CHATTANOOGA ENGINEERS CLUB
Volume L
Number 33

September 20, 1999
12:00 NOON
The Loft, 328 Cherokee Blvd.
http://www.utc.edu/~engrcs/cec/cec.htm

THIS WEEK____________________________________________________________
USLEC, a local exchange carrier in the Chattanooga service area will provide the program. This presentation, as well as the following question and answer time will give attendees an opportunity to learn about, evaluate, and compare various local exchange carrier features and future services planned.

LAST WEEK____________________________________________________________
Greg Sedrick, as a backup speaker, delivered his assessment of workforce development here in the greater Chattanooga area. As with rest of the country, our economy is a picture of health as the millennium comes to a close. Local studies do indicate that we will not see as much growth in Hamilton County as North Georgia, Sequatchie and Bledsoe area. Typically, enrolment in higher education suffers during healthy economy, which is the case for both UTC and CSTCC this Fall. But the enrolment for freshmen entering engineering, engineering technology and computer science fields at both schools are on the increase. Apparently, our future workforce is somewhat aware of the technology trends. Bill Gates, in his new book Business @ the Speed of Thought, stated that digital technology will radically increase the speed at which business is conducted. It will change the relationship between businesses and their customers, and it will transform the roles of individual workers. How well an organization adapts to this changing business landscape will depend on the health of its internal digital processes-its "digital nervous system." For more detailed information about the digital nervous system? Visit www.speed-of-thought.com.
Another recommended reading from Greg Sedrick is Prosperity: The Coming Twenty Year Boom by Bob Davis and David Wessel, both are journalists at the Wall Street Journal. They contended that we are on the edge of a huge economic boom that will be fueled by three trends: high technology; the re-education of the American work force; and globalization. They argued that gains in productivity, long promised by the computer revolution, but never delivered on, will finally cause a surge of innovation and new opportunities not seen since the widespread growth and acceptance of electricity at the turn of the century. Community colleges will help to bridge the wide gap between educated and less educated workers. And finally, globalization will create new jobs and provide low-cost goods to consumers.
If you are interested in more discussions on the topic, join Greg Sedrick's class on-line. Contact him via email, sedrick@cstcc.cc.tn.us.

COMING PROGRAMS___________________________________________________
September 27 - Fred Carr, Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Support Services,
Hamilton County Education Department.
October 4 - Joe Hunter, Director of Technology, Girls' Preparatory School.
October 25 - Joint field trip with AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) for a tour of
the Center for Laser Applications at the University of Tennessee Space Institute
(UTSI) in Tullahoma, TN.
Please email (copeland@cstcc.cc.tn.us), phone (697-3212), or fax (697-3325) in
your reservation by October 18 to Lulu Copeland.

Quote of the Week_____________________________________________________________

E-mail is not to be used to pass on information or data. It should be used only for company business. (Accounting manager, ElectricBoat Company)

1999 Officers
President Greg Sedrick
697-4456 (fax 697-3131)

1st VP Ed Chapin
Program Chairman 266-9720 (fax 266-9737)

2nd VP Lulu Copeland
Membership Chairman 697-3212 (fax 697-3325)

Treasurer Uwe Zitzow
756-4321

Secretary Phil Kazemersky
755-5311 (fax 755-5229)

Bulletin Editor Lulu Copeland