VOLT Academy Communication and Networking Training Held in Houston

The ASME Petroleum Division and the South Texas section, in conjunction with the Volunteer Orientation and Leadership Training (VOLT) Academy, recently sponsored a special training event for Society members titled, “Communicating and Networking in ASME.”

Held at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Houston from Jan. 31-Feb. 1, the event kicked off with an opening session and networking reception on Friday night. Vicki Risinger, chair of the Petroleum Division, and Bernie Kent, program chair of the South Texas Section, welcomed more than 40 division and section members, who then heard a short presentation from representatives of the VOLT Academy about ASME and its volunteer community.

The ASME Foundation’s philanthropic impact was also highlighted in three videos related to ASME’s INSPIRE K-12 program, Engineering for Global Development work, and its scholarship programs. Marc Santos, VOLT Academy Executive Committee member and former ASME Congressional Fellow, provided attendees with information about the ASME Federal Fellows program, and thanked the Petroleum Division for their ongoing support of the program.

The group reconvened the following day with a program that focused on improving interpersonal communication skills and communications among ASME units. In the “Communicating Effectively to Inspire Action” session, Kc de la Garza of the ASME Management Division and Marc Santos discussed how attendees could choose the right communication medium and craft a compelling message that will connect them with the people they want to reach.

Leadership consultant Dr. Judy Morley followed with the keynote presentation, “Purposeful Leadership,” which emphasized the importance of communication to effective leadership.

Pasquale Dell’Aquila of the Group Engagement Committee and Evelyn Taylor, ASME director of Section Support, then provided an overview of ASME’s current communications tools, including the volunteer leadership directory (VLD). The VLD is open to the public and can be used to find sections, divisions and volunteers who serve in these groups. More information about the VLD can be found by visiting http://vld.asme.org.

Dell’Aquila also reminded attendees that all ASME members can now indicate which emails they would like to receive from ASME. To set your email preferences, simply go to the Preference Center on ASME.org at http://preferences.asme.org.

For more information about the VOLT Academy and future training events, visit www.asme.org/asme-programs/public-affairs-programs/volt-academy.