Candidate for Executive Committee

Residence: Gibsonia, Pa.

Professional position: Managing editor of the Piper and associate director of internal communications, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh

Years of membership: 2

Biography

Heidi writes and edits stories for faculty and staff, and helps edit university press releases. She also works to maintain the university’s website. Heidi has been a member of ACES for two years and has presented at the last two ACES conferences. She also volunteered at the Phoenix conference and was recently interviewed for the newsletter.

Heidi seeks a first term on the board. She brings a corporate communications perspective to the board. She envisions ACES continuing its mission to improve the quality of communication and working lives of editors, both at newspapers and beyond. She wants to work for increased membership and attendance at conferences through networking and reaching out to editors in nontraditional roles. She looks for ACES to do more research into editing to enhance job security for editors.

ACES’ question to candidate

Board members must show a commitment to the organization’s goals, which center on better serving and increasing the  membership, and keeping ACES financially sound. Everyone’s skills and styles are different. Do you see yourself as stronger in developing ideas, or with putting ideas into action? Are you more comfortable working with a team, or handling a responsibility alone? And how will you organize things to commit the necessary time?

Organization is all about editing your options. Because I am choosing to run for the national board that means I also choose to make time for the activities that entails. I enjoy coming up with goals and seeing the finished project. I enjoy working on teams. The best teams draw on the strengths of individuals for specific assignments, with the idea that those jobs come together and build something bigger than each part alone. I try to tackle work with the understanding that I am responsible not only for my own actions but for the team’s outcomes. If there’s something I am responsible for, I’ll handle it. If I need the assistance of someone else, I’ll ask for it. If someone else needs a hand, I’ll give it.

From the nomination form

How has the nominee contributed to ACES?

Nominator wrote: Heidi has been a member of ACES for two years and has presented at the last two ACES conferences. She also volunteered at the Phoenix conference and was recently interviewed for the newsletter.

What makes the nominee the best candidate for this position?

Nominator wrote: Heidi brings a corporate communications perspective to the board. She is smart and well-organized. She also has been a solid presenter at past conferences.

If elected, what does the nominee envision for ACES during his or her tenure?

I envision ACES continuing its mission to improve the quality of communication and working lives of editors, both at newspapers and beyond. I envision seeing increased membership and increased attendance at conferences through networking and reaching out to editors who may be in nontraditional roles but still work to share clear messages. I also envision ACES doing more research into editing and then share the results to preserve/enhance job security for editors.

Nominator: Teresa Schmedding