John Armstrong

John Armstrong was elected to the Committee as Vice President at the Annual General Meetingin 2021 and has focused on communications and marketing projects in addition to Vice President duties.

John has had two main careers in his working life: 24 years in the Air Force and 30 years as owner and managing editor of a print publishing business. His speciality in the Air Force was photography and photographic reconnaissance with the F-111 aircraft. Following his career in the military John began a publishing business in the Ipswich area specialising in print and digital publishing, retiring in 2019 after 30 years of successful business life.

Having joined U3A in 2021, John was appointed Communications Officer with U3A Sunshine Coast and has been actively involved within the Management Committee. The major projects have included taking the monthly eVoice newsletter from an standalone text document to an email based digital newsletter, a complete redesign of the U3A-SC website, and the development of an online digital Hub based on a social media platform.

The communications role suits my background and professional interests and I consider I have something wothwhile to contribute to U3A, mainly in the areas of:
– Development of active email marketing by way of newsletters and digital products that serve to inform members but also keep readers coming back to the U3A website through hyperlinks in emails, etc. Once there, visitors tend to ‘click around’ in other areas to see what’s available.
– Website design. While not formally trained in IT, I’ve designed and developed my own business websites, so I am proficient in developing interactive sites.
– Liaison with local media. I see this as an important part of the U3A’s objectives: to provide material to local press on U3A activities.
– Management Committee duties that contribute to the effectiveness of the U3A.

My modus operandi is to contribute by doing so I’m best suited to project development work and I look forward to contributing more widely to the advancement of the U3A.