Susan Parker of Central Vermont Public Service is the first AIIM student to achieve the designation of IOA Master in the utilities sector. Susan is but one great example of the many students whose organization is faced with the challenges of Information Organization and Access and who are taking proactive measures to gain control over information through education. We congratulate Susan on being the first in her industry to achieve Master status. I recently had the opportunity to correspond with Susan Parker, an AIIM Student and IOA Master. Here is an excerpt of our conversation.
Bob: Susan, I want to thank you for allowing me to interview you and for the record, can you provide me with a description of your company and your role with the company?
Susan: Thank you Bob for this opportunity to pass on the experience I had with the AIIM training programs.
I am employed at Central Vermont Public Service (CVPS) an independent, investor-owned company that provides energy and energy-related services to its customers in Vermont. We were pleased to learn that we were the first IOA Master in the Utility segment.
My role with CVPS is to help all employees with total information management. I also serve as a liaison between the users and company leaders.
Bob: When did you get the idea to make AIIM Education part of your training focus and what were the drivers for the decision?
Susan: As with most companies information management is a fairly new field. My background was not in information management and my position as Information Management Analyst is new here at CVPS. The AIIM certificate program worked well for us as continuing education and training are part of our goals.
Information overload was one of the main drivers. Users have so many storage areas to manage, email, drive spaces, personal areas and a document management space. Information management is a discipline that was missing in the company. CVPS wanted "boots on the ground" to help users close the gap between their work and best practice.
There was a need for training and education both for myself and for CVPS. AIIM offers a variety of classes that covered our needs from beginner to finishing with the Masters program. The hands on training and the ability to address our corporate specific needs, was very beneficial.
Bob: What do you see as a benefit for you and future attendees of these programs?
Susan: With the constant changes in technology and the ways of managing our company's information enterprise wide, it is difficult to keep up with all the advances. AIIM is on top of these changes and new technologies. AIIM offered the convenience of either classroom and/or online certificate programs.
Bob: For the future, how do you see the role of AIIM education evolving for you and perhaps your peers?
Susan: We are looking to AIIM as the leader in not only the structural management of information, but also the leader on the technology side of managing information. We will look to AIIM to educate us on these advances.
Bob: I want to thank you Susan, for taking time to talk with me and for sharing your valuable insights and perspectives with our readers.
It is time you took a step forward by signing up for a class today at www.aiim.org/training.
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