This release tells the story of how instrumental PATCA has been in changing the face of independent consulting in Silicon Valley over the past three decades. PATCA, the first Silicon Valley professional association of independent consultants, which led the evolution of the expert consulting career model, is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Back in the days when professional consultants were mostly lawyers, doctors, and accountants, a group of Silicon Valley engineers joined together to form the first organization in the Bay Area that included independent consulting technologists, as well as traditional business experts. Ever since then, PATCA, now 30 years old, has been a driving force in the evolution of the expert consulting career model.
"Our earliest members were the new cowboys -- reluctantly used to being lone wolves," said Jim Lansing, management consultant and current President of PATCA. "In 1975, the unemployment rate was 8.5%, and for many of us, our first clients were the companies that had just laid us off. Companies were accustomed to working with full-time employees; and hiring managers, especially in the technology industry, had no experience working with expert consultants."
PATCA defined standards for ethical consulting practices, and helped its members to establish businesses and build their client base. Dennis Paull is one of the founding members of the organization, and served as its first President. "We started with a small core group and instantly expanded to 120 members. Some of us were looking for full time jobs; however many of us decided to pursue independent consulting. None of us knew how to market ourselves as consultants, so we published a directory of all of our members so companies would know how to contact us."
Ken Dinwiddie, a member since 1982 recalls, "I'm a software engineer, but when I first walked into PATCA as a new consultant, I had a lot of anxiety and concerns about making a go of it. I found a room full of people who were just like me, but who had been doing this for a long time, and they were willing to communicate their experiences. I felt like I was home, and made consulting my lifelong career."
According to Carl Angotti, an active PATCA member since its first year, "We were one of the first organizations to use technology to share business leads. It used to take a week for a client to obtain a referral to an expert, but we quickly learned to streamline the process by allowing all members to listen to leads left on a central PATCA telephone answering machine. This often gave us first crack at a project, and it helped us win accounts." Today PATCA’s online member database and online Post a Project referral service provide the same rapid service to connect clients with qualified consultants.
Angotti is also a member of IEEE-CNSV (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), the Silicon Valley chapter of one of the largest and most active professional associations for engineers. "PATCA is different, even today," he said. "PATCA gives me exposure to a wider range of experts in all facets of business, and opens up new marketing networks for my technology practice."
Fremont attorney Judy Player is one of those experts, who just joined the group two years ago after delivering a PATCA workshop and finding tremendous networking value. "Several PATCA members have become my clients, and companies have found me through my listing in the online member database."
PATCA is celebrating its 30th Anniversary with a client appreciation mixer on November 3, 2005 at 6:00 p.m., which is sponsored in part by Best Buy for Business and the ICCA (Independent Computer Consultants Association). The event, at Michaels at Shoreline in Mountain View, promises to be a fun-filled evening featuring live music by Los High Tops, wine tasting, hors d'oeuvres, door prizes, tea tasting, and chair massages. James Stout from Best Buy will be on hand to introduce the hottest consumer electronics of 2005. Tickets are $10 in advance (http://www.patca.org), or $15 at the door. The event is open to the public.
About PATCA
PATCA is a nonprofit professional association of independent consultants and principals who work in small consulting practices. Since its founding in 1975, PATCA members have been highly respected for their professionalism, integrity, objectivity and competence. They include experts in all aspects of business and technology, and serve clients in many industries, throughout the U.S. and the world. PATCA offers a free "Post a Project" referral service at http://www.patca.org for clients searching for an expert consultant, and provides leads, referrals, and consulting education to its consultant members, including monthly meetings in Santa Clara, California.
For additional information on the news that is the subject of this release, contact PATCA Marketing Director, Carole Edman, Telephone: 1-408-323-0404, or visit the web site at http://www.patca.org. PATCA Administrative Offices are located at 543 Vista Mar Avenue, Pacifica, CA 94044.
