Among the great pleasures of my career have been the opportunities to help improve websites and open up new ways for organizations to highlight their issues, whether by a fresh website, better newsletters, or forays into social media.  In many ways, coming to work at the NTSB in October 2010 has brought me back to the roots of my interest in online communications.  Back in the 1990’s - the “Wild West” days of the internet – I became a manager for an online community of history buffs, helping keep the peace, answer questions, fix problems, and write newsletters for our resident population of over 100,000 users.

This was in the days before the buzzwords “social media” or “Web 2.0” were ubiquitous, and when only a minority of people used the web as a primary way to communicate. Online communities tended to be close-knit, specialized, and few in number compared to the explosion of social sites today. But helping run the show was enough to spark my interest in the potential of the internet to connect people and foster conversation, and it set my feet down the path that eventually led me to the NTSB.  In the intervening, years I’ve held positions covering nearly every facet of the IT field, from the all-around Information Systems Manager to the specialized Project Manager, but I’ve always remained involved with the organization’s online communications program.

For me, making the shift from the non-profit world to federal service has been less of an adjustment than I anticipated. The NTSB feels a lot like my former workplaces, being staffed with people who are passionate about a mission and focused on issues. The “mission first” attitude at the Board is one I’m very familiar with, especially from my days with conservation non-profits.

My duties as Web Content Developer in the Office of Communications are to use my technical skills and background in web communications to enhance our electronic communications and help build the agency’s online communications strategy. I also keep an eye on the trends in interactive communications so that I can recommend ongoing improvements and upcoming changes to enhance the delivery of our message. 

When I joined the NTSB, Across the Board, the agency’s new online newsletter and the new NTSB.gov website were deep into the developmental stages.  NTSB had already determined the look and feel of the newsletter, and contractors had developed the wireframe for the site.  I worked with that team in the final stages and the publication launched in December 2010.   I also assisted in launching NTSB’s YouTube channel, and I am now part of the team that is developing our social media policies and strategies, working on building our blog, and developing the new version of NTSB.gov, scheduled to launch in June. 

With the Chairman’s commitment to social media, it’s no exaggeration to say that there will be big changes coming in the next year. The NTSB has begun its journey into social media, and we will continue to use these sites to communicate with the public.  As use of social networking sites grows around the world, more and more people get their news and information via social websites rather than on traditional “destination” websites like NTSB.gov. By becoming part of the social media conversation, the Board is becoming better able to quickly and efficiently release information, highlight our work, and talk about transportation safety issues with the public.