Here’s the recap of our successful first half of this fiscal year:

• Exceptional Monthly Educational Chapter Programs
• Informative Monthly Chapter Workshops
• Successful Microsoft Sharepoint Seminar
• Dilla’ Dollars Campaign
• Supplies Drive
• Blood Drive
• Vendor Appreciation Event
• Children’s Choir Event
• Toys for MD Anderson Drive
• ARMA Houston Hospitality Suite
• Holiday Hugs
• Holiday Social Event
• Angel Tree Campaign

And now let’s take a look at what is coming for the next half of the fiscal year:

• More Monthly Educational Programs
• More Monthly Workshops
• Houston Symphony Special Project
• Texas Medical Center Special Project
• ALHEF Chili Cook Off
• ARMA Houston Chapter Spring Conference
• CRM Conference
• Annual Shred Day
• Food Drive
• Dr. Mark Langemo (E-Records) 2-Day Seminar
• Dilla’ Dollar Auction

So….what is YOUR professional development plan for Success in 2008? I encourage you to take a look at ARMA International’s RIM Core Competencies (free of charge) at http://www.arma.org/competencies/. These competencies have been developed to help the Records and Information Management professional to identify gaps in their current skill sets and knowledge so they can identify where they may need more development to reach for the stars! Take a peek and focus on your professional development for 2008 and Be Prepared To Be Successful!

ARMA Houston Chapter

2007-2008 Board of Directors
Be Prepared To Be Successful!

“My role is Records Transition Analyst. I evaluate the records requirements of new clients, and design the processes for managing their information according to requirements.”

Theresa is no stranger to our Chapter. She spoke at the Houston Conference in 2005 and again in 2006 regarding “Records Inventory and RIM Problem Solving.” Her presentations were so well received that she was invited to speak at the ARMA International Conference in Chicago where she gave the “Down and Dirty Workshop” as part of the Training Lab.

Speaking before groups has not always been a natural for Theresa, but she got involved with Toastmasters seven years ago. Now, she says, “I love public speaking. It has seriously made me comfortable with expressing myself to the world.”

In addition to Toastmasters, playing with her two dogs is another one of her hobbies. She has two large, affectionate, indoor dogs. “My dogs were both adopted from a pet adoption agency, so they are mixed breeds. I think each is mixed with black lab.”

Theresa is a native of New York and grew up in Rochester. She graduated from SUNY (State University of New York) at Buffalo. She has enjoyed living in Houston for the past 29 years. What Theresa likes best about the Houston Chapter is “the size and activity level of the members! All industries, all levels of RIM professionals, all levels of educational expertise, and the fact all are interested in learning more about ECRM.”

Plus, she knows that networking has benefited her professionally. “ARMA has given me a whole team of experts that I can call on when I have a question, need to look for vendor services, want to share RIM (not company) frustrations, and need a mentor (or two or three) for my CRM exam.”

Theresa is well on her way to being a mentor herself. Thanks for being an active part of ARMA Houston, Theresa. And…congratulations on becoming a CRM and member of the Institute of Certified Records Managers!

ARMA Houston Chapter

KUDOS BOARD

Individual Member Recognitions

Mike Alsup Louis Buzby, CRM Susan Casias Vassie Cook Regina Corey Blake Denney Mike Diaz Kathleen Fabra Ed Fritcher Minnie Garcia Jeff George Jim Harvey Victor Lamas

Anita Lavaud Teresa Matlock Beverly McMahan Terry Mercer Gayle Page George Ramirez Nancy Ramirez, CRM Denise Robertson, CRM Scott Rutherford Robin Thompson Barrett Walker Diane Walker, CRM Jennifer Walker-Ostertag

Company Recognitions

Altek Systems AV/Security Destruction HFRRF IBM Information Network International, Inc Iron Mountain

Lavaud Staffing Solutions PacoTech, Inc Pioneer Contract Services Plano Safesite The Gimmal Group

If you would like to recognize a member, company, or vendor name in this column, please contact Nancy Ramirez at nancy.ramirez@exxonmobil.com.

#144532

Submitted by: Linda Williams,
Houston Chapter

ARMA Houston Board of Director Leadership News

Submitted by: Jim Dixon, Houston Chapter

All of the hype of the Holiday Season makes us aware of the concept of gifting and receiving, but do we really understand the meaning of the word “Gift.”? Webster’s dictionary offers the following as definitions for the word we know as “Gift”:

1. a notable capacity, talent, or endowment,
2. something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation,
3. the act, right, or power of giving.

Often confused with the feeling of entitlement, leadership is far from automatic, deserved, or a target of criticism; and needs to be more in line with what Mr. Webster had in mind. The more I thought about ARMA Houston Leadership, the more I found it in alignment with Webster’s definition.

1. ARMA Houston Chapter leadership does require a capacity of patience, endurance, and benevolence. These capacities are obviously a “must” to be evidenced in the leader. However, those who are being led often have to be patient with their leaders, endure the process of being lead, and believe in the inherent good of those who are placed in leadership.
2. Leadership in ARMA Houston certainly is a volunteer effort that is transferred “to / from” those in leadership; “from / to” those they lead. We must never forget about the voluntary transference of value derived from our leaders. It is so easy to forget this and to automatically start to expect that our voluntary leaders should perform like salaried employees. Usually, the only compensation that is derived from voluntary leadership is the confidence that you are adding to a cumulative good for the entire chapter

3. Leadership does require action and relies on the rights bestowed upon us and is empowered by the giving of one’s talents, abilities and desires to be the “best in the class” of leaders who are placed in our organization for the benefit of its members.

Leadership is never for the faint at heart. Although expertise and learned processes come into play, leaders must never forget the concept that leadership is probably more of a gift than talent. Historically, world leaders who have suffered failure have done so because they have strayed away from the concept of leadership as being a gift.

Each of us, as ARMA Houston Chapter Members, needs to reflect that the chapter is comprised of those individuals who lead, and / or who are led. For the members, it is imperative to stop and cherish the gift of the leaders in your midst. For those in leadership, we must never forget what a privilege it is to be placed in the position of leadership, and that it truly is a gift.

Enjoy the gifts, in our midst, as we move into 2008!

Lucky Number Search Each issue of the ARMAdilla features an ARMA Houston member's number. All you need to do is read through the issue and find your member number to become a lucky winner! Winners should contact Nancy Ramirez @ nancy.ramirez@exxonmobil.com to claim their prize. Good luck!

During the course of the six hour conversation, I found myself explaining repeatedly to my colleague (indeed, to the entire Document Control group) that in the event of the discovery/legal hold process, attorneys will not respect the thin line between active records systems and those records housed in the corporate electronic records management system (ERMS). Although corporate policy determines if retention begins at the moment of creation or the moment the end user places the record in the ERMS, I believe that most attorneys will go straight for the active records systems before they hit the ERMS (case law in support of the New Federal Rules may be minimal yet, but courts are catching on).

I believe the confusion between the two disciplines lies in the fact that the retention period for project management documentation within the Document Control records series is incorrect. The usual retention period of “Life of Facility + ___ years” to the Document Control mind equals, “heck, let’s just keep this stuff forever on the shared drive. It’s not as if you have to do anything with it.” Instead, the retention period should be "Project Completion + 3 years". If a Records Manager uses that retention period, at least they have a more likely chance at managing the records of those projects designated as completed. Also, the potential for more conversation, interaction and therefore understanding between the two disciplines would increase.

The present-day delta between Document Control and Records and Information Management is a small misunderstanding based on retention periods but may directly influence the number of departments within a company that will accept and utilize RIM’s services—the end game of haggling six hours with my colleague. After all, DC manages documents, too. Why would they need RIM’s help? We (RIM) don’t know their records with the same intimacy as DC does. I wish with all my heart it was different, but in my experience the implementation of an ERMS has been a bit more challenging to market to those colleagues--especially those in Document Control.

Q: When entering employee records into a records system, is it safe to enter social security numbers?

A: The person who asked this question was talking about inventorying hard copy records; however it would probably apply to microfilm and electronic records as well. Of course, we have to be careful with social security numbers these days. However, if they will be part of the search criteria, they need to be included. A lot of companies are now assigning employee numbers that can be used when searching for information on a particular employee. Even with names and employee numbers however; the social security number is a vital piece of information needed in ensuring a complete and thorough personnel search. The way some have handled this situation with social security numbers and other confidential information is to discuss this with RIM employees when they are hired. They should be informed that in performing their duties, they will encounter an abundance of information that is extremely confidential and they will be held to standards similar to those stated in the ICRM Code of Ethics, Item #3, and “Certified Records Managers shall be prudent in the use of information acquired in the course of their duties. They should protect confidential information, proprietary and trade secret information obtained from others and use it only for the purposes approved by the party from whom it was obtained or for the benefit of that party, and not for personal gain of anyone else”. As far as employees in other departments of the company having access to confidential information, we would hope that they are required to follow similar standards. We would love to hear of other ways of handling this issue so please feel free to make some suggestions on this topic.

And last, please keep the questions coming. Submit them via email to allan.heath1@kbr.com, by phone at 713-753-4577, or just hand them to Allan when you see him at the next RIM function!

Lights … Camera … Action!
Presenting the 2008 Chapter Luncheon and Workshop Line Up!

Submitted By: Robin Thompson, Houston Chapter

This roster would not be possible without the help of our ARMA membership who took time to fill out our comment forms. The first thank you goes to you. Last year’s luncheon attendance increased by 200% which is the best validation we have that we are putting together the types of programs that you find interesting.

BBig thanks to Jennifer Walker-Ostertag, Social & Hospitality Committee Manager and Committee Members Barrett Walker and Julie Prochnow and Regina Coury, Programs and Workshops Committee Manager and Committee Members Kathleen Fabra and Rhonda Boehm!

As my grandmother used to say, “don’t be the only one in Harris County,” not at the 2008 chapter meetings. They are fun, fabulous and educational. The workshops are free of charge, and registration is easy for both on our website at www.armahouston.org!

2008 CHAPTER LUNCHEONS
4^th WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH
11:30 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.

FEBRUARY Judy Sitton, CRM will present “When the Right to Privacy and the Right to Know Collide”

MARCH Adele Carboni, PMP, CRM and Mimi Dionne, CRM of Cheniere Energy will present “Electronic Records Management: Turning Records Into Motion”

APRIL Our Fabulous Spring Conference

MAY Annual Awards Banquet – ARMA Professional Development will have a program designed to help us improve our communication skills with our boss, co-workers, and friends. More to come on that program in the March ARMAdilla

JUNE Officer Investiture – The New Board will be sworn in

JULY Ahmad Mian, Shawn Edwards, David Mims of FileControl will present a program on hosting of records and documents and its impact on records management. FileControl is the company who hosts the Harris County Courthouse Records which Charles Bacarrise presented on last year

AUGUST Diane Carlisle, CRM will present “Selling RIM to Upper Management”

SEPTEMBER Debe Wantzloeben, CRM, Director of Records at Valero Energy will bring us a case study on Email retention

OCTOBER Melodee Elliott, CLIS will talk about Taxonomy and File Plans

NOVEMBER Vendor appreciation honoring 2008 ARMA Vendor Members

DECEMBER Annual Holiday Celebration

NOTE: LUNCHEON SPONSORSHIPS - ARMA Houston vendor members, please send an email to rthompson@americansearchcompanies.com if you are interested in sponsoring one of these meetings. Sponsorships fill quickly, so please contact Robin Thompson, VP Chapter Programs, for more details.

2008 WORKSHOPS
4^th WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH
10:00 A.M. – 11:00 A.M.

Our series this year is “Records Around the Business World.” Attend all in the series and have your name put in a drawing to win a $100 AmEx gift card to be given away just in time for Christmas at our November meeting.

FEBRUARY “So … You Want to be a CRM?” Linda Richards, CRM will help you navigate the application process and answer questions on what to expect as you seek your certification.

MARCH Records Series, Part 1 of 7: Payroll and Personnel Records, Linda Thompson, CPP, Payroll Manager of Benchmark Resources. Linda is a 25 year veteran of payroll and HR records and has served as an officer on the Payroll Association.

APRIL Our Spring Conference – no workshop

MAY Records Series, Part 2 of 7: Oil and Gas Records presented by our own resident expert, Beverly McMahan, CRM, EOG Resources.

JUNE Records Series, Part 3 of 7: Usha Vasu in accounting at Spectra Energy will talk about Accounting Records.

JULY Records Series, Part 4 of 7: Learn about Government Records. Speaker to be announced.

AUGUST Records Series, Part 5 of 7: D’Anderia Dunham with Texas Children’s Records Department will talk about Medical Records.

SEPTEMBER Records Series, Part 6 of 7: Sandy Miller, CRM of Amegy will talk about Banking Records.

OCTOBER Records Series, Part 7 of 7: Everis Mollon, 20+ year veteran of legal records management at the Winstead firm will talk about records in a Legal environment.

NOVEMBER $100 Gift Certificate Awarded to …. You?

DECEMBER Holiday Social – no workshop

2007 Highlights and 2008 Goals & Objectives 
Marketing

Submitted by: Patti Manning and Frank Lerma,
Houston Chapter

The Marketing Committee accomplished some great things for Chapter members and the community in 2007 and is planning an even bigger year in 2008! Following are some of the 2007 highlights and their goals/objectives for 2008:

2007 Highlights

Microsoft Sponsors SharePoint Seminar
On October 22, 2007, over 75 ARMA Houston members attended a seminar offered free of charge by Microsoft. Russ Ruggia, Business Productivity Specialist with Microsoft, presented SharePoint and the Microsoft Platform – Compliance and eDiscovery offering all attendees a glimpse of the unified, enterprise-ready solution that SharePoint offers its customers increasing organizational effectiveness by making information and knowledge sharing intuitive and easy, controlling and reusing content while reducing information management risk, and enabling faster and more insightful decision making. In addition to the SharePoint presentation, Stonebridge presented a case study on its approach to eDiscovery and Records Management.

Toy Drive for MDA Cancer Patients
ARMA Houston members demonstrated their generosity and bigheartedness by donating toys and baby items to the MDA cancer patients. At a time when most children are at home with their families celebrating the holiday season, ARMA Houston was able to share the joy and gift of giving to many children.

(continued on page 18)

2007 Highlights and 2008 Goals/Objectives
Education and Outreach

Submitted by: Steve DeClue, CRM, Houston Chapter

The committees that fall under the Vice President - Education have interrelated responsibilities, but all with the common goal of providing information and education for persons interested in pursuing a career in Records and Information Management. Anyone with any questions of comments about any of these functions is encouraged to contact Steve DeClue at sdeclue@hess.com, or at 713-609-5540.

The goal of the ISG/Seminars Committee, headed by Robin Thompson, is to schedule and execute at least two educational seminars related to Records Management in the 2007-2008 ARMA - Houston year. Two seminars related to an ISG such as Legal, Oil and Gas, Medical, etc., and potentially one additional general records management seminar. On October 25th, 2007 a downtown Energy seminar was held on Lessons Learned from Projects and Business Continuity Planning. In March 2008, the Legal ISG will be held with Harold Ruvelt of Nixon Peabody discussing the records audit process. We have tentatively scheduled May of 2008 for a medical records seminar to be held in the Medical Center area.

The ICRM/CRM Committee headed by Linda Richards has a goal of promoting achievement of CRM designation to ARMA Houston members. The committee also provides mentorship for members studying for CRM exams, along with study materials and strategies for successful completion of all 6 tests. Linda Richards also provides guidance for qualification for sitting for the CRM exams. In the past 6 months The CRM committee has worked with several candidates to study for CRM exam parts 1-5, and has assisted 4 people in completing the CRM exam application. Linda recently conducted a CRM seminar/study group prior to ARMA monthly meetings.

There are plans for additional CRM workshops in the coming months, and there is a CRM educational conference to be held in conjunction with the ARMA Houston Spring Conference. Linda is scheduled to conduct a session on " So You Want to Be a CRM?" at the February workshop.

The Professional Development Committee headed by D'Anderia Dunham is responsible for promoting Records Management professionalism within the ARMA Houston membership. It provides information, mentoring and leadership to ARMA membership to increase the understanding of professionalism and the means for achievement of professional success. The Professional Development Committee is also involved in planning educational opportunities along with the Seminars Committee to keep the ARMA membership on the cutting edge with trends and developments in the RIM industry.

The Library Committee has historically provided RIM information resources via internet or in hardcopy to ARMA-Houston membership. They also provide reference or research to ARMA Board of Directors as needed, and work with the Internet Committee to provide direct links to ARMA Houston members to reference resources. Stephanie Byrd, a professional Information Analyst agreed to serve in this role mid-2007, but almost immediately received a change in job assignments that led to extensive overseas travel. If anyone is interested in taking over the Library Committee Chairmanship, please contact Steve DeClue at 713-609-5540.

The Mentoring Committee is chaired by Patricia Rose and assisted by 'Anderia Dunham and Nancy Ramirez, CRM. It endeavors to contact new members to offer invitations to discuss the ARMA organization, the educational opportunities that are available and in general try to make the new member feel welcome and comfortable with asking questions about ARMA. This committee works with new members and individuals who may be seeking a career change, so if you have any questions, please contact D'Anderia or Patricia.

2007 Highlights & 2008 Goals/Objectives
Communications

Submitted by: Nancy Ramirez, CRM, Margaret Southard, CRM, and Ann Zdansky, Houston Chapter

The VP of Communications committees are responsible for promoting communication of the Chapter’s educational offerings and activities on the Chapter’s website and via the Chapter’s newsletter, the ARMAdilla.

The ARMAdilla Newsletter Committee, managed by Nancy Ramirez, CRM, is responsible for informing members about current events in ARMA and the field of Records and Information Management. Since the ARMAdilla serves as the main public relations tool of the Houston Chapter, it has a significant secondary audience of prospective members, records management students, ARMA leadership, and the business community in general. The committee’s goals and objectives include:

• Publishing a chapter newsletter (The ARMAdilla) for distribution to the chapter membership via the website.
• Providing Chapter membership with records management information and news from local, state, regional, and international sources.

Last year, the ARMAdilla Newsletter Committee published 7 issues highlighting educational and general interest articles and photos of ARMA and other professional organization activities on a local, state, regional, and international level. Featured columns include a President’s Message, Member Spotlight, Kudos Board, Leadership News, RIM Corner, Ask The CRM, Chapter Highlights, Community Service Projects, Conference/Seminar News, ALHEF News, ARMA International News, New Regulation impacting the RIM field, FAQ’s, and From The Editor. The ARMAdilla Newsletter is the newsletter that provides its membership with “the best that we can offer on every page…in every issue”.

The Internet Committee, managed by Margaret Southard, CRM, is responsible for the ARMA Houston web site. The Committee is responsible for maintaining the website with current information on Chapter activities as well as providing links to other ARMA resources at the local, region, or International level.

One of the Committee’s highlights in 2007 was a "Poster Session" conducted by Margaret and Sri Kora (Webmaster) at the ARMA International Conference in Boston. This included an overview of about 100 ARMA International Chapter web sites. And while ARMA Houston may not have won "Web Site of the Year", the Committee has ensured that the ARMA Houston Chapter website contains all of the important elements that are needed to win.

In 2008, the ARMAdilla Newsletter and Internet Committees hope to implement additional enhancements to their communication vehicles that will win us the ARMA International “Newsletter of the Year” and “Website of the Year” awards! Some of the enhancements include:

• Updating the website,
• Encouraging members to utilize the website as a resource tool,
• Making the website faster to navigate through, and
• Encouraging members to submit RIM and general interest articles/photos for publication in the ARMAdilla Newsletter

Other suggestions are welcome and should be directed as follows:

VP of Communications - Ann Zdansky, annz@commonsource.com , 281-260-9220

ARMAdilla Newsletter Editor – Nancy Ramirez, CRM, nancy.ramirez@exxonmobil.com , 281-654-7188

Internet Manager – Margaret Southard, CRM, mac_south@yahoo.com , 281-292-7424

We look forward to hearing from you!

2007 Highlights and 2008 Goals & Objectives 
Chapter Conference

Submitted by: George Ramirez, Houston Chapter

The ARMA Houston Chapter Conference Committee managed by George Ramirez, VP of Chapter Conference is responsible for the following Committee Managers and their respective Committees:

• Conference Arrangements –
  H. A. (Nancy) Ramirez, CRM
• Conference Exhibits – Julie Prochnow
• Conference Programs –
  Doug Allen, CRM / Gayle Page
• Conference Publicity – Roderick Jackson
• Conference Registration – Patti Manning

During 2007, the Chapter Conference Committee initiated its work by establishing its committees and identifying all of the activities that would be involved in planning and organizing a successful conference. When the Southwest Region decided that the Houston Chapter would host the SW Region CRM Conference in conjunction with the Chapter Conference, it became evident that the work that would be involved in coordinating both would double! So….for the last six months, all Conference Committees have been very busy working on preliminary logistics. This has included soliciting speakers, soliciting exhibitors, soliciting catering and audio/visual bids, establishing a Conference website, developing a marketing strategy, and coordinating registration logistics. Needless to say, until you are involved with the Conference Committee, you have no idea what all is involved in coordinating one!

In 2008, the Conference Committee will be finalizing all activities and providing attendees with one of the most educational and highly attended conferences within ARMA. In fact, the only other Records and Information Management-related Conference that draws more attendance is the ARMA International Conference!

So, start off the new year right and make plans to attend the ARMA Houston Chapter Conference which will be held on April 22-23, 2008 at the Stafford Centre in Stafford, Texas. This is the first time in the history of the ARMA Houston Chapter that we will be hosting the local ARMA Houston Conference in conjunction with the SW Region CRM Conference together.

Whether you plan to be an attendee or an exhibitor, be sure to register early and reserve your slot because we are anticipating a record-breaking year in attendance with both conferences taking place together at the same location. Between the two conferences, we anticipate somewhere in the neighborhood of 400-450 attendees!

Whether you are just starting out in the field of Records and Information Management or an experienced veteran, you will find basic, intermediate, advanced educational sessions that will meet your needs. Our plans are to provide you with an outstanding educational program, an exhibit floor filled with vendor solutions to your Records and Information needs (equipment, supplies, technology, staffing, services, etc), networking opportunities with your colleagues, an evening reception sponsored by PacoTech, a Silent Auction sponsored by ALHEF, and a fun Derby Race that will be sure to entertain you!

For additional information about the ARMA Houston Chapter Conference or the SW Region CRM Conference, please contact George Ramirez at 713-775-1160 or via email at aiotgar@sbcglobal.net . To register