By Jamie Tylicki, FY18 Senate Communications Sub-Team Lead and Region G Senator

The #SWESenate has voted at #WE17 in Austin and ALL of the bylaws motions have PASSED!

S-1803 Senate and Regions: Passed
S-1804 Collegiate Member Voting Rights: Passed
S-1805 Competency Model for Nominations and Elections: Passed
S-1806 Standing Committees: Passed
S-1807 MAL President: Passed

The changes allow SWE to move forward with implementing changes to help the Society become more flexible, more inclusive, and better suited to fulfill our mission of advocating for women in engineering.

Details on the specific language of the motions can be found at senate.swe.org. Further information will be provided in the coming weeks and any questions can be directed to governance@swe.org.

The Senate is proud to welcome Dhanu Thiyagarajan, Region E Colllegiate Senator, to share her perspective on the proposed bylaws motions and how they will specifically impact collegiates, which will be voted on at the Senate meeting on Saturday, October 28, 2017. 

Did you know that SWE is currently undergoing several governance changes? How does this mainly affect collegiate members?

1. There is a motion for the Senate to vote on at WE17 for all collegiate members to become voting members of SWE. This means that we will now have a say regarding SWE elections and our leaders. This will come into effect immediately, so you may be voting as soon as this spring. More information will be conveyed from headquarters [HQ] about the election candidates and process as it approaches if the motion is passed through the Senate.

2. If passed at WE17, Regions will be dissolved at the end of this fiscal year. This means you will no longer have Region Collegiate Representatives, Regional Senators, or Governors. Your Section President's main form of communication with SWE will be HQ and the Leadership Coaching Committee [LCC]. Your day to day communication will not be changed and will remain with your specific collegiate section. There are still adjustments being made to this process, but more detailed information will be sent out later in the year with specific changes of HQ vs. LCC taking over specific responsibilities to cover section support exactly the same, if not more than currently existing. You can already contact them for support at HQ@SWE.org. This will also change the leadership pipeline, since region leadership will not be a gateway that collegiates can use to become more involved with societal SWE. SWE's nominating committee will take into account collegiate experience to ensure all voices are heard within each committee. More information will also be conveyed regarding further leadership opportunities within SWE as a Senator, part of a committee, etc. This will allow you get involved with societal SWE in a more direct manner and learn about the organization past your specific section. Region conferences will no longer exist and will be replaced by WE Locals.

If interested, please check out more information about the governance changes at http://governance.swe.org.


About Dhanu:

Dhanu Thiyagarajan is a collegiate senator for Region E. She is currently a M.D. candidate for 2019 from Temple University and graduated as a biomedical engineer from University of Pittsburgh. Although in a slightly different career path, many of the issues relate among the fields, so she continues to be involved with SWE.

​About Stephanie:
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I am currently a Quality Engineer for GLOBALFOUNDRIES in Essex Junction, Vermont, and have held various positions in process engineering and quality at the Vermont 200 mm Semiconductor fab for the past 6 years. Before that I was a graduate of the University of Maine, and received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. It was at the University of Maine that I started my journey with SWE, and have maintained that passion since. I’m proud to say that this is my 10th year of involvement with SWE! In those 10 years, I’ve held a number of positions at the section level from Section Treasurer, Vice President and President between the UMaine Section and the North Country Section in Region F. Moving to Vermont, my first course of action was to find my local SWE section. “SWE is Your Constant” from WE16 was a theme that rang true for me, and still does today. During my time in Vermont, I became more involved with my Region, and ultimately becoming one of the Region F Professional senators. I am currently in my 2nd year of my Senate term at a time when SWE as a whole is going through its most expansive changes and growth. What a time to be involved in SWE!
 
 
Is there a particular motion that you’re passionate about proposed to the Senate for WE17?
 
There’s been A TON of activity in the Senate, with some really major motions being passed. In January, for instance, we officially passed a motion to support moving forward with the governance overhaul as a whole. Like many of my constituents, these motions that have come out leave me with a range of feelings, excitement, concern, hope. It’s such a mixed bag, and I cannot wait to see where this journey takes us. As far as a motion I feel passionately about, it’ll have to be hands down the upcoming vote on collegiate voting rights. Motion S-1804: Collegiate Member Voting Rights will be a landmark update for collegiates, giving them the right to vote in SWE elections and giving them an official voice in our society. This is something in particular I have felt strongly about since my involvement in college. A large percentage of our SWE population are collegiates. They’re part of the leadership pipeline, both in the workforce and in SWE. While there’s a very small percentage of members that currently actively vote, my hope is that by passing this motion, we’re sending the message to collegiates that they matter, and we want them involved. In my experience with my region, it’s been some of the collegiate sections that have come up with some of the most creative ways to improve engagement in their SWE sections. We vote on this motion at the senate meeting in WE17.
 
What are you looking forward to next?
 
Well, I’m also involved in the Leadership Summit Task Force this year. Being on this task force is giving me a tactical role that is a counterbalance to the strategic work that I am doing in the Senate. It is giving me the opportunity to interface with our membership and really hear their concerns and then work on taking that information and putting towards a real life proposal for how our society is going to function moving forward. This helps with my Senator role, as it gives me an expanded view of what our constituents really care about. Both roles are fulfilling in different ways. We hope to have a proposal for the leadership summits completed by the end of FY18, so stay tuned! 

The FY18 Senate will meet face-to-face at WE17 Conference in Austin, Texas on October 28, 2017 beginning at 11:30 AM.  The proposed bylaws amendments will be discussed and voted on by the Senate during this meeting.  Please see below for the published agenda.  If you would like to review any of the motions, the agenda, or attend the Senate meeting at WE17, please contact your Senators or Olivia LeBlanc, Senate Secretary for more information. 

By Hope Toole Schwalls, FY18-19 SWE Region C Senator

I am pleased to introduce one of the two SWE FY18 Special Senators, Dianne Beever. Dianne is a dedicated SWE leader and long-time member. I have been privileged to serve with her in various capacities through the years. Of particular note, Dianne was my predecessor as Region C Governor. She took our transition very seriously and went above and beyond to position me for success. For this I am very grateful. I look forward to serving with her on the Senate in FY18. 
 
Dianne was nominated by the Speaker of the Senate and elected by members of the FY18 Senate to serve in the position of Special Senator. Per the Society Bylaws, the Speaker of the Senate may nominate up to two special Senators to serve for one fiscal year or remainder thereof. Nominees for Special Senators are voted upon by the Senate.  As Special Senator, the Senate will leverage her experience in strategic planning, strategic initiatives, change management, operations and finance.
 
Dianne is a life member of the Society. She has served in various leadership roles at the Section, Region, and Society level. Some of those positions include Society Finance Committee Chair; Region C Governor, Lt. Governor, and Treasurer; and Southwest Texas (now Austin) Section President.  She also served as interim Region C Senator during FY16.  Dianne is a member of the Leadership Coaching Committee and the WE Local advisory board. She is the 2017 recipient of the SWE Region C Distinguished Service Award.
 
In her professional life, Dianne is currently a Global Business Transformation Leader at Dell EMC. Prior to rejoining Dell, Dianne was an Independent Management Consultant specializing in strategic planning, change management, value creation, growth, and performance improvement for businesses in various industries. Previous to that, she spent 11+ years at Dell and 7+ years at Cummins, Inc.
 
Dianne earned a BS IET, an MSM (MBA) from the Purdue Krannert School of Management, and an MS in Interdisciplinary Engineering from the Purdue College of Engineering.  Dianne serves on the Krannert Student Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Engineering Education Advisory Board at Purdue University. She is also a member of the University of Texas at Austin SWE Corporate Advisory Board.
 
Dianne lives in the Austin area with her husband, Phong, and their two Golden Retrievers.  When not working or serving SWE, Dianne enjoys watching and attending college football and basketball games – especially Purdue. She likes to spend her free time mentoring, reading, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
 
Please join me in welcoming Dianne Beever to the FY18 Senate. 

Pictured: Hope Toole Schwalls and Dianne Beever at the 2017 Region C Conference in College Station, TX

By Gail Dyer, Region E Professional Senator

The FY18 Senate is proud to announce that Stephanie DeCotiis, P.E. has been elected as one of the two Special Senators for this fiscal year. I have had the privilege of working with Stephanie for the last few years though our various roles within the Region E council and I along with the rest of the Senate look forward to working with her this year on the Senate.
 
Each year the Senate has the option to elect up to two Special Senators to bring in people with specific experiences and knowledge to fill any gaps that may be identified based on the current year’s goals.  As the Senate now has responsibility for the Strategic Plan for the Society and the other activities from the Strategic Planning Committee and Strategic Initiatives Committee, the Senate leadership thought it important to elect Special Senators that have experience and knowledge in those areas to assist with that transition.
 
Stephanie was a great choice for a Special Senator as she has had experience in multiple areas of focus this year.  She has previously been a member of the Strategic Initiatives Committee for 3 years and last year served as the final Chair-Elect of the SIC before it was sunset and transitioned to the Senate.  Stephanie has also previously served on the Senate and during her previous stint she was part of the governance working group which evaluated the structure recommendations for the upcoming governance change.  After serving her term on the Senate, she continued on as a member of the Governance Task Force and was active in helping to develop the governance transition plan.
 
One of the reasons Stephanie wanted to return to the Senate to serve as a Special Senator was to continue to help see the governance transition through to completion since she was so involved in the governance change process over the last few years.  Additionally, she wanted to be able to continue the transition of knowledge for the SIC as all the responsibilities roll into the Senate moving forward.  Having Stephanie on the Senate will be a great asset to ensure a smooth transition for integrating the SIC into a more strategic Senate body.
 
Stephanie is currently a Senior Project Manager at H2M architects + engineers with their Water Division and received her professional engineers license in 2013.  She has been an active member of SWE since 2004.  Outside of work and SWE, she mentors underclassmen at her alma mater and works with the Central Jersey Blood Center to organize blood drives and raise awareness on the importance of donating blood.

Stephanie’s election was one of the first two motions in front of the FY18 Senate as S-1802.

By Olivia LeBlanc, Senate Secretary, FY18

What is the brand of SWE?  A few years ago, SWE asked this to its members and many non-members to determine if our logo accurately represented the SWE Mission, and then reviewed what our logo was saying about our identity as a Society around the globe.  As a result, SWE along with the help of the David James Group re-worked the branding material to ensure that the logo and other materials accurately represented what SWE truly is. 

In FY15, the Senate voted to approve the new SWE Logo and Branding material.  This was the first time in SWE’s history that the original gear logo was changed significantly, and many Senators along other SWE leaders worked very hard to develop and implement the new logo and branding materials to ensure that the new materials properly represented the mission, vision, and goals of SWE.  The changes were strategically planned to unify all of SWE under one logo that can be globally recognized and represents all of the core values of SWE. 

As a part of our roles, all members of the Senate act as SWE leaders and brand ambassadors.  As brand ambassadors, it is important that we always use the brand and logo properly and encourage others to do so as well.  There are several resources available to help us with this located at brand.swe.org.  Here you can find a recording from our SWE President, CEO, and the David James Group consultants discussing the Brand Identity System.  You can also find many helpful guiding documents, letterhead templates, PowerPoint templates, and the logos for every region, section, and SWE group has been prepared by SWE HQ. 

At WE17, there will be a session specifically planned to review the SWE Master Brand and the Brand Identity System.  All members and groups are encouraged to attend this session to learn more about the SWE brand and logo and have any questions answered about how to use the brand best to promote and represent SWE. 

If you would like more information about the SWE Master Brand or Logo, please visit brand.swe.org or email marketing@swe.org. 

By Olivia LeBlanc, Senate Secretary, FY18

This weekend, Senators from all around the globe are headed to Hartford, CT to meet together with other SWE leaders for a Governance Summit.  The FY18 Senators have been hard at work all summer preparing for this meeting and getting up to speed quickly through an expedited on-boarding program lead by the Deputy Speaker of the Senate, Natalie Vanderspiegel.  

We would like to congratulate our newly inducted Board of Directors and Board of Trustees, especially our FY18-FY19, Speaker of the Senate, Kate Hull, as well as thank all of our FY17 leaders including FY16-FY17 Speaker of the Senate, AmyJo Moore for your hard work and great leadership to get us to where we are today.  ​

As the Society evolves, the Senate continues to keep our strategic plan and mission at the forefront of our work, and we are working to make significant changes to the governance structure of the Society this year.  A plan has been proposed by the Governance Task Force and presented to the Senate.  At the Summit, all of the leaders will review this plan and ensure that all proposed paths forward align with our mission and will help achieve it.  Following the summit, the Senate expects that several Bylaw Amendment Motions will be finalized and presented for a vote at WE17 in Austin, TX. 

If you would like to review the proposed governance changes, please visit governance.swe.org, where several presentations and videos are available with more information.  And, if you have any questions or concerns about the upcoming changes, please reach out to your Senators.  The Senate would like to ensure that all voices are heard and all concerns addressed before the votes take place at WE17.  
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Photo credit: Emily Ongstad, MAL President

By Olivia LeBlanc, Region C Professional Senator
 
​On February 18, 2017, Kate Hull was recognized as a Professional Emerging Leader during the Region C Conference held in College Station, TX for her contributions in proactive and forensic construction consulting projects, her dedication to the Austin community, and to engineering through her work and mentoring in SWE and the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. Kate Hull is a Managing Consultant at Spire Consulting Group, LLC and currently serves as Deputy Speaker of the Senate and Counselor for The University of Texas at Austin collegiate section.
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By Kate Van Dellen, Region C Professional Senator

Each year before the Winter Senate Meeting, the Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) has the chance to address gaps in programs and services and ensure our operational goals still align with our strategic goals, called the Annual Strategic Planning Review (ASPR). The SPC is presented with specific program updates and metrics to determine the effectiveness of current programs. The ASPR focuses on the strategic objectives of the society and what is in the best interest of the society. Then the SPC makes decisions based on data. 
With the upcoming governance change, the senate will be asked to take over the main strategic planning responsibilities. Currently the SPC takes a look at the gaps and proposes solutions to our Society level strategic plan. The SPC is made up of some of the SWE Board of Directors (BOD), four senators, the finance committee, and some from SWE headquarters (HQ). The team uses a specific process to address the question, “Where is SWE going in five or more years?
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Starting in July, the senate will own the SPC process. Many have questions about what we can do to help the transition to go smoothly. McKinley Advisors can help with that transition and senators from the SPC are returning to serve next year. Keep in mind that the SWE Society Bylaws states that the Senate is a strategic body, so we aren’t really changing, we are going back to what this group was designed for. 
How does someone go about determining how SWE can serve our members in the future? Although this sounds like a huge task, SWE has a proven five year process that tackles these big questions one step at a time with the help of McKinley Associates. Goals are set in the first year, and then each year of the process the team tracks programs and services to check for alignment with the goals. We are currently in year four of the five year process.