Mail Tribune News - Y2K leader quits over workload

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Y2K leader quits over workload Liza Christian has stepped down as executive director of the Rogue Valley Y2K Task Force. Christian said the job required more time and resources than one person could carry out. "When we began, we really didn't know how it would grow," Christian said. "Many people began to look to us." Though postings on the Internet and other media, she said the organization became a popular information source. She said she received anywhere from 20 to 80 e-mails and seven to 15 calls a day, in addition to regular mail. Answering it -- and gathering "credible information" on the Y2K problem -- all became too much for her to juggle. She announced her decision at a recent steering committee meeting, and her compensation ended in January. She will continue to work with the group as a volunteer. She also will continue her work as a public relations and marketing consultant. Christian had managed local preparation efforts since the group's inception last July. The steering committee will share the workload and no new director will be sought. "We are just kind of passing it around," Christian said. The Rogue Valley Y2K Task Force is devoted to helping people prepare for disruptions that may be caused at the end of the year if computers are unable to accurately read the 2000 date. The group will continue its regular meetings and educational efforts. The task force started as an all-volunteer group, and Christian hopes that its return to one will invigorate the organization. "I think it will bring some new energy -- at least that's my hope," she said. Mail Tribune Copyright �  The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA