Career Insights & Volunteer Leadership by IEEE Distinguished Speaker
Join IEEE Young Professionals Central Tennessee and Power and Energy Society at Tennessee Tech University (PES-TTU) for an evening of career insights and volunteer leadership with our distinguished speaker John McDonald - IEEE Life Fellow, IEEE Foundation President, National Academy of Engineering member, ABET Program Evaluator, CIGRE Honorary Member, and IEEE volunteer for 55 years.
Key Insights to Career Management
Drawing on 52 years of experience as an engineer, manager, and executive, John will discuss 12 important principles for managing a successful and fulfilling career. Through practical examples and photographs, he will explore career priorities, goal setting, professional growth, and the importance of aligning personal aspirations with organizational objectives.
Building and Leading a Volunteer Organization
Leading volunteers requires engagement, influence, and a compelling value proposition—not managerial authority. Based on 55 years of IEEE service and leadership at the local, national, and international levels, John will share practical strategies for building, motivating, and sustaining impactful volunteer organizations.
The presentations will be followed by a Q&A and dinner for in-person attendees. The event is available both in person and remotely. Registration is required, and in-person seating is limited.
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- 1 William L Jones Dr
- Cookeville, Tennessee
- United States 38505
- Building: Ashraf Islam Engineering Building (AIEB) Atrium
- Click here for Map
- Starts 08 September 2026 04:00 AM UTC
- Ends 07 November 2026 05:59 AM UTC
- No Admission Charge
Speakers
John McDonald of IEEE
Key Insights to Career Management & Building and Leading a Volunteer Organization
Key Insights to Career Management
This talk is designed to discuss managing your career. There are 12 important things to keep in mind when living and managing your career to achieve your goals. These will be explained and explored with examples and photographs based on my 52 years as an engineer, manager and executive managing people's careers, and 55 years as an IEEE member (IEEE Life Fellow) and IEEE-HKN member. Your career is your career and understanding your priorities (which can change) and your company's objectives can help you have a rewarding and fulfilling career.
Building and Leading a Volunteer Organization
People working for a company feel obligated to do what their manager asks them to do, since they are being paid by the company. However, it is different for a volunteer organization, such as the IEEE PES. It is challenging to convince volunteers to do the things you want them to do. First, you must effectively engage with them. Second, you must have a strong value proposition for them. This talk will show you how to build and lead a group of volunteers, based on my 55 years of IEEE membership with many leadership positions on the local, national and international levels.
Biography:
John McDonald is an IEEE Life Fellow, President of the IEEE Foundation, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, an ABET Program Evaluator, and a CIGRE Honorary Member. An IEEE volunteer for 55 years, he has dedicated his career to advancing engineering, developing future leaders, and strengthening the global technology community.
Agenda
Monday, November 9, 2026 | 6:00 PM CST
6:00–6:05 PM — Welcome and Speaker Introduction
6:05–6:45 PM — Key Insights to Career Management
6:45–6:55 PM — Break
6:55–7:35 PM — Building and Leading a Volunteer Organization
7:35–7:45 PM — Audience Q&A
7:45 PM onward — Dinner and Networking for In-Person Attendees