Communications Coordinator search continues

Communications Audit to be made available for examination

By Review Staff

A search continues for the right person to fill the new Conference Communication Coordinator position. Responsibilities include establishment of a conference-wide communication plan, public relations, and print and electronic media development.

While the search and hiring is expected to take several more months, the process of adjusting how the Conference sends and receives information is happening right now, according to Bruce Hilton, a long-time Communications Committee member who co-chairs the Communications Audit Task Force.

"The audit task force, which represents both the Conference Staff and the Communications Committee will work with the new Conference Communications Coordinator to examine what other Conferences have done, and talk to professionals in the field of publication and website design. With that expertise and the help of the information in the audit, we'll come up with the best possible printed publication and electronic website to serve the needs of this Conference," Hilton said.

The audit was conducted from November 1999 through April 2000. The late start and late finish delayed presentation of results until May, which left no time to develop an understandable synopsis for presentation at Annual Conference Session, Hilton said. "We're working out how to make the results and recommendations available in the most convenient, yet cost-effective way," Hilton said.

The executive summary runs 48 pages, while the total research data fills several large binders. "We have to find the most practical way for people to access the results, without creating a huge expense," Hilton said. One option being considered is creating a PDF file of the executive summary, which can be posted on the Conference website and read with Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free piece of software commonly used for this purpose.

"We welcome the interest in improving communications around the Conference," Hilton said, noting that the process has been going on for more than four years. "The Communications Committee is doing its job of applying the suggestions in the audit to the needs of our Conference."

Hilton is one of a number of people on the committee who have real-world experience in publishing and design. He has lengthy experience in secular and religious newspaper editing and publication. Hilton also chairs the Communications Committee print sub-committee, which oversees the Review and its successor.

Like any Conference Committee, the sessions are open to anybody who cares to attend," Hilton said. Meeting dates are noted in the Master Calendar, which is in the Coordinated Mail packet and on line at http://www.gbgm-umc.org/conferences/CANV/calendar.html.

Comments can be e-mailed to communicationscomments@calnevumc.org, or sent by US Postal Service to "Communications Comments", California-Nevada Annual Conference, PO Box 980250, West Sacramento, CA, 9595798-0250.

Editor's Note: The application deadline for the Conference Communications Coordinator is Oct. 15. For a job description, see the link at http://www.gbgm-umc.org/canv/ For additional information contact the Rev. Charles Johnstone, 19806 Wisteria St, Castro Valley, CA 94546. Call him at (510) 581-3486. Resumes may be faxed to (510) 88-4864 or e-mailed as an Microsoft Word attachment to revchuckj@aol.com