The story behind Hybrid Meeting Specialists
Rick Jaggers is the founder of the Hybrid Meeting Specialists initiative. It is currently doing business as a division of Rick’s company A Better Computer, Inc.
Rick has been involved in the Internet since the 1990s. By the turn of the century, Rick was a computer systems engineer working on government contracts and projects in Georgia and Florida.
Rick retired about 2015. At that time, he volunteered at SCORE. He was initially interested in providing admin support and eventually became a certified mentor.
Next, in 2018, Rick began volunteering at the Pinellas Genealogy Society (PGS), and in 2018 became the Technology Director.
When the pandemic shut down the country in 2020, the business world moved online. Zoom became the standard for virtual connections.
Both SCORE and PGS moved to online presentations. This gave Rick the experience to use Zoom to run virtual, online events. SCORE preferred to create Zoom webinars. PGS, on the other hand, preferred the Zoom meeting format. Soon both organizations were running several virtual Zoom events each month.
Rick gained his first commercial experience with hybrid meetings with a homeowner’s association in 2021. Their board meetings needed to include all the directors to conduct business. Unfortunately, several of them were locked down in Canada. They couldn’t even leave the country. Hybrid meetings solved that problem.
Rick is a member of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). In January 2022 they began holding hybrid meetings. (They continue today.) Some Post members were still reluctant to be in large groups. Some VFW members were unable to drive late at night. Hybrid meetings gave all members the opportunity to watch what was going on and to vote on important issues.
Also in 2022, Rick has helped the Pinellas Genealogy Society start hybrid classes and meetings. The PGS member meeting is held once a month. PGS has 6-10 classes. The special interest groups (SIGs) are still Zoom only, but meetings and classes are hybrid events, In February 2023, Rick helped PGS run a successful day-long Hybrid Event with a combined audience of over 100 people.
Rick is also a member of the local American Legion, and in 2023 he is guiding them into the world of hybrid meetings for their monthly meetings.
Use the form below to contact Rick about Hybrid Meeting Specialists: