EENC Conference Committee

• Conference Chair  2008 Dee Thonnard Rudolph
• Auction Chair 2008 unfilled
• Eco-reception Chair  2008 Peggy Sloan
• Evening Activities Chair  2008 Jennifer Braswell
• Exhibitor and Vendor Chair  2008 by Jackie Trickel 
• Field Trip Chair  Andrea Talley & Nicole Mitchell
• Fundraising Chair  2008 Shelby Gull Laird
• Publicity Chair  2008 unfilled
• Registration Chair 2008 Bianca M Howard
• Session Chair  2008 Amy Garascia
• Workshop Chair  2008 Kelly Hoke

 Looking for Something a Little Less Time Extensive?

• Auction Volunteer  2008 Shelby Gull Laird, Lindsey Thorton, Abbie Emory
• Audio/visual Volunteer
• Awards Coordinator  2008 Pat Curley 
• Fundraising Volunteers (Multiple Volunteers Needed)  2008 Dingo Brown
• Green Conference Volunteer  2008 Rosanne Fortner
• Meals Coordinator  2008 Laura Webb Smith
• Publicity Volunteers (Multiple Volunteers Needed)
• Scholarship Coordinator  2008 Randy Senzig
• Transportation Volunteer
• Volunteer Coordinator

Click on each position title for a more complete description of duties.

Conference Chair  2008 Position Filled by Dee Thonnard Rudolph
The President-elect holds this position.  The Conference Chair is responsible for planning our annual conference. Environmental Educators of North Carolina has been offering an annual conference since 1991.  The conference is once of the main benefits for our members.

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Auction Chair
This volunteer position may be held by anyone throughout the state.  The bulk of this person’s duties are performed September through November of the conference year.
The Auction Coordinator recruits donations, plans, and runs the silent and live auctions during conference. 

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Eco-reception Chair 2008 Position Filled by Peggy Sloan
This volunteer works closely with the conference chair to plan our annual eco-reception.  The Eco-reception Coordinator can be from any area of the state.  The majority of this person’s duties occur in winter and fall of the conference year. 

The eco-reception is the main evening event during our annual conference.  Traditionally, the event takes place on Saturday evening and includes a keynote speaker, eco-friendly dinner or snacks, and our silent and live auctions.

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Evening Activities Chair 2008 Position Filled by Jennifer Braswell
The Evening Activities Coordinator may be someone from any area of the state.  The bulk of this person’s job will be completed in the spring and fall. 

This volunteer is responsible for planning large group and supplemental activities for participants during conference evenings.  Past activities have included bonfires, panelists, special speakers, plays, movie viewings, socials, and much more. 

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Exhibitor and Vendor Chair
The Exhibitor and Vendor Coordinator may be someone from any area of the state.  The bulk of this person’s job will be completed in the spring and fall. 

This volunteer is responsible for the exhibits area for our annual conference.  Exhibitor space is considered a member benefit and is free for EENC members but is limited.  Members who wish to have an exhibit at the conference will contact the Exhibitor and Vendor Coordinator.

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Field Trip Chair
The Field Trip Coordinator should be someone familiar with the area where the conference is being held.  The bulk of this person’s job will be completed in the winter and spring. 

This volunteer is responsible for the field trip offerings for conference. Other volunteers will coordinate workshops and concurrent sessions, so this person handles ONLY field trips.  Traditionally, field trips are offered the last day of the conference but may also be set up for Thursday. 

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Fundraising Chair  2008 Position filled by Shelby Gull Laird
This volunteer position may be held by anyone throughout the state.  Duties are spread out throughout the entire year with majority of the time spent towards the beginning of the conference year.

The Fundraising Chair is responsible for coordinating all fundraising activities for EENC’s Annual Conference.  Monies donated to EENC for our annual conference cover scholarships, keynote speakers, the eco-reception, and helps reduce conference fees for our members.

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Publicity Chair
This volunteer position may be held by anyone throughout the state.  Duties are spread out throughout the entire year, with a large percentage of time being spent in July of the conference year.

The Publicity Chair is responsible for publicizing the EENC’s Annual Conference and ensuring cohesion of all publicity and conference materials. Working in conjunction with the Conference Committee, this volunteer lets their creative energy flow as they craft the visual and textual messages promoting the conference. 

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Registration Chair
The Registration Chair may be someone from any area of the state.  The bulk of this person’s job will be completed in the summer and fall.  There may be a heavy crunch time in the two weeks before the conference.

This volunteer is responsible for pre-conference registration, sets up, and provides leadership during conference check-in.  Other volunteers will help staff the registration table so the Registration Coordinator is free to enjoy most of the conference.

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Session Chair
The Session Coordinator may be someone from any area of the state.  The bulk of this person’s job will be completed in the winter and spring. 

This volunteer is responsible for coordinating the concurrent sessions during our conference.  Other volunteers will coordinate field trip offerings and workshops, so this person handles ONLY concurrent sessions. Concurrent sessions usually last an hour and the majority of them take place on Saturday. 

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Workshop Chair
The Workshop Coordinator may be someone from any area of the state.  The bulk of this person’s job will be completed in the winter and spring. 

This volunteer coordinates the workshop offerings for the conference.  Other volunteers will coordinate field trip offerings and concurrent sessions, so this person handles ONLY workshops.  Workshops can be from 4 to 10 hours in length. The first part of the 10-hour workshops may be held in the evening on Thursday and will be completed on Friday.  Shorter workshops are primarily conducted on Fridays with a few offerings on Saturdays along with concurrent sessions. 

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Less Time-extensive Positions 

Auction Volunteer (2 or more volunteers needed)
These positions may be held by anyone throughout the state.  The bulk of an Auction Volunteer’s duties are performed in Fall of the conference year and during the conference itself.

Auction Volunteers work closely with the Auction Coordinator to prepare for and run the silent and live auctions during conference. Volunteers are responsible for soliciting silent and live auction items from members and organizations, working with the Auction Coordinator to ensure companies and individuals are not being solicited by more than one person, sending information about any received donations to the Auction Coordinator as they arrive, helping to catalog auction items and create bid sheets during conference, and assisting with the set up and collection of money for the auctions.

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Audio/visual Volunteer
The Audio/Visual Volunteer may be someone from any area of the state.  The bulk of this person’s job will be completed in the fall and during conference.

This position works closely with other committee members to gather audio/visual needs and makes requests from exhibitors who may be willing to let other presenters use their projectors or laptops.  Coordinates the use of electronic equipment during conference.  Helps troubleshoot any audiovisual issues that may arise during the conference weekend.

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Awards Coordinators 2008 Position Filled by Pat Curley & Abbie Emory
Filled by the Membership Chair. The bulk of this person’s job will be completed in the fall.   

This position is responsible for EENC’s annual awards presented at conference.  The Awards Chair is responsible for receiving and compiling all award nominations, ensuring that each candidate meets current criteria.  This volunteer recruits a team of volunteers for the Awards Committee.  This committee is responsible for choosing the award winners in each category.  With the help of the Conference Chair, the Awards Chair is responsible for ordering the awards and planning the presentation of the awards.

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Fundraising Volunteers (Multiple Volunteers Needed)
Volunteers may be from any area of the state.  The amount of time spent as a Fundraising Volunteer is flexible depending on the number of donors the volunteer contacts. The bulk of a Fundraising Volunteer’s duties are performed in Winter, Spring, or Summer of the conference year.

These volunteers work closely with the Fundraising Chair.  Fundraising Volunteers are responsible for determining possible donors or mini grants, contacting and following through with donors, providing funding updates, and writing thank you notes to donors after receipt of goods or check.

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Green Conference Volunteer  2008 Position filled by Rosanne Fortner
This volunteer should live near the area where the conference is being held.  The bulk of this person’s job will be completed in the fall and during conference.

This position works closely with the conference site to help us maintain green conference practices.  In the past this has included tasks such as making sure that recycling containers are available in each meeting space, selling compact florescent light bulbs to offset our carbon emissions, decrease our use of disposables, and that the facility staff only change towels when asked.  We encourage the Green Conference Volunteer to use their creativity to challenge both the conference site and conference committee to ensure that we use reduce the impact our conference makes on the environment.

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Meals Coordinator  2008 Position Filled by Laura Webb Smith
This volunteer may be someone from any area of the state.  The bulk of this person’s job will be completed in the fall before conference, or as the location requires.

This position works closely with the conference site kitchen to ensure that meals are balanced, have healthy vegetarian options, and are using local, organic, or sustainable foods when possible. 

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Publicity Volunteers (Multiple Volunteers Needed)
Publicity Volunteers are needed from all areas of North Carolina. These positions require only a couple hours in the Spring, Summer, and Fall.

Publicity volunteers help the Publicity Chair by spreading the word about EENC and our annual conference in their community. Publicity Volunteers are the liaisons between EENC, local schools, and environmental education centers.  Publicity Volunteers are responsible for researching and compiling a distribution list of local media contacts, contacting local media to request PSAs promoting the conference, and sending press releases and other info prepared by the Publicity Chair electronically to these contacts.  Publicity Volunteers attend appropriate local meetings or conferences to promote the conference, send electronic brochures to local teachers, principals, and environmental educators, and maintain contact with the Publicity Chair.

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Scholarship Coordinator  2008 Position filled by Randy Senzig
Filled by the Education Chair.  The bulk of this person’s job will be completed in the fall. 

This position is responsible for gathering scholarship applications and awarding scholarships.  The Scholarship Coordinator is responsible for ensuring that each scholarship candidate meets current criteria, providing a list of scholarship recipients to the Conference Chair, and sending recipients notification of the amount awarded by October 1st.   

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Transportation Volunteer
This volunteer may be someone from any area of the state.  The bulk of this person’s job will be completed in the summer and fall before conference.

This position is responsible for transportation needs associated with conference.  The Transportation Chair is responsible for locating cost effective buses for any offsite needs and vans for Sunday fieldtrips. In addition, this volunteer works with the Registration Chair and Section Coordinators to facilitate and promote carpooling to the conference site. 

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Volunteer Coordinator
The Volunteer Coordinator may be someone from any area of the state.  The bulk of this person’s job will be completed in the fall and during conference.

This position works closely with other committee members to gather volunteer requests and solicits volunteers for specific duties prior to and during conference. 

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Detailed position desriptions:

The Auction Chair is responsible for…

• Recruiting Auction Volunteers
• Coordinating board and committee member auction solicitations
• Solicit silent and live auction items from members and organizations
• Updating and maintaining a catalog of donations
• Cataloging auction items as they arrive
• Recruiting volunteers to run the live auction in coordination with the silent auction
• Organize and run silent auction (create bid sheets, set up auction, collect money)
• Invoice silent auction items that were not paid for at the event
• Sending thank you notes or emails to donators
• Works with treasurer to ensure all auction monies and checks are accounted for
• Preparing auction report for the board

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The Eco-reception Chair is responsible for…

• Working with the board to find possible keynote speakers
• Finding a caterer to provide us with an environmentally conscience meal
• Reserving a keynote speaker & acting as liaison between the keynote and the conference committee
• Finalizing the menu
• Coordinating with the Auction Volunteer to ensure available space for the silent and live auctions
• Working with the Green Conference Volunteer to ensure green practices are used throughout the evening
• Working with the Volunteer Coordinator to get help before, during, and after the event
• Maintaining contain with the Evening Activities Coordinator for assistance and to prevent overlap and duplication in activities

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The Evening Activities Chair is responsible for…

• Brainstorming possible activities based on conference theme, location, member interests, and available space
• Recruiting ideas from local members about individuals or groups that may be able to provide an appropriate activity
• Working with Conference Chair and committee members to determine time locations available for evening activities
• Contacting the Eco-reception Coordinator to provide assistance and prevent overlap and duplication in activities
• Sending a final list of evening activities, descriptions, times, locations, and dates to the Conference Chair by June 15^th
• Communicating with any facilitators throughout the planning process (confirming their involvement, identifying AV or facility needs, etc.)
• Providing any AV needs to the Audio/Visual Volunteer by September 15^th
• Providing full registration info for speakers or other guests to the registrar by Sept. 15^th, so that each individual is entered in the database, included in meal counts, receives a nametag, etc.
• Working with the Volunteer Coordinator to get any needed help before, during, and after the events
• Making sure space and any special needs are ready for each activity once at the conference site
• Serving as host to presenters and other guests while they are at the conference.  (Arranging any travel needs, meeting them when they arrive, making sure they feel welcomed, etc.)

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The Exhibitor and Vendor Chair is responsible for…

• Updating the Exhibitor Request Form and sending it to the Conference Chair by June 15^th
• Receiving and collecting exhibitor requests until September
• Recruiting any desired exhibitors or venders (ask local members about businesses or groups who may be interested)
• Notifying Conference Chair and members when exhibitor space is full
• Communicating with exhibitors throughout the planning process (confirming receipt of request, identifying AV or facility needs, providing directions to exhibit space, etc.)
• Providing any AV needs to the Audio/Visual Volunteer by September 15^th
• Mapping out exhibitor space and assign tables based on exhibitor needs
• Making sure space and tables are set up to your needs with organization place holders on them
• Serving as contact person/troubleshooter for exhibitors and vendors during the conference weekend

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The Field Trip Chair is responsible for:

• Researching and brainstorming appropriate and most promising field trips for the geographic area of the conference
• Receiving and considering any Field Trip proposals that may be submitted
• Creating priority list of preferred field trips – due by May 1^st
• Contacting a representative from identified Field Trip sites to solicit participation
• Presenter policies will be provided to guide negotiations with perspective trip leaders.
• Creating the final list and descriptions of field trip offerings -- due by June 15^th
• Communicating with applicants and selected trip leaders throughout the planning process (securing trip descriptions for the brochure, confirming times, meeting locations, lunch arrangements, any costs, etc.)
• Collecting, writing up, and preparing for distribution the driving directions, meeting times and locations, and what-to-bring lists for each field trip
• Serving as contact person/troubleshooter for field trip presenters during the conference weekend.

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The Fundraising Chair is responsible for…

• Recruiting Fundraising Volunteers

• Providing a template fundraising letter for the Conference Committee and Board of Directors
• Creating and maintaining a master spreadsheet for fundraising contacts
• Providing sponsorship information for the web site

• Providing information and direction to Fundraising Volunteers
• Preparing and sending applicable grants
• Contacting and following through with possible funders
• Providing funding updates to Conference Chair
• Writing thank you notes to donors after receipt of goods or check

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The Session Chair is responsible for…

• Receiving and collecting concurrent session proposals by May 1^st
• Recruiting any desired facilitators or topics
• Reviewing session proposals
• Facilitating a committee to review and select session proposals when necessary
• Sending a final list of session descriptions, times, locations, and dates to the Conference Chair by June 15^th
• Communicating with applicants and selected presenters throughout the planning process (confirming receipt of application, informing applicant of selection status, securing needed language for the brochure, identifying AV or facility needs)
• Providing AV needs to the Audio/Visual Volunteer by August 1^st
• Serving as contact person/troubleshooter for workshop presenters during the conference weekend.

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The Workshop Chair is responsible for:

• Receiving and collecting workshop proposals by May 1^st
• Recruiting applicable workshop presenters
• Reviewing workshop proposals
• Facilitating a committee to review and select workshop proposals when necessary
• Sending a final list of workshop descriptions, times, locations, and dates to the Conference Chair by June 15^th
• Communicating with applicants and selected presenters throughout the planning process (confirming receipt of application, informing applicant of selection status, securing needed language for the brochure, identifying AV or facilities needs, etc.)
• Providing AV needs to the Audio/Visual Volunteer by August 1^st
• Serving as contact person/troubleshooter for workshop presenters during the conference weekend.

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The Publicity Chair is responsible for…

• Designing the look and layout of the conference brochure and schedule
• Providing information and imagery for the web site
• Coordinating with the Communications Committee to assure consistent information and imagery for the newsletter and web site
• Sending electronic conference brochure to appropriate communities (Office of EE, NCSTA, NCAEEC, etc.)

• Recruiting Publicity Volunteers (with the help of the Membership Chair and Section Coordinators)
• Providing information and direction to Publicity Volunteers

• Preparing and sending press releases

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The Registration Chair is responsible for…

• Researching online registration and payment options—Due by June 1
• Working with treasurer and membership chair to set up best system for communicating/sharing membership renewal info, and handling/recording of checks.  Due by June 1
• Contacting past registrars for advise and support
• Receiving and collecting registration forms – July 15 until conference date
• Creating and maintaining registration data base from information on registration forms – either through manual data entry or utilizing on-line system, as established (due 5 days prior to conference)
• Sending registration confirmations
• Soliciting volunteer requests (numbers and times needed) to Volunteer Coordinator
• Providing lists and total counts to Conference Chair for participants in each workshop and field trip, housing assignments, meals—Due one week prior to conference start
• Creating envelopes for each participant containing:  Name tag, Housing assignment, Confirmation of workshops and field trips, Meals confirmed, Any $$ due or refund due –Should be completed at least 3 days prior to conference
• Setting up and breaking down the registration table
• Providing leadership and training for check-in and on-site registration process
• Providing final registration report to the board

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