SBE Leadership Development Course Set for August 6-8, 2019

The Society of Broadcast Engineers will hold the 2019 SBE Leadership Development Course Aug. 6-8, 2019, in Atlanta, GA. This three-day course is an intensive study of successful leadership and management, designed specifically for broadcast engineers.

The course explores the nature of leadership, the difference between being a manager and being a leader, how to build a winning team, the importance of attitude in the leadership position, communication insights and so much more.

Leadership Development Class of 2018

Instructing the course for the 11th year will be Rodney Vandeveer, professor of Organizational Leadership and Supervision at Purdue University. Vandeveer brings more than 30 years of experience in human resources management, training, development and manufacturing. Vandeveer also owns a leadership training business, VanTech Training. A previous course attendee said, “Rodney [Vandeveer] knows this stuff inside and out and makes it interesting as well. Plus the real-life examples from his careers help prove the points.”

To register for this professional development opportunity, go to sbe.org/ldc. The enrollment fee is $670 for SBE members and $725 for non-members. The course will be held at the Hyatt Place Atlanta Airport-South. A special room rate of $118 per night is available. Mention the SBE Leadership Development Course when booking by phone, or reserve a room online. Questions? Contact SBE Education Director Cathy Orosz at corosz@sbe.org.

The SBE has presented the SBE Leadership Development Course since 1997. The NAB sponsored the course from 1965 to 1995. This intense course is designed specifically for broadcast engineers who have or aspire to have management responsibilities. Details on the course and registration information are available at sbe.org/ldc.

SBE WEBxtra Begins Pilot Run

Following the SBE strategic planning conference held in Jun 2018, the SBE has created several task groups to investigate and develop plans based on 46 action steps to accomplish the objectives of growing and retaining membership, attracting new and younger members to the SBE, and increasing participation in SBE activities among members. One of those action steps was to create a monthly virtual program for member engineers, technicians and other broadcast professionals, wherever they may be.

The task group, under the leadership of SBE Board Member Kirk Harnack, launched a three-episode trial of the SBE WEBxtra. The first episode aired live on Jan. 25. (Watch that episode now.) Additional episodes will air in February and March as part of a pilot program to evaluate the YouTube live stream. Harnack and his task group will present its collected information to the SBE Board of Directors at its meeting on April 7 in Las Vegas at the 2019 NAB Show.

The SBE WEBxtra is being developed as an SBE chapter of the web. It’s not intended to replace the function and interaction of local chapter meetings, but to enhance member participation. This may be beneficial to SBE members who do not live near a local chapter.

For those holding SBE certification, viewing the SBE WEBxtra qualifies for 0.5 points in category G (attendance), just like attending a local chapter meeting.

The dates and guests for the February and March episodes will be announced as they are finalized.

Tarr Appointed to Fill SBE Board Vacancy

The SBE Board of Directors Executive Committee, at its meeting on Jan. 26, 2019, approved the appointment of Chris Tarr, CSRE, AMD, DRB, CBNE, to fill an open position on the SBE Board of Directors. The Board seat opened when Kim Sacks, CBT, resigned her position on the board for personal reasons. Tarr fills Sacks’ unexpired term that will end in the fall 2019.

Tarr is director of technical operations for Entercom Milwaukee/Madison, WI. He lives in Mukwonago, WI. Tarr served a previous term on the board as a director from 2006 to 2008. He will also take over as the chair of the SBE Mentor Committee. On his appointment, Chris Tarr said, “As someone who is passionate about the future of our industry, and an SBE mentor of two engineers, I’m honored to be able to continue the great work Kim Sacks has done with the Mentorship program.”

On the appointment, SBE President Jim Leifer, CPBE, said, “Chris has a boundless energy for broadcast engineering. With his previous experience on the board, I anticipate Chris will continue to grow the SBE Mentor Program, continuing on the great work Kim Sacks started.”