1. What is your educational background and what got you into records management?

I have a BA in History from Vanderbilt University and a MA in History and a Certificate of Archival Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). I also have a Certificate in Paralegal Studies. As part of the archival administration certificate program at UTA I served an internship with the Dallas History and Archives division of the Dallas Public Library. This internship turned into my being hired as the division’s photo-archivist.

I served four years in that position but realized there was no upward mobility as I didn’t have an MLS degree. I decided to take some records management courses at Dallas College – El Centro. This provided me with the basic records management knowledge, so I began looking for other employment opportunities. Eventually I found a position as a records management coordinator with a local oil and gas company. I’ve been involved in records management ever since.

2. What are some of the differences and/or similarities of records management in the private and public sectors?

While both sectors operate under various laws and regulations, I would say that in the public sector there is a greater emphasis on records management and why it exists. In 1990, the City of Dallas passed Chapter 39C (Records Management) which formally established the records management program and my position as RMO. It also placed records management in the office of the City Secretary.

Although the private sector must comply with numerous laws and regulations for records, there is no state or federal legislation that I am aware of requires a company or organization to formally establish a records management program. This was in response to the Local Government Records Act of 1989. The Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 mandates that corporations implement certain practices in financial record keeping and reporting. Unlike local or state governments, the private sector, depending upon the business, may have to comply with federal, state and international recordkeeping and retention requirements. This is not to say that Texas local governments don’t have federal retention requirements.

SL: When we go teach classes throughout the state, we often hear from people who also came from the private sector where they did not have to comply with certain laws before working for a local government. We have bulletins with the state laws that govern records management as a whole in Texas. They are a great place to start to find required minimums when it comes to the larger scope of your programs.

3. Have you had to face an innovation that promised a new set of challenges and opportunities?  How did you manage the turbulent waters of technological change?

In my forty-year career I’ve encountered all sorts of technological changes. Believe it or not but there is a Technology Adoption Life Cycle (see Fig. 1). Ideally one should be either an early adopter or a member of the early majority. Early adopters provide insight into new products, uncover potential pain points and contribute to iterative improvements. In other words, they are willing to accept that a product will have flaws and implementing the product may be painful. Members of the early majority are taking on a product that is more mature.

With any technological change it is better to investigate the product/application carefully. Don’t take a flying leap off of a bridge before you have done an investigation. I’ve seen the introduction of the PC, digitization, e-communications (email, text message, SMS), social media, document/records management systems, and much more. In all cases of technological change, records and information managers are rarely early adopters, but we are the ones who will caution the early adopters of the problems and issues to watch out for. I would say that I am half-way between being an early adopter and a member of the early majority. Records managers must be a part of the implementation of any new technology. I’m part of our Camera Governance Committee, the Data Governance Working Group, the Data Security and Privacy Committee, all of which let me know what technology is being investigated or implemented. I was recently invited to join our Microsoft CoPilot Data Readiness Assessment Working Group.

4. Can you tell us about a current project you’re working on that you are excited about?

We recently put Gimmal Physical Records into production to replace a 40-year-old FoxPro database. Yes, you read that correctly: 40-year-old. The process to purchase Gimmal started over five years ago when we searched for and investigated various physical records software applications. We put together and issued a RFCSP (Request for Confidential Sealed Proposal) with over four hundred functional requirements. Our RFCSP process requires that we have an evaluation board review and score all proposals. The top three respondents were each invited to a three-hour demonstration. The same evaluation board would score the demonstration. The top score was then asked for their “best and final offer.”

The second project is to review and update Chapter39c-Records Management. This ordinance was first passed in 1990 after the passage of the Local Government Records Act. It has not been updated since, and there’re items that must be updated or deleted. For example, Chapter 39c-18 addresses microfilming city records but not digitizing them.

SL: Cities often pass and submit their Records Management Policy (RMP) as an ordinance, for Dallas, that is Chapter39c. Updating your RMP is up to date is always a fantastic idea! If you aren’t sure when was the last time it was revised, you can check with your analyst and we can let you know if your policy would benefit from an update. Submitting an RMP to TSLAC is part of the steps to be in compliance with the Local Government Records Act; if you aren’t sure about your compliance status, we have a handy blog that explains the steps to reach compliance.

5. What do you see in the future of Dallas’ records management program?

I see the program working more closely with our Information Technology Services (ITS) department to make sure that recordkeeping requirements and public access requirements are incorporated into electronic recordkeeping systems, as well as ensuring the security of Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

SL: Many records management folks are working towards similar goals. We encourage fostering a good relationship with your IT department as it will only benefit a records management program. If you need help winning them over, here is an article on Obtaining Buy-In. IT will also play a role in Information Governance and the Records Lifecycle for your entity which includes finding a balance between accessibility of records while ensuring PII is secured.

6. Do you have any advice for those considering a career in your field?

Keep an open mind. Be willing to move around to move up. In my career I’ve worked for six private firms, two government contractors, and three public entities. At each one I gained new skills and knowledge. I’ve also relocated three times in my career.

Join professional associations such as ARMA International, NAGARA (National Association of Government Archivists and Records Administrators), AIIM and any other state or regional association. If the organization has regularly scheduled meetings or get togethers outside of their annual conferences, do attend them. Networking is key in learning about new positions.

Become certified. In the records management field, you can become a Certified Records Analyst (CRA) or a Certified Records Manager (CRM) through the Institute of Certified Records Managers. AIIM offers the Certified Information Professional designation (CIP). ARMA offers the Information Governance Professional certification (IGP). Many records managers will have more than one certification besides those listed such as information security, privacy and project management.

Continuing education is a must. Sign up for free webinars. This is a quick and easy way to learn about new technologies. ARMA, NAGARA and AIIM offer both free classes as well as paid classes. NAGARA offers a Government Archives and Records Administration certificate program.

Do you have a LinkedIn profile? If not, create one. If you do, update it regularly. Recruiters regularly scour LinkedIn for potential candidates. Here is the URL for my profile.

7. What records management groups are you a part of?

ARMA International. I’ve been a member since 1984. They have chapters around the country. They have two conferences every year. I served a three-year term on their Board of Directors as well as serving a three-year term as President-elect, President and Chair of the Board.
NAGARA – I joined as soon as I was hired by the City of Dallas. The have regular webinars that are free for members as well as an annual conference.
ICRM – I’ve been a Certified Records Manager since 1988.
Society of Southwest Archivists – I started out at the Dallas Public Library as a photo-archivists and still have an abiding interest in archives and the archives profession.
Academy of Certified Archivists – I’m on emeritus status following 25 years as a member. I acquired the designation in 1992.

Conclusion

I want to thank Peter Kurilecz for participating in this interview! As the RMO for Dallas with decades of experience under his belt, he has been a valuable resource to myself and I am glad I get to share some of his insights here.

Records management is often under “other duties as assigned” and it can be overwhelming as an RMO or records liaison to figure out what to do to be successful. Here at SLRM, we have many resources to assist on your journey and your analyst is always willing to help. However, there is value in highlighting RMOs and their staff to shine a light on the intricacies of the field from a more hands on approach. Whether it’s starting your career, tackling new technology, purchasing new storage systems, figuring out how to update your Records Management Policy, or finding professional organizations, there is comfort knowing that it can all be done and more after hearing about it from a peer.