- Allen Kinsel
- Andy Warren
- Denny Cherry
- Douglas McDowell
- Geoff Hiten
- Jack Corbett
- Mark Ginnebaugh
- Markus Sprenger
- Steve Jones
I’m a SQL trainer and occasional consultant, and I manage SQLShare.com.
2. What motivated you to run for the PASS Board of Directors?
For my first term it was a wish to try to change things and bring more transparency to PASS, areas where we have made some gains. This time it’s wanting to continue that work, and I want to see through to completion the projects I am currently working on; SQLSaturday, SQLRally, and the speakers bureau.
3. What is PASS’s largest challenge right now?
We don’t have a good clear answer to the question I get asked so often; what does PASS do for (me/chapter/etc) besides the Summit? We can’t be a successful grass roots organization if our members don’t understand what we do or how it helps them. Answering that question well should drive much of what do or don’t do.
4. What is PASS’s greatest opportunity right now?
We’ve got to continue the growth of SQLSaturday. It has the potential to reach 3-4 times the number of people that will be able to attend SQLRally or the Summit. I’m hoping we do 50 events in the US next year, and it’s time to think about doing more with it internationally. We’ve averaging about 200 attendees per event. For each of those attendees we’re providing more than just training, we’re showing them the possibilities that exist. I see it all the time; a person who has been thrown in the DBA role shows up at SQLSaturday for the presentations and is just stunned to find out how rich our community is in passion, knowledge, networking, and more. It’s hard to communicate the impact we can have on their career just by showing them what is possible.
5. Complete this sentence: “If I only get one new thing accomplished while serving on the PASS Board of Directors, I want to…”
Build a partnership with INETA. I think we need to find ways to work with other disciplines without diluting our focus on SQL Server. We have to work more with developers in particular, but we should also start to engage SharePoint and anyone else that uses SQL Server. Maybe that means they have a track at our events, or we have a track at their events, or something else, but we can’t just exist in a silo.
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…”
Change the culture so that translucency is our default position. Not just for the Board, but for HQ and our volunteers. It’s incredibly important that our members see what we’re trying to do, our successes and our failures. Doing that means teaching writing skills, learning how to handle criticism, and learning to share even if we think no one will find it interesting. We’ve made good progress this year, especially with minutes of Board meetings, but there is a lot more to do.
7. Share something interesting about yourself!
Professionally I’m an extrovert, the work demands it. Away from work I’m an introvert. I enjoy people and conversation, but usually around the second or third day of an event I have to find a bookstore for a couple hours of private time to recharge. I’m an amateur woodworker, which means I love doing it even if I don’t often do it well. I like baking too, something satisfying about literally putting bread on the table. Both hobbies teach patience, a lesson I continue to learn.
:{> Andy
Excellent answers, and you have my vote.