Tech Resources Committee

Duties and Responsibilities

• Perform ongoing reviews of the NCA’s information (both electronic and non-electronic) needs and status, and make recommendations as to how to improve and take better advantage of technology to further the goals of the NCA, and prepare at minimum an annual report making suggesting for projects that will enhance information gathering, access, and security.

• Address all information security concerns that arise in the NCA acceptance and recording of private member data (e.g., credit card information).

• Advise the NCA Board and committees as needed on specific issues that require technology expertise. Examples might include the following:

• Assist the Health & Longevity Committee and/or Breeders Education Committee and/or General Education Committee in developing electronic libraries of information that can be easily indexed and accessed.

• Assist Newf Novelties in building electronic files and web pages to manage ordering and sales.

• Assist various committees in building the skills they need to prepare and submit information for inclusion on the web site

• Assist the database committee in transferring information from the current proprietary database into a database that could be meet future needs

• Assist the JEC in the creation of a CD-ROM

• Respond to ongoing technical concerns of the Board (for example, the posting of meeting recordings on the web site).

• Make recommendations, if and as appropriate, for hardware software acquisition by the NCA. (Would it be, for example, advantageous to the NCA to own and hold title to hardware and software used by any of its committees or employees such as Newf Tide Editor or database chair?)

• Overall, serve as a technical resource to the NCA Board and NCA committees for any instances where specific technical information and communications knowledge is needed.

History & Board Actions

2/23/06: Approved formation of the committee and the job description.

4/30-5/1/07: Combined the Database and Internet Committees with Technical Resources.

4/30-5/2/07: The Board approved the list of four proposed website links which would help to boost the NCA homepage rankings.

9/20/07: The Board affirmed its original charge to the Technical Resources Committee that the new database should be an “open” one.

11/2-4/07: The NCA will create and distribute an electronic newsletter monthly and/or as needed, to be made available to NCA members and others. The initial issue will be sent in December, 2007 to all NCA members for whom we have an email address. Members will have the ability to opt out at any time. All committees, the Charitable Trust Management Board, and regional clubs will be asked to submit ideas for content on an ongoing basis. Members of the Technical Resources Committee will produce the first few issues.

12/6-10/07: Change the name of the NCA electronic newsletter to “Newf-E-Highlights”.

1/14-24/08: Direct Technical Resources to develop an automated responder system for all communications sent to the Board link on the NCA web page.

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Current Projects

Website Style Guide

2008 Technical Resources Committee Annual Report by Barbara Finch, Chair

The major focus of the Technical Resources Committee for 2008 has been the database project. We plan to test the database during January 2009. Once the test phase has been completed, data will be available for the ROM awards and the Versatility Awards that are awarded at the National Specialty in April. Pedigrees should soon be available for the Annual of Titlists. Once all testing of the current database is completed, we will move to Phase Two; this phase will cover health issues.

A report on the Technical Resources Committee would not be complete without mentioning our website. We are so lucky to have Marylou Zimmerman to watch over this project. Marylou devotes hours of her time every week to make certain the NCA website is the very best!! NCA e-Notes continues to draw more subscribers. This electronic newsletter serves the breed as a wonderful way to get news out now. Many thanks to those who put together e-Notes each month.

My sincere thanks to the Technical Resources Committee members—Dan Carr, Tammy Hensley, Mary Lou Roberts, and Marylou Zimmerman—for their continued help.