Dallas SWE is pleased to recognize Shelley Stracener as Member of the Month for December 2018!
With our Member of the Month program, Dallas SWE seeks to recognize some of our non-officer members whose technical contributions, leadership accomplishments, or SWE volunteer service are particularly noteworthy. If you would like to nominate a Dallas SWE member for his/her contributions, please email us at dallas.swe@gmail.com.
Our December Member of the Month is Shelley Stracener! Shelley received her Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Baylor University in 2005. During her thirteen year career, she has made technical and leadership contributions in three major industries: business computing (Dell), airborne electronics (Heads Up Technologies), and now medical devices. As a Senior Electrical Engineer at Abbott’s Neuromodulation division in Plano, Shelley designs implantable pulse generators for the treatment of chronic pain via spinal cord stimulation and movement disorders via deep brain stimulation. Shelley also recently started new Women in STEM and Women Leaders of Abbott Employee Network Groups in her division.
As a sixteen year SWE member and recent Life Membership convert, Shelley has held a variety of appointed and elected leadership positions in SWE. She used her passion for communication and advocacy as Webmaster and Social Media Manager for two SWE sections and, prior to its dissolution, for Region C (the Gulf Coast Region). She also served as Region C Secretary in FY16. She is in her fourth year of service on the SWE Magazine Editorial Board and has authored several articles and All Together blog posts. As your Dallas SWE President in FY17-FY18, Shelley made great strides strengthening the leadership pipeline by recruiting new volunteers to the leadership team and recording best practices and practical tips for officers in a Dallas SWE Leadership Guide. Shelley is currently serving a two-year term on the Society Nominating Committee, vetting candidates for the highest levels of SWE leadership.
Shelley is also an enthusiastic outreach volunteer and mentor to local high school and college students, especially when they have questions about helping people through the medical device industry. She also serves as the Counselor for her alma mater’s SWE section and visits several times per year to offer guidance and stay connected to SWE collegiates.
Outside of SWE, Shelley is an active cyclist and rides a recumbent bicycle in long-distance charity fundraiser rides including fourteen MS150’s, each covering 150 miles in two days. She also enjoys crochet yarn crafts and spending time with her husband and two dogs.
My favorite thing about SWE is meeting diverse women from every culture, engineering discipline, career stage, industry, and school of thought. My friends and mentors in SWE were a great resource in my early career and I’m excited about our organization’s future. Here’s to continued strength and inspiration for our Dallas section in service of SWE’s mission and goals!
~Shelley Stracener