Recently the IEEE Houston Section celebrated another VoLT (Volunteer Leader Training) graduation celebration class with Jerry Harness and Chang Duan. Both, Jerry and Chang leveraged the the Center for Leadership Excellence  (CLE) to complete one of the tracks of the VoLT program. The CLE is designed to serve the multiple and diverse range of IEEE user communities. From volunteers, non-volunteers to students, members, and conference organizers, the site offers a simpler and effective learning experience.

IEEE volunteers who have 2+ years of experience volunteering in their local units and have not held a Section Chair position, are highly encouraged to participate in VoLT. The program has two tracks.

Track 1 – Each year, IEEE volunteers are invited to participate in Track 1, which covers the core organizational units of IEEE and focuses on the foundation knowledge of the organization. These pre-requisite courses are available to all IEEE volunteers in the Center for Leadership Excellence (CLE) web site.

Track 2 – Volunteers who complete Track 1 above can apply for consideration for Track 2 of the program. Track 2 will last about three months (Sep-Dec) and consists of weekly live webinars focused on leadership related topics. Participation in Track 2 will be determined by the MGA Training Committee based on predefined criteria. Applicants will need an endorsement from a volunteer leader within their area.

Region 5 has had over 12 Graduates from the program since 2013 and many of which have gone on to be distinguished volunteers at the Sectional and Regional levels. Many of which have also been nominated and awarded for their outstanding volunteer efforts.

The IEEE Houston Section is also proud of its historic number of graduates from the VoLT program and the number of volunteers that have completed Track 1. The section has led Region 5 with the largest number of program graduates in the Region.

Part of our goal moving forward is to encourage incoming Section EXCOM and Student Branch EXCOM volunteers to complete Track 1 of the CLE training. “We have seen a tremendous amount of volunteer leadership excellence among those who have completed Track 1 in CLE and VoLT Program Graduates”…says Christopher Sanderson, IEEE Vice-Chair and R5 South Area Chair.

Some of the programs that have gained Section, Regional, or National recognitions from the VoLT Program are as follows:

• IEEE Emergency Disaster Preparedness Resource Matrix
• Membership Engagement Scorecard
• Young Professional Start Up Manual
• First-Time Members Engagement

To learn more about the VoLT Program or  complete Track 1 of the program, feel free to ask a fellow Houston Section VoLT Program Graduate or or send an email to volt@ieee.org

Take Charge of your Volunteer Leadership Training with VoLT.

Article by Christopher Sanderson, IEEE Region 5 South Area Chair,  IEEE-USA Career & Professional Development Committee,  Houston Section Vice-Chair, IEEE Admission and Advancement Committee

IEEE HOU Sec. has been in existence for more than 90 years serving the greater metro Houston Area. We serves more than 4,000 higher grade members and over 300 student members living and working throughout the greater Metro Houston area. The Houston Section is one of 26 sections in  Region 5 with 15 Society Chapters and Affinity Groups and 5 Student Branch Chapters. The Section provides planning and funding support to assure Chapters have vibrant programs to support members’ careers and meet the IEEE mission of Advancing Technology for Humanity.