I first became aware of SIGUCCS in 1996. I had just finished my BA, and graduated in another way also: I went from being a student employee to an administrator for about 120 student employees, essentially overnight. The User Services Conference, as it was called, was held in Chicago that year. I was ‘green’ in every sense; it was my first conference as a professional, and only the second time that I had ever travelled outside of my own time zone. Fran Versace, my manager at the time and who is still active in SIGUCCS, knew that it would be a valuable opportunity for someone who was just starting their career.

The significance of all of this took years to sink in, and much has happened in the ensuing 18 years. I’ve been with three very different institutions, and have had the good fortune to learn from the successes and miscues from many leaders. The best took an interest in growing the people around them. Some call this altruism. To others, it is succession planning. Regardless of the motive, aside from the individual benefits, this trait advances the organization.

The lesson for me is that as we Build (our) Own Destiny in Salt Lake City, sometimes it takes a single act of mentoring to transform someone. Had it not been for Fran taking a chance on me, or introducing me to SIGUCCS, my career would be in a very different place. I may not have met dozens of people who I now consider friends, and have influenced me professionally and personally.

SIGUCCS has many strengths; one is the opportunity to develop long-term conversations with professionals in our field, with a broad perspective that comes from an international community. For decades these conversations have happened primarily at conferences or listservs. One of the efforts to foster these conversations year-round is the SIGUCCS Mentoring program, which is about enter its third year. This unique year-long program is available to all members (join now: http://www.siguccs.org/join.shtml), and is a centerpiece of our professional development offerings. It is an invaluable opportunity to gain insights, and to either advance in your career, or to help someone in achieving their goals.

SIGUCCS is built around networking opportunities. As you build your destiny, take a moment to help someone with theirs. Perhaps there is someone at your institution who has never had an opportunity to connect with their peers, and would benefit from the SIGUCCS experience. There may be an attendee who is struggling with a situation that you, or your institution, have solved already. Please share those experiences, however trivial they may seem. From personal experience I can tell you that even the smallest interaction can be impactful for years afterwards. I look forward to seeing you in Salt Lake City, and having those conversations.

Mat Felthousen, ACM-SIGUCCS Chair