When I was first considering starting a SolidWorks User Group in Central Texas, I turned to Michelle Pillers of the Seattle Area SolidWorks Power Users Group (SASPUG) for advice. Michelle was kind enough to send me a wonderfull email full of great ideas. One piece of wisdom stood out, and has always stuck with me - "Feed Your Guests".
I know it seems trivial on the surface, but think about it for a moment. While SolidWorks User Group are thought of as primarily training events, a close second is the networking opportunities available. "Breaking Bread" with fellow SolidWorks users adds a tremendous social significance to any meeting.
Plus...people will be coming to the meeting straight from work, and they'll be hungry.
Michelle's contribution to the SolidWorks User Group Network goes far beyond advice to local user group leaders. Michelle created the first SNUG website, and included a discussion area, resources for local chapters, and links to various engineering and community places (remember..this was before Google). The SNUG website was the first public look at the new SolidWorks User Group Network back in 2000.
Michelle's legacy lives on in SASPUG, swugn.org, and the entire SolidWorks User Group Network. If not for her sound advice and willingness to help, my own user group might never had happened. I'm forever grateful, and certainly far better off for having contacted her that day.
Michelle's name graces the SWUGN Lifetime Achievement Award plaque. In fact, she's the first SWUGN rep to have earned the award. If you ask me, the award should be renamed in her honor.
Thanks for everything Michelle!!
In 2004 we started the Colorado SolidWorks User Group. Michelle's name showed up on the SWUGN Committee membership roster (I recall thinking Colorado must be in the West and probably the North) so I contacted her for help.
Her gracious response was both encouraging and supportive. A few months later I met her in Orlando at SWW2005. Again, she was polite and helpful.
For the next dozen months I continued to send her our bi-monthly meeting reports, treasury reports, queries about prototcol, basically anything to do with our user group.
I saw her next in Las Vegas at SWW2006. Her reponse to my enthusiastic greeting was rather neutral. As we strolled down the hallway I asked her what was bothering her.
"I wish you'd stop sending me all of the email", she replied.
"But, I thought you were my SWUGN Representative and guiding light!", I protested.
"No, Colorado is part of Wayne Tiffany's Southern region", she explained.
I was devastated. Not only had I been peppering her with data she did not need, I had also been leaning on her shoulder for support and guidance. I really wanted to be on her "team".
She dismissed my professed apology and simply encouraged me to get in touch with Wayne.
I remain struck by her kindness and rather shy reluctance to do anything other than be helpful.
Posted by: Geral Davis | March 08, 2010 at 05:38 PM