PVDA Wins Best Website Award
The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) has awarded the Potomac Valley Dressage Association its 2008 Best Website Award for GMOs with 500 or more members. PVDA is very proud to have been awarded this distinguishing honor.
The PVDA website was given a facelift in the beginning of 2008. At first, it had the same information as the original website. But it had a new look and feel with a standardized layout and easy to navigate links. It also had a new, easy to use interface for adding and changing information. Many thanks go out to Almon Packard for helping PVDA to transform its website into a very friendly and powerful tool for providing information. Almon is a technology consultant and the husband of Shari Packard, a member of the PVDA Board of Directors who chairs the website committee.
PVDA also thanks all of the many volunteers that have contributed some time, effort, and information to the website. This website could not be as successful if it weren't for the many different people that contribute.
“I approached the PVDA Board of Directors early in January 2008 and presented my ideas for the PVDA website. I suggested a new direction away from the “Traditional” website to one that was more dynamic and more collaborative. I suggested a website that was not dependent on any one individual volunteer, but a website that benefited from the participation of many volunteers. I suggested using Microsoft Windows Sharepoint Services.
Sharepoint is completely menu driven and allows many different people to “Login” to add or update information. Volunteers don’t need to know anything about web design or HTML code. It also has built-in capabilities to automatically show, sort, and remove information as the information ages and as new information is added. Sharepoint has allowed PVDA to provide better information that is more up to date.
I think this website is successful because it’s easy to use, easy to navigate, and easy to update. I think it’s successful because of the many volunteers that contribute their smaller portion to make a greater whole.”
Almon Packard
"I don’t even know where to begin to list all of the things I love about PVDA’s new website! I can keep myself organized by downloading information that I have entered onto the website into spreadsheets such as the recent Annual Dinner Silent Auction donations. As the person who posts the classifieds each month, I appreciate the ease of adding, updating, and deleting member advertisements. I especially find the “Member Search” function valuable in determining whether an advertiser is a current PVDA member or not.
I have found Sharepoint to be extremely flexible in the ability to add features and functions that not only facilitate my contributions to the website, but also things that are convenient for the membership such as online payments via PayPal. I love how fresh and current the PVDA website is now! As busy as everyone is, it makes sense that individuals can update the specific sections fo the website."
Shari Glickman
PVDA Volunteer
"PVDA has entered the fast-paced information age! We now have a very modern, very informative, and very easy to use web site. I believe the web site has strengthened PVDA because the leadership can more readily be in communication with the membership, and the membership can more readily know what is going on and have the opportunity to be participants in PVDA activities.
About a year ago Almon Packard became the host and service provider for PVDA's website. He gave a presentation to the PVDA Board of Directors that included Microsoft SharePoint, the software underpinning the web site, and demonstrated how easy it is for novices to use. Although I use computers almost every day, I am an "end user" with no technical knowledge of the web. After one phone call and a few email coaching sessions from Almon, I started my venture into using SharePoint to post everything from Recent News to Calendar entries to Show Information. I'm able to post useful links, photos, diagrams, and much, much more. Once I started, I was addicted! It is very easy for the novice user to master the basics and be able to post valuable information with a pleasing appearance. The features of Sharepoint make it easy to get content posted that is up-to-date and valuable for the membership.
Thanks to the new PVDA web site, I believe PVDA will become a stronger, more responsive organization that will more effectively serves its members and provide a valuable and rewarding experience."
Leslie Raulin
PVDA Volunteer
"The new website format is a huge improvement for the membership processes. PVDA has been brought into the current century with many new features that have streamlined the membership. Members have been empowered to verify their membership status, renew online, and even pay via the internet. Thanks to the modern technology that our website provides, we’ve even been able to make the processes more green such as the ability to Email membership cards to members instead of printing and mailing them.
I think more GMO’s should consider using Sharepoint. Once folks have their basic design set up, they’d be surprised how easily they can update the information themselves."
Shari Packard
PVDA Membership Director