Introduction
I am interviewing 2010 PASS Board Nominee Applicants. As listed on the PASS Board Elections site the applicants are:
- Allen Kinsel
- Andy Warren
- Denny Cherry
- Douglas McDowell
- Geoff Hiten
- Jack Corbett
- Mark Ginnebaugh
- Markus Sprenger
- Steve Jones
I’m asking everyone the same questions and blogging the responses in the order received.
Jack Corbett is up next:
Interview WIth Jack Corbett
1. What’s your day job?
Well, depending on who you ask my job title changes. I currently serve as a Software Developer/DBA for New Tribes Mission – United States (www.ntm.org). My main focus currently is as part of the team re-writing our Personnel/HR software using C# and SQL Server. I’m writing mainly C# code at the moment with occasionally forays into DBA-dom doing routine maintenance and monitoring. I’d love for SQL Server to be all I do, but that isn’t what is needed so it is not what I do full-time.
2. What motivated you to run for the PASS Board of Directors?
The main reason is that I have publicly been critical of the board and I hate to do that if I’m not offering a solution and willing to have the bullseye on my back. But, that isn’t the only reason. I’ve also become very involved in the SQL Server community and I want to see that community come together as PASS. I’m a bit of a dreamer, but I think that’s good in a board member. I’m not sure PASS leadership has a vision and, if there is one, I don’t think it has been communicated clearly. People want to be part of a community, but there has to be common goal to create that community. PASS needs to supply that common goal that people can get behind and get involved.
3. What is PASS’s largest challenge right now?
Becoming relevant in the lives of the average SQL Server professional. As a chapter leader I try to sell PASS every meeting and it is hard. PASS offers the Summit, but that’s one week a year and $3000 that the average SQL Server professional doesn’t have or can’t get from his/her employer. PASS offers virtual chapters (a fantastic idea), but there’s also SQLLunch and vendor webcasts, so they can get that training without PASS. PASS offers great networking opportunities for me, but for the average SQL Server professional that isn’t enough. Do I have the definitive answer for this challenge? No, but I think offering things like professional development guidelines, resources for dealing with regulations like SOX, and the like would be a start.
4. What is PASS’s greatest opportunity right now?
SQLSaturday. PASS can reach people through these events. In Florida alone there close to or more than 1000 SQLSaturday attendees per year and these events are happening all over the United States and can be exported to anywhere in the world. The PASS vision and goals should be shared at every SQLSaturday. By doing this, PASS will get more people on board with the vision and develop grass roots evangelists who will spread the word.
5. Complete this sentence: “If I only get one new thing accomplished while serving on the PASS Board of Directors, I want to…”
develop, document, and share the vision and goals of PASS. I want the community to know where PASS is going so that they can get involved in getting the organization there.
6. Complete this sentence: “If I only get to change one existing thing about PASS while serving on the PASS Board of Directors, I want to…”
make PASS about community. This means that there is even more transparency and accountability to the community. I want the community to know what I am doing as a board and why I’m doing it. This doesn’t mean every decision made is based on a survey, but that when a decision is made the decision and the reasons for the decision are freely available.
7. Share something interesting about yourself!
Well, from Kindergarten through the 9th grade I went to 10 different schools.
:{> Andy
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