Jill Bourman, Network & Desktop Services Supervisor, Anoka-Hennepin ISD11, Minnesota Chapter.
 
“I have still not come down from cloud 9 and I am still in awe about my invitation-only event last week to have the opportunity to sit in on a round table discussion with Mark Hurd and staff.”
 
“Due to my involvement with Connect and my current position with Anoka-Hennepin ISD11, I was able to attend the round table discussion in Minneapolis at the Works Computing Training Facility. There were 29 people in attendance including Mark Hurd and his staff so it was a very small group which led to some great discussions.  I definitely found some first-hand experiences and direct career benefit by attending the event. There were a few folks present from the public sector and I had the opportunity to ask Mark Hurd whether HP had a product or service roadmap for Education or the Public sector?   He replied right away with a contact for my area that would be available to visit us to speak around our questions and present the K-12 roadmap for Education.  This information and product roadmap will be invaluable to see the direction in which HP is going in my profession involving technology and education.”
 
“My involvement with Connect has given me such opportunity and has led to many networking events that have become invaluable in my daily profession. My staff and I have been able to tap into many resources that we would not have had and find solutions to daily problems. Also, the Connect online network (connect-community.org) that was launched in the past year has made it very easy for me and other chapter members to network with others throughout the US and globally by our common interests, profile settings, and special interest groups (SIGs). Thanks to Connect!”
 
"Also, I continually gain career benefits from Connect through training and educational resources. Either through live presentations at chapter meetings or the webinars sponsored through Connect, my staff and I are continually learning and expanding our knowledge with new technologies. This is key since the tech world is constantly evolving and right when you feel like you have learned one new tool or piece of technology, it is already “OLD Hat” and onto something new. By attending chapter meetings, I am able to listen to valuable presentations, participate in Q& A and if someone has a problem, it has been written down and there is a follow-up. You can’t beat that one!"