covers a broad spectrum including
the business and public sectors. She is a member of the Puget Sound
Chapter of ARMA.

Greg Trosset joined King County in September 2004, and brings an IT
oriented background to the Records Management office. His previous
experience includes IT and management positions in both the private and
public sectors, including Swedish Medical Center and Fred Hutchinson
Cancer Research Center. Greg is a retired Commander with the United
States navy, serving over 20 years in both an active and reserve
capacity. He holds an MBA with a major in information system and a
Bachelor's Degree in Healthcare Administration, both from the State
University of New York.

Register: This program is open to all Greater Seattle members and their
guests. Please register by Tuesday, September 1 by emailing
registration@armaseattle.org and include your name, organization, and
phone number and number of guests; or Sue Gunderson at
sgunderson@datasitenw.com

Directions: For directions to the office of Stoel Rives, please see
their Website at: http://www.stoel.com/showlocation.aspx?Show=203 The
office is located on the 36 floor of One Union Square. There is parking
garage available for paid parking.

Andrea Bettger
City Records Management Program
City Clerk Office, City of Seattle
andrea.bettger@seattle.gov
206-615-1609

Western Washington University-Master Thesis Survey

I have a request from a Western Washington Student and colleague,
Danelle Roath. Ms. Roath is needing your assisting with her Master
Thesis Survey. Please click onto the link provided by Ms. Roath and
assist her with the project.

Below is the correspondence from Ms. Roath:

Dear Colleague,

My name is Danelle Roath and I am a graduate student at Western
Washington University in the Archives and Records Management program
under the direction of Dr. Randall Jimerson.

As part of my master's thesis I am conducting a survey to determine how
people such as you have, will be or are implementing electronic records
systems, which include but are not limited to: electronic records
management systems (ERMS); electronic document management systems
(EDMS); electronic content management systems (ECMS) or e-mail archiving
systems.

The ultimate goal of this survey is to investigate current practices and
consequently to analyze the data to determine best practices for
implementing a sustainable electronic records management system.

The survey will only take approximately 10-15 minutes and I would be
grateful if you took the few minutes to fill this out for me. The survey
will close Friday, August 28.

ELECTRONIC RECORDS SYSTEMS SURVEY LINK:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=6fAvCIk_2bCf0YMOdmibRrmg_3d_3d

Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions, comments or
concerns at: roathd@students.wwu.edu. There is further contact
information on the consent form of the survey.

Thank you,

Danelle Roath

****************
I hope the Greater Seattle Chapter can convince her to present the
results and then we can all learn from current Records and Information
Management topics. Again, please click the above survey link!

Andrea Bettger
Greater Seattle Chapter President

Bellevue Eastside Chapter Program, September 15

Bellevue Eastside Chapter is inviting you to attend their workshop and program on September 15, 4:30 workshop; 5:30 dinner, 6:45 program.

The Speaker is Susan Cisco, Ph.D., CRM, FAI and the program is: Trimming Your Bucket List, Then What? Emerging Practices for Implementing Retention Schedules in ECM/RM Systems. This event will be located at West Coast Bellevue Hotel and the cost will be Workshop: $10; Presentation only: $10; Workshop, dinner/networking, presentation: $25. To Register Contact Grace Schaller: gkschaller25@msn.com, or call: 425-652-0799.

To see the complete flyer on this program, please go to program flyer on the Great Northwest Region Website at: http://www.armagreatnorthwest.org/images/SusanCiscoFlyer091509.pdf

Andrea Bettger
Greater Seattle President

ShopSavvy - Barcode Scanning Software for your Wireless

ShopSavvy is a new tool available for cell phones (currently available for the Google phone through T-Mobile) that can read barcodes and provide you with information about a product. You use the camera's built in camera to scan the barcode of an item. The free software will then search for related information about the product.

This technology could be adapted for Records Management in the very near future. Who knows, perhaps one day users and Records professionals can use their own mobile devices to manage records of an organization!!!!

Dean Koga Wins Gold!

No set backs for Dean. After suffering a bomb injury at the Outgames in Copenhagen, he comes back to win the gold - with bandaged hand and all!

WAY TO GO DEAN!

http://www.outsports.com/os/index.php/component/content/article/52-outgames2009/255-athlete-describes-bomb-attack-at-world-outgames

Dean Koga Injurred in Copenhagen at World Outgames

Our friend and colleague, Dean Koga, while in Copenhagen participating in the World Outgames, was injured after small bombs were thrown onto the track.

Dean is in our thoughts and prayers, as he recovers, and continues to participate in the games.

Good luck Dean!

http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=&sc3=&id=94294

Reminder: NAGARA Conference in Seattle July 15-18

There's still time to register for the upcoming NAGARA conference
entitled "Meeting the Information Challenge", which will be held in
Seattle, from July 15 - 18, 2009.

NAGARA is the only professional association dedicated solely to helping
government archivists and records managers. The annual conference
reflects this focus and addresses the profession's issues in a
practical way that produces real solutions that attendees can apply and
use. Please note: You may register for the pre-conference workshops
without registering for the conference.

For details about the conference and pre-conference workshops, and to
register online, please visit
http://www.nagara.org/displayconvention.cfm.

SEEKING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CREDIT??

The International Institute of Municipal Clerks' Education Department
has approved the National Association of Government Archives and Records
Administrators (NAGARA) 2009 Annual Meeting program and pre-conference
workshops for professional development credit.

The following pre-conference workshops have been approved for CMC
(continuing education) points only:
● Basic of Archives - 5.0 in-class contact hours
● Managing E-Mail and Electronic Documents As Records - 2.75
in-class contact hours

The following pre-conference workshops have been approved for CMC
(continuing education) or CMC Recertification or MMC points:
● Disaster Preparedness and Response - 6.5 in-class contact hours

● Developing Your Records Management Program - 3.75 in-class
contact hours

The National Association of Government Archives and Records
Administrators (NAGARA) 2009 Annual Meeting concurrent education
sessions have been approved for the following points:
● CMC Experience - 1 point per 6 or more hours in one day of
attendance.
● MMC Professional and Social Contributions - 1 point per 6 or
more hours in one day of training.

Posted by Andrea Bettger

ALARM Seminar What do you mean, “I’m the Records Manager?” Two sessions

Remember the clause in your job description that says "other duties as
necessary"? Well, congratulations, that now includes records management.
So what do you do, how do you start, what is a retention schedule, how
do you store records, how do you dispose of records, and CAN you dispose
of records? These sessions will start you out on your road to
understanding the world of records management. Whether you've just
been assigned the duties or have been a records manager for a few years,
our speakers will help you get started or provide your skills a
refresher on the key records management concepts.

Barbara Benson received her Masters Degree in History/Archival and
Records Management from New York University. She has worked as either
Archivist or Records Manager for such diverse organizations as Chemical
Bank; New York City Department of Records and Information Services;
Seton Hall University/ Archdiocese of Newark; New York State Archives
and Records Administration. Since 1992 she has been the Director of
Records Management Services at the University of Washington.

Jeff Benson is currently at the National Archives and Records
Administration/Pacific Alaska Regional Office in Seattle, where he has
been a Senior Records Analyst for almost ten years. His previous
experience includes Regional Records Officer contractor at the Seattle
office of the EPA; as well as archival/records management
responsibilities in the private sector (Weyerhaeuser Company), state
government (New York State), and municipal government (New York City).

In addition, as each work environment has its own records management
challenges, a representative of the Records Management staff from each
hosting agency will be on hand to address questions specific to your
organization.

Speakers:

Barbara Benson
University of Washington, Records Management Services

Jeff Benson
National Archives and Records Administration

Time and Location:

July 22nd - Seattle, Washington
9:30 am to 11:00 am
City of Seattle City Hall: Bertha Knight Landes Room
Directions and address at:
http://www.seattle.gov/html/citymap.htm

- or -

July 23rd - Bellevue, Washington
9:30 am to 11:00 am
City Hall, Council Chambers
Directions and address at
http://www.ci.bellevue.wa.us/directions_to_city_hall.htm

Cost: FREE

To register contact:

Jennifer Winkler
Telephone: (206) 684-8154
Email: CRMP@seattle.gov

PLEASE REGISTER FOR EITHER SESSION BY:
July 17th

Hosted By:

City of Seattle, City Clerk's office
National Archives and Records Administration-Pacific Region
University of Washington Records Management Services
City of Bellevue City Clerk's Office

Electronic Discovery Management Certificate Program at the UW

There will be a public information meeting about Electronic Discovery Management Certificate Program at the UW for all who might be interested, Tues., July 21, 6-7 pm, downtown at Puget Sound Plaza (PSP) at 4th Ave. and Union, 1325 4th Ave. This is the same building where the classes will be held. The three instructors will be speaking about the program and the certificate. All the information about the upcoming meeting (and the next one on Aug. 25) can be found at:

http://www.extension.washington.edu/ext/certificates/edm/edm_mtg.asp
<http://www.extension.washington.edu/ext/certificates/edm/edm_mtg.asp>

The link to all the program information about the
certificate, including course descriptions, instructor, bios, and how to
apply, can be found at
http://www.extension.washington.edu/ext/certificates/edm/edm_gen.asp
<http://www.extension.washington.edu/ext/certificates/edm/edm_gen.asp>

Posted by Andrea Bettger

June: Message from the President

Dear member,

I hope you will consider joining us this summer for one of the MER Brown Bag events. We will be hosting them at the lunch hour at several downtown office spaces. If you would like to host a brown bag, please contact me. This month’s digest provides basic information about chapter member of the year winner, board election results, and other important news for you to use.

Andrea Bettger, Greater Seattle President

Chapter Member of the Year- Dean Koga, Stoel Rives
Congratulations to our Chapter Member of the Year, Dean Koga! If you didn’t know the greatness of Dean Koga read all about him. Dean is the current Program Director for the Greater Seattle Chapter of ARMA. He attends chapter functions regularly, and has attended both the Regional and International conference. He volunteered at this year's PIP Day and managed the vendor procurement for the Tri-Chapter Seminar. He help's facilitate the Seattle Area LISG - Legal Industry Specific Group meetings. Dean has been a long time member of the Chapter, and has participated in several Leadership roles over the past several years. Finally, he volunteered to host the June Chapter meeting at his home.
CONGRATULATIONS DEAN!

MER Brown Bags
The Greater Seattle Chapter purchased Cohasset Associates MER streaming presentations and we have been hosting one or two a month. Cohasset Associates annual MER Conference is an internationally renowned event on Managing Electronic Records (MER). These one hour webinar presentations are available for you at the local level to experience MER experience. MER brown bags will continue throughout the rest of the year, so our chapter members can receive great electronic records management education. Next event will be July 15, at Seattle City Hall 600 4th Ave, from noon to 1 p.m. 3rd floor, room 370. We are planning on presenting-- Mock Deposition: IT Takes the Stand. I hope to see you there!

If you would like to host a MER brown bag, please contact me.


2009-2010 Greater Seattle Board
On May 21, 2009 the Greater Seattle Board elections were closed. The final results were:
· President: Andrea Bettger, City of Seattle
· Vice President: Andrew SanAgustin, Foster Pepper
· Treasurer: Meaghan Kahlo, PEMCO
· Secretary: Kirsten Zielke, Providence Health and Services
· Membership Director: Nishan DeSilva, Watson Wyatt Worldwide
· Programs Director: Dean Koga, Stoel Rives and Paul White, City of Redmond

Due to a resignation, the Greater Seattle board appointed Nishan DeSilva from Watson Wyatt Worldwide as the Membership Director. Congratulation and Good Luck!

Membership Survey
I will be sending out a Membership survey very soon. Please take time to respond to the survey. This will ensure the board dedicates time and energy in the areas that are interest to our members. Your responses will assist the board in planning the 2009-2010 year.


ARMA International Registration Now Open!
Registration is now open for ARMA International's 54th Annual Conference & Expo in Orlando, Florida! The Conference & Expo is a must-attend event for RIM professionals and individuals associated with the field. The conference and expo will be held October 15-18, 2009. The 2009 conference features more than 100 education sessions, seminars, and workshops. These sessions will be presented by the top thought-leaders in their respective fields, you can learn the skills you need to move forward in your profession and help your organization rise to the many emerging challenges posed by today's economic and technological realities. Also, remember to invite legal, IT, and others on your corporate compliance team, because good records and information management requires a cooperative effort among all the key players. Andrew SanAgustin will be speaking in Orlando—congratulations!

Electronic Discovery: University of Washington Extension Course
The UW Certificate in Electronic Discovery gives paralegals and law professionals a competitive edge with specialized skills to manage digital data for litigation. Understand the laws that govern electronic discovery, and develop the techniques to identify, collect, and present electronic evidence in the courtroom. This extension course was developed with assistance from Greater Seattle members.

National Association of Government Archivists and Records Administrators (NAGARA)
NAGARA conference will be in Seattle from July 15-18, 2009 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel (1113 6th Avenue). If you are unfamiliar with NAGARA it is the National Association of Government Archivists and Records Administrators and consists of individuals in the archives and records management field in any government organization (federal, state or local). For program session information, please see the NAGARA website (www.nagara.org).

AIIM Northwest Annual Boat Cruise

AIIM Northwest

AIIM Northwest will host the annual Round the Lake Summer Boat Cruise on Thursday, August 20, from 6:30 to 9:30pm.

The Cruise will include dinner and provide attendees the opportunity to relax and network on a scenic cruise across Lake Washington. This is an ideal trip for content management professionals and their business partners and clients to relax and partake of the beautiful summer scenery around Lake Washington.

Check out the Event Flyer
http://www.aiim.org/images/chapters/northwest/uploads/docs/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20AIIM%20Northwest%20-%20EventNotice8-20_Boat%20Cruise.pdf

REGISTER TODAY
http://www.aiim.org/Chapters/ChapterEventView.aspx?ChapterID=31&EventID=4509

Cost: $15 AIIM members/ $25 non-AIIM members

ARMA 2009 Registration is Now Open!

Registration is now open for ARMA International's 54th Annual Conference
& Expo in Orlando, Florida! The Conference & Expo is a must-attend event
for RIM professionals and individuals associated with the field. The
conference and expo will be held October 15-18, 2009 (a Thursday –
Sunday schedule) at the Orlando World Center Marriott, a gorgeous resort
just minutes from all the attractions.

The biggest and best education event in the profession, the 2009
conference features more than 100 education sessions, seminars, and
workshops. At these outstanding sessions presented by the top
thought-leaders in their respective fields, you can learn the skills you
need to move forward in your profession and help your organization rise
to the many emerging challenges posed by today's economic and
technological realities. Also, remember to invite legal, IT, and others
on your corporate compliance team, because good records and information
management requires a cooperative effort among all the key players.

The ARMA 2009 Expo hall, packed with more than 200 of the top
technology and service providers, is a great way to find the right tools
your organization needs to manage records and information in the 21st
century. The many networking opportunities at ARMA 2009 will also let
you engage more deeply with your peers and talk about solutions to your
shared information management challenges. Plus, at the end of the day,
you can relax in the Florida sun, attend a special event, or take in one
of Orlando's world-famous theme parks for a reduced price!

Why wait? Register today!

http://www.arma.org/conference/2009/
Sessions:
http://www.arma.org/conference/2009/ARMA_Orlando%2009%20Schedule.pdf
Registration: http://www.arma.org/conference/2009/regMENU.cfm

Andrea Bettger

ImageSource's annual Nexus conference

NEXUS 09 ECM Solutions Conference November 2-3 2009
Bellevue, Washington

Can't attend ARMA International this year because your travel and
training budget slashed? Consider attending NEXUS'09, it will be held
on November 2-3, 2009 in Bellevue, Washington.

Nexus is offering $100 off their registration price for ARMA members.
Additionally, they are pending approval of 9 ICRM CMP Credits.

Register by June 30 for $295 afterward goes up to $495.

If you would like more information on the conference, please visit
www.NexusECM.com.

President Message, May Digest

Hello,

With our June 4th meeting, we will be closing out our 2008-2009 ARMA
Greater Seattle year. I hope you enjoyed this year of education programs
and opportunities. During the summer months, the chapter will still be
offering brown bag lunches with presentations on Electronic Records.
Look for information about those brown bags in your inbox. We will also
have the 3rd Tri-Chapter picnic, which will be announced in the next few
weeks.

Our final meeting of the year is about the Greater Seattle members. The
board will introduce the Chapter Member of the Year, transferring
custody of our records to the University of Washington, recognizing
members. I plan to keep in-touch with members through the monthly
digests throughout the summer. Also, I hope to refresh the Greater
Seattle Website.

I hope you will consider joining us for the Year End Social on June
4th.

Andrea Bettger, Greater Seattle President

June Program
Year End Social: Greater Seattle Awards and Fun! This program is all
about the hard working members of our chapter. We will reveal the
Chapter Member of the Year, the new 2009-2010 board, membership
recognition, and have some interactive fun. This will be a great way to
interact and get to know new and old members. Program Director, Dean
Koga's will be hosting at his house, located on Queen Anne hill.

I hope you will consider joining the fun.

For the full May digest, please see our Website at:
http://www.armaseattle.org/images/MayDigest.pdf

Andrea Bettger, Greater Seattle President

June 4, Year End Social: Greater Seattle Chapter Awards and Fun!

Date: Thursday, June 4, 2009

Time: 5:30-6:00 p.m. Networking; 6:00-6:45 p.m.; Awards, Fun and Games;
6:45-7:30 p.m. Appetizers

Cost: FREE

Location: Dean Koga's House 114 Highland Drive, Seattle WA.
(directions below)
Program Title: Year End Social: Greater Seattle Chapter Awards and
Fun!
Program Description: This program is all about the hard working
members of our chapter. We will reveal the Chapter Member of the Year,
the new 2009-2010 board, membership recognition, and have some
interactive fun. This will be a great way to interact and get to know
new and old members.

Register: This program is open to all Greater Seattle members and their
guests. Please register by Monday, June 1 by emailing
registration@armaseattle.org and include your name, organization, and
phone number and number of guests; or Sue Gunderson at
sgunderson@datasitenw.com

How to Get There: Dean Koga's house is located on Queen Anne hill at
114 Highland Drive. Head north on 1st Avenue pass Key Arena. Turn left
on Roy Street and right at the next block onto Queen Anne Ave. Near the
top of the hill at the yellow flashing light, turn right onto Highland,
continue on Highland. (To avoid climbing stairs continue to Warren St.
and turn left and into the drive behind the houses.)

Another option is north on 5th Avenue, about seven blocks after
crossing Mercer Street, turn left on Highland. Continue on Highland and
right onto Warren St. then left down the driveway behind the houses.

The Chapter's Blog: Remember to check our Greater Seattle Chapter
Blog (Web Log) periodically. There you will find more in-depth news and
information than is appropriate for e-mail. Our chapter's Blog is at
http://seattlearma.blogspot.com. If you would like to comment on a
posting, you may do so on the Blog. If you want to add a new item,
please send it to: andrea.bettger@seattle.gov.

Andrea Bettger, Greater Seattle President

Message from the Great Northwest Region Manager – Marc Simpson

It’s hard to believe that we’re quickly approaching the end of our ARMA year!
This year the Region Team chose to use a “Wizard of OZ” theme to weave through our messages. The choice became obvious at our Leadership Conference last June. Fran, Cindy, and I were having our picture taken with Tom Killam, Director of Member Services at ARMA International. Fran and I barely hover around the 5’ mark and Cindy a bit below that. Tom on the other hand easily tops 6’. So Tom got on his knees for the picture and was still nearly as tall as we are! Well Munchkin land quickly came to mind. When Deb Martin, our Region Director of Marketing told us she is from Kansas, it was a done deal. We hope you’ve enjoyed it.

In the end of the story, as Dorothy awakens from her dream, one of the things she tells her Auntie Em is that if she ever feels the need to go looking for her heart’s desire again, she needn’t go any farther than her own backyard. And that is how I feel about ARMA.

Interestingly, not long after I became Region Manager, I started receiving things from other organizations. Some wanted me to join them. Another offered me a special rate to take their courses to earn one of their designations. I received announcements regarding every conference under the sun. Now there’s nothing wrong with any of the organizations that contacted me. They are fine organizations and I am always interested in expanding my knowledge. It simply made me ask myself if I wasn’t already getting everything I need from ARMA. It didn’t take very long for me to realize that I do! Everything I need in RIM is available through ARMA!

Through my membership in ARMA and my local chapter, I have access to webinars, seminars, chapter programs, InfoPro Online, the Information Management magazine, GNW Region conferences, and the annual ARMA International Conference; to say nothing of the volume of information available through my chapter’s library and the ARMA International bookstore! From basics to bleeding edge, ARMA has it all. And it is all available to you too!

As we’ve mentioned over the past nine months, unlike any other organization I’ve ever known, ARMA is a family. I have made some life-long friends through ARMA. I’m sure that many of you have as well.

So for me, it’s as plain as a Kansas cornfield. There’s no place like ARMA.

As we come to the end of another year, we also are coming to the end of Fran Blaylock’s tenure as our Region Coordinator. I don’t think that I can find enough words to describe what a tremendous asset she has been to our region and especially to me. But you all know that. This is my rookie year as Region Manager and Fran has been there to help me every step of the way. It’s with great sadness that we will watch her leave the Region Team at the end of June. Please join me in thanking Fran for the great job she has done!

Hey, why not thank Fran in person? Attend the Great Northwest Leadership Conference, June 26-27 in Boise, Idaho. Although we really want all of the chapter leadership to be there, this conference isn’t just for members of the chapter boards. It’s also for newsletter editors, webmasters, and anyone who would like to get some great leadership training! Check out the flyer posted on the Region website for details.

Has your training budget been slashed? We know that we’re all feeling the pinch. That’s why our conference co-chairs, Michelle Morrison and Bruce Walters rolled up their sleeves to put together a leadership conference that will be as great as ever, but with a few less frills. The result is a lowered registration rate and a great hotel rate. Kudos to Michelle and Bruce for a great job!

And don’t forget, the Great Northwest Region is once again offering four scholarships for registration to the conference. Still need a little help? Because we know that travel budgets have been cut for many of us, the Region is offering all carpools of 3 or more attendees up to $50 to defray your fuel costs. We hope to see you there! Check the region website for an application for both of these offerings.

So as this ARMA year winds down the yellow brick road, I want to thank my Region Team and all of you for all you do for our chapters, our region, ARMA, and our profession and for all of your support!

There truly is no place like ARMA!

Very Truly Yours,

Marc J. Simpson, Manager
Great Northwest Region
Of ARMA International

Seeking Chapter Member of Year-Greater Seattle Chapter

The Greater Seattle Chapter is accepting nominations for the Chapter Member of the Year. If you would like to send a nomination of a member that showed outstanding performance this year. Please send me the individuals name and your reason for the nomination to me at: president@armaseattle.org or please contact me 206-615-1609.

Thank you,

Andrea Bettger
President Greater Seattle Chapter

Greater Seattle Elections OPEN

Annually, each ARMA chapter must elect board members to represent members and assist with educational program development. For 2009-2010, your board of candidates are the following:

• President: Andrea Bettger, City of Seattle
  
• Vice President: Andrew SanAgustin, Foster Pepper
  
• Treasurer: Meaghan Kahlo, PEMCO
  
• Secretary: Kirsten Zielke, Providence Health & Services
  
• Membership Director: Brian Rector, InfoCurrent
  
• Programs Director: Dean Koga, Stoel Rives and Paul White, City of Redmond (2 positions open)
  

Elections will be open until May 21, at 5 p.m.


Presidential Candidate
Andrea Bettger, I have served for the past year as president. Previous to 2008-2009 year, I have served as the Programs Director for four years and secretary one year. In March 2002, I began working for City of Seattle as the Records Analyst. I have over eight years experience working with archives and records management in several different types institutions. I hope to serve as you President next year and continue to grow and develop Greater Seattle into a healthy and active chapter. How one defines healthy and active chapter in ARMA, I believe is changing. I look forward to creating activities that reflect the change in our members and our members needs.

Vice Presidential Candidate
My name is Andrew J. SanAgustin and currently I am the Records and Conflicts Manager with Foster Pepper PLLC, a Seattle based full service law firm. I have been in the RIM field over 15 years, and have worked in different industries including Banking, Real Estate, Accounting, Government, and Legal. I have been involved with ARMA for most of my career, and I have been a Board member of the Greater Seattle Chapter for three years. In 2009-2010, I will be moving into the Vice President role. I am also a member of AIIM and ALA, and I spearhead the Seattle LISG (Legal Industry Specific Group).

Treasurer
I am Meaghan Kahlo and I work as a Document Specialist for PEMCO Insurance Company processing the corporate archives and supporting the Records Analyst. I earned my Master of Arts degree in Museum Studies with an emphasis on collections care and conservation, primarily archival collections and historical photography, from San Francisco State University in 2005. Each week I volunteer at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) library processing a collection of Seattle Post Intelligencer black and white negatives. I have served on board of the Greater Seattle Chapter of ARMA as the Membership Director for the past year and is looking forward to transitioning into the position of Treasurer.

Secretary
Kirstin Zielke, I am the Records and Library Coordinator with Providence Health & Services. I have worked in various aspects of the records management field for over 25 years. I joined the Greater Seattle Chapter of ARMA in 1995, and served two terms on the Board of Directors as Secretary.

Membership Director
Brian Rector, I am excited to join the leadership of this body, and look forward to meeting all of our members in the Seattle chapter! I work for InfoCurrent, a company that has been working with ARMA members across the country on records and library positions. We have been doing this for the past 15 years, and we have been here in Seattle since late last year. Over the next year, I plan to grow our business here in the Puget Sound and across the west coast.

Programs Director Select Two Candidates
Dean Koga, works for Stoel Rives LLP as a Records Supervisor for the Seattle, Minneapolis and Anchorage offices. I have been member and volunteer for the Greater Seattle Chapter of ARMA and ARMA International since 1989. I have served as Chapter President, Region Coordinator, on the Region Conference Committee, and on the ARMA International's Conference and Program committees. I encourage all of you to become an active member of the ARMA chapter, whether you volunteer as speaker, serve on a committee or serve as chapter officer. Your time will be richly rewarded with experience, education and many friendships.

My name is Paul White and I am with Departmental Administrative Coordinator in the City of Redmond Clerk's Office. My duties currently include development of records management and public records disclosure policies. I, also, have experience as a land-use planner and served the Florida Legislature as a Supervising Editor for seven years, where I learned the subtle art of diplomatically correcting the grammar of elected officials. I am relative newcomer to the field of records management, I am eager to contribute to the success of the Greater Seattle Chapter of ARMA.

If you have not recieved a ballot, please contact the Greater Seattle Chapter at president@armaseattle.org for balloting information.

Oregon Chapter celebrates is 40th Anniversary

Oregon ARMA Member/Friend:

Get out your tie-dyes, mini-skirts and bell-bottoms!

Registration is open for Oregon ARMA Chapter's 40th anniversary celebration at McMenamins Edgefield in Troutdale, Oregon on Thursday, May 21st.

You'll have a chance to mingle with past and current Oregon ARMA members and meet the new Board. There will be 1969-related fun activities with prizes, a silent auction benefitting the Oregon Food Bank, as well as a great buffet dinner and a no-host bar.

The cost for members and non-members is a reasonable $25 - so bring your friends and family!
For details see our May Newsletter and to joion us, please go here to register.


Tim Hunt, CRM
President, Oregon Chapter of ARMA International, Inc

Preparing for Greater Seattle Elections

Hello,

I wanted to let the Greater Seattle members to get ready to vote your 2009-2010 board members. You will soon see a Survey Monke link in your inbox and you will be able to vote soon!

Andrea Bettger, President Greater Seattle

Message from the President: Greater Seattle

The Greater Seattle upcoming events are:

• April 18, Shredding Day with NAPO, Datasite, and Office Max in Shoreline, WA. 9- noon (for more details below).
  May 1, It’s E-lectric! Decoding the Mysteries of E-mail, E-records, E-discovery and Computer Forensics.
  
• It is the Tri-Chapter Seminar in Tacoma, WA. All Day!
  
• Space still available $85 for members and $95 for non-members
  
• May 1, Seminar has no tiered registration and registrations accepted until April 24
  

Are you interested in getting more involved with ARMA? I would also like to hear from members about joining the Greater Seattle board. We are looking for someone to co-chair Programs with Dean Koga next year. This would be a great way to join the board by sharing duties and roles. If you are interested, please contact me.

The board is also accepting nominations for Chapter Member of the Year. If you have any nominations those should be directed to me also at president@armaseattle.org or 206-615-1609.

I hope to see you at the May 1, Tri- Chapter Seminar it is going to be a very informative event!

Andrea Bettger, Greater Seattle President


April 18, Shredding Event
Do you have items for shredding? From 9-noon, we will be co-sponsoring shredding event in Shoreline with National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), Datasite, and Office Max. The shredding will take place at Office Max 1345 N 205th Shoreline, WA 98133, you will be allowed paper and up to six boxes. Please feel free to inform friends, family, and co-workers about the event and pass along the flyer. If you would like to assist, please contact me at: president@armaseattle.org or 206-615-1609.
Shredding Flyer http://www.armaseattle.org/images/ShredDay041809.pdf

May 1, Tri Chapter Seminar: It’s E-lectric!
It’s E-lectric! Decoding the Mysteries of E-mail, E-records, E-discovery and Computer Forensics, the Tri-Chapter Seminar is finally here. Make sure to attend the joint seminar on Friday, May 1, all day at La Quinta Inn, Tacoma, WA. The seminar is the work of the three Western Washington chapters: Bellevue Eastside, Greater Seattle, and Puget Sound Chapter.

First track speaker will be, Jesse Wilkins, from Access Science Corporation. Wilkins’ will be speaking about E-mail Management and Blogs, Wikis, RSS: Emerging Records Management Issues and Strategies, also on Compliance 2.0 Managing Records in the Cloud. Wilkins is a fabulous speaker on Records and Information Management. Wilkins speaking engagements commonly costs a thousand dollars, so the entrance fee to see him at $85 is well worth attending.

The Spring Seminar’s second track will be David Matthews from the City of Seattle. Matthews will be speaking about Computer Forensics. You can learn how the technology professionals look inside a computer and find all those dirty little secrets. This session will be partnered with E- discovery, which will be presented by Todd Nunn of K & L Gates, who will present about E-discoveries and the Best Practices.

This is a great educational opportunity!

· Program Brochure http://www.armaseattle.org/images/TriChapterSeminarfinal2.pdf
· Registration Form http://www.armaseattle.org/images/Tri-ChapterRegistrationForm2.doc
This seminar is approved for 5.5 CLE credits and 5 CRM credits!

Welcome New Members!
Joined between December 2008 to April 2009
• Abigail M. Bonk—Sound Transit
• Jamie Carr-- Iron Mountain
• Terry Chappell– ASRCMS/ EPA
• Kathleen Clark -- Bayer HealthCare
• Seth Dalby -- Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle
• Grace H. Fitzgerald-- University of Washington
• Shawn Hanley-- Dendreon Corp.
• Jay Jenkins-- T-Scan
• Patti Larsen-- Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland
• Margi Layman-- Terrace Falls Group LLC
• Sharryl Matsumoto—BECU
• Robin Maberry--NOAA
• Elizabeth McAnlis--City of Redmond
• Michelle McGehee--City of Redmond
• Caitlin Oiye—King County
• Cori Phelps-- Puget Sound Energy
• Julie Pulliam—Starbucks
• Danelle Roath- Western Washington University
• Jerry E. Rugh--Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
• Neil Simons-Smead
• Christine Taylor--University of Washington
• Paul J White--City of Redmond
• Romaine Williams--Puget Sound Energy
• Joshua Zimmerman—City of Bellevue

Message from Region Coordinator

The Journey of a Lifetime…Following the Path of Evolution in RIM

Along with the rest of the world, the RIM profession is constantly changing and evolving, just as the business environment changes around us. We as ARMA members are moving right along with the changes, sometimes one journey after another. I reflect on one of my favorite songs from ENYA named Pilgrim. It is about taking a journey and not knowing where that road will lead you. Does it bring success or will you just find another leg of your journey? When I think of picking up my walking stick to continue on my own trek, I realize the things we learn and people we meet along the way are as valuable as the end result. Just as in the Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy made new friends and learned valuable lessons in her journey, we all need to take heart in those experiences along the way.

Speaking of evolution, it is finally Spring! This brings a promise of regenerating and of planting new seeds. During this time our GNW ARMA members are busy accomplishing their own “regeneration” and planting new seeds within their perspective chapters. New board members will soon be announced. It is always exciting to me to see a blend of the seasoned as well as new members take the reigns as your leadership for a new ARMA year. Take this opportunity to think of ways you can help your chapter either in a leadership role or in support of all the year’s activities. Remember, you have a voice in the parts of your chapter’s journey.

This leg of my ARMA journey is coming to a close. It is my final year as GNW Region Coordinator. I have greatly enjoyed the years I have spent in this role because of all of you! I feel a great sense of pride in our region, not only because of our ability to cope with the evolution of our profession, but because of the friendships and true dedication of our membership. I feel as I have grown in my role both professionally and personally. I greatly appreciate your support and sometimes patience as I have journeyed down this road. It is with a great sense of sadness I will be stepping down from this position. However, there are yet new paths to be forged. I am very excited that your new Region Coordinator will be Jennifer Winkler, the current President of Bellevue Eastside Chapter. I am confident that Jenny will bring a sense of new “growth” and “fresh ideas” to our region. I know I leave my position in capable hands!

Finally, in speaking of journey’s to be forged, don’t forget the upcoming GNW Leadership Conference taking place in Boise in June 26-27. The Boise Valley Chapter has done an excellent job of helping to put this together, considering our current economic environment. I encourage you, if you will be in a leadership role within your chapter to consider attending this conference. Even if you are not on your chapter board, consider attending if you have visions of leadership in the near future. The conference brochure will be sent out soon!

Very truly yours,

Fran Blaylock
GNW Region Coordinator

Message from the Great Northwest Treasurer

Message from the Great Northwest Region Treasurer

In the RIM world, if we have a hand in the organization’s program, I can imagine that we envision our program like that shining emerald city of OZ. I can also imagine that we look at our program and want it to be that jewel, so we think “great thoughts.” As we wind through that yellow brick road of another ARMA year, we come across some final challenges still to face before we can see our program to the brilliant end. We need to make it through that dark and evil forest and cross that beautifully deceptive poppy field to get to that city of green. While it is important to conquer that forest with a strategic plan, or create a great vision in order to navigate the poisonous field, we need to focus on implementing the program. It’s working through people and getting things done. While you may want to lay that to someone else, the individuals that have to lead your program have to understand how the bricks of the road are put together. It is not necessarily for them to do the work of bricklaying themselves, but to be aware of how they follow up to make things happen.

One traditional style of program management is represented by the Wizard of Oz, which is comprised of five goals of what is termed “school-based management.” In the order of their appearance, I will briefly describe each of these goals as we can relate and apply them to our records management programs no matter which stage that program has achieved.

The mild and meek Dorothy exhibits the quality of the first goal. This goal allows employees to share in shaping their own work environment. A successful records program is a flexible one that gives everyone in the organization a voice in dealing with the life cycle of records. A successful records manager will bring others along to meet basic regulatory record keeping requirements. Dusting off and sharing that retention schedule could be just what you need to get started on that road to keeping a bright and shiny program.

Dorothy first meets the Scarecrow who shows us the second goal stressing accountability. We all know the importance of attention to detail when it comes to records management. This consideration will pay off when it comes to being able to access records and when faced with their admittance in litigation. We are seeing more and more that instant access to your company’s records is dramatically increasing. This brings up the issue of keeping up with technology and the changing face of records as to be accountable for those bits and bytes. If you are like me, that does take a bit of that ole brain power. Those records inventories and file plans should be reviewed to give you that sense of security of meeting those all knowing eyes watching your program.

Next we meet the Tin Man on that road. He illustrates the third goal of giving the employees as much freedom as they need to do their job. I have found it hard at times as a records manager to let go and at times to give your heart and trust to employees to do the right thing in their record keeping practices. You can’t be everywhere and all knowing at all times. You can give them the tools and assistance to get started and monitor them on their way. ARMAs Leadership Academy might just fill that void for you to check out. This can give you that feeling of satisfaction that you are sharing those skills with others to make a brilliant records program.
The fourth goal speaks of control. The team comes across the Cowardly Lion next. He growels the lesson that we need to be as steadfast and confident in our own internal controls we have set for our records management program as we show them outwardly to the world. As a records manager, it can take a lot of fortitude to address the need for more security and budget controls that need to be addressed to administer your program. Take another look at ARMA’s records management competencies that are outlined and put forth from your Chapter leadership or on ARMA’s website for guidance and assistance with these control issues.

By this time, we see we have a well functioning records program and that we have reached the expectations we wished for. Or did we? In the story, the team finally reaches Oz but feels something is missing. They still want to meet that Wizard they know will fix everything for them. The Wizard does just that in revealing the fifth and final goal of fostering a system that encourages innovation and creativity. He shows them that they all have the tools already to work together to make each of their wishes come true. He encourages us to think “outside of the box” and try new ways of thinking about records management. We come up with ways to work smarter and not harder in the wake of astronomical environmental and economic changes. We still need to run our records program in the parameters in the way we have always done it but that does not mean we can’t come up with more effective and efficient ways of getting the same results. Check out the records management LISTSERVE to gain and share in those innovative ideas that happening out there. Have you listened to the radio talk show Inside the Records Room? What an idea….how clever huh?

It is my hope that this ARMA year has been a good journey down that records management road that in your Chapter meetings you were able to impart to your “team” these goals as I outlined above. I have seen what you are doing in some of your monthly programs and you have indeed touched on these without even knowing it I bet! Please celebrate your successful journey this year. Know that even though the road is not a straight one and there are many challenges and obstacles to face, you all are making a difference and contribution to the success of your organizations in the way you manage that all important RIM program of yours!

Cindy Fredrickson
Great Northwest Region Treasurer

Message from the President

Well, time flies when you are busy! My apologizes for the lateness of the February digest; however, the board has been busy working on some great spring items. I hope to see you on March 5, when Barbara Benson, University of Washington will speaking on Records Retention Scheduling and Policy. She is always a great speaker—ask her about eyes. Then the board has a very special treat for you on March 9 and in the next coming months. I am not going to put the details here, but you should have seen the exciting offer in your inbox.

In April, we have two great events. On April 3, at the Columbia Tower Club from 8-10 a.m. we will be holding a new member meet and greet. This is by invitation only! New members will get to meet other new members in the Greater Seattle Chapter and a select group of members will also be available to greet them. Next up, April 18 from 9-noon, we will be co-sponsoring shredding event in Shoreline with National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), Datasite, and Office Max. More details about this event are below.

I, also, hope you will consider attending the Tri-Chapter Seminar on May 1!

Andrea Bettger, Greater Seattle President