PASS Elections

I received an email from Brent Ozar the other day. He heard that I was serious about running for the PASS Board of Directors again this year and he had some questions for me – which made sense, since I had a lot of questions for myself regarding the decision to run. So, we started exchanging emails (get it, Exchange? boy I crack myself up), and I decided to post the dialogue as a way to help people understand who I am and why I am running again this year.

Brent: I was away from the collective last week while moving from Texas to Michigan and stopping at as many Cracker Barrel’s as possible. Today I learned that you are running for the PASS Board. Why? What would make you want to give up two years of your life?

SQLBatman: Good question. Any other questions?

Brent: Seriously, what does the PASS Board do for database administrators? How does PASS affect what DBA’s do? Why would you even want to be that involved? I thought you just went to the conference to have a week off from work and to network for your next job, but you seem to be taking this career thing seriously.

SQLBatman: A week off from work? Sweet! Just kidding, I do take this very seriously. I have been a member of PASS since 2004. By the end of that first week being a member, it really did not take long for me to see the value that PASS offered the SQL Server community. I was excited about contributing and signed up to volunteer. Specifically, I got involved with the SIG Web committee which was then chaired by Lynda Rab. Plus, I was mesmerized by Wayne Snyder, who got me to sign on the dotted line during breakfast one day.

After volunteering for the Web Committee, I found myself getting even more involved and assisting with the SIG Marketing committee, which was formed in order to help promote the PASS SIGs specifically. Soon after, Lynda was elected to the PASS Board, and I then became the SIG liaison to the PASS Board, working directly with Lynda. Then, in 2007, I ran for the PASS Board. This particular time, I was not able to get enough votes (fell 13 shy, to be exact), but was not discouraged because I lost out to some very qualified candidates. This actually motivated me even more to become the best candidate I could be for the association.

As you can see, I’ve been involved in various aspects of PASS as a volunteer and am looking forward to progressing to the highest level. In the past four years I have developed a very good sense for how PASS functions as an association.

Professionally during this same time, I was put in charge of a database engineering team for my employer, ING IM. My team is about as widespread as possible. I sit in Hartford, CT. My two direct reports sit in Atlanta, GA. And we also have a support team residing in India. I have gained extremely valuable experience in how to manage distributed teams, which is exactly what PASS is: a distributed organization comprised of volunteers.

PASS is not just about database administrators, it is about anyone working with MS SQL Server and the related technologies (i.e., the BI stack). Being on the PASS Board will allow me to serve as a voice for the common user, someone who struggles daily with things such as audit, compliance, performance, change control, etc. I do not work for a software company, nor am I an independent contractor, so there is no ulterior motive for my being on the Board. I am not hoping to be on the Board as a way for me to sell more widgets. I am there because I truly enjoy working with (and for) PASS, I enjoy working with database technologies, and I want to help people become better at what they do.

Brent: I think you have a screw loose. Besides, when I look at the current board members, they are people whose careers revolve completely around MS SQL Server. How is it that you feel you “fit in” with that group?

SQLBatman: Who said I would “fit in” with them? Granted, if you put my credentials next to theirs, I come up short, way short to some of them. That will not change regardless of my being on the board or not. But what is most important is asking yourself: will they be able to work together? The interview process is one way for the nomination committee to evaluate my skills, both professionally as well as soft skills, in order to see if I have enough experience to qualify for membership. In other words, getting on the ballot itself should designate that the current board feels I would “fit in”.

As for where I am going, well, who among us knows their destiny, right? I have a general direction that I am heading, and that is towards the executive level. My current position gives me some basic management skills, no question. But I doubt they are going to let me be COO for six to nine months, just to feel things out. Being on the PASS Board is going to be similar to a corporate executive – and I’ll approach it with the passion an executive should. I am essentially giving up all my free time for the next two years, and dedicating myself to PASS. Along the way I hope to gain valuable experience that will help me advance my career as a professional. It is a win-win situation. At least, I feel that is the case. Hopefully enough people will agree between Sunday and Thursday at 3PM.

Hey, would it be wrong for me to start my presentation on Thursday at 1:30 by reminding people to vote? Hmmm…

Brent: No, not at all. I doubt that you would come across as someone desperate for attention, or the need to be liked, or a megalomaniac. You should be safe.

SQLBatman: Good, let me work this all into my slide deck. Thanks for the tip.

Brent: How should people go about choosing a candidate? It seems rather hard to decide on people that you know nothing about. This past Presidential election had a handful of options other than the top two parties, but they will never get votes if people do not know who they are, right? So how do the candidates get their messages out in order for people to make an informed choice?

SQLBatman: Good question. I do not have an answer. There is no one place for the candidates to gather. If I recall last year at the PASS summit, the candidates had a special ribbon (yellow, I think, but who knows what color we will have this year) to designate they were on the ballot. Also, we were asked to sit in the front row for the keynote on Wednesday and had to stand up and wave at one point. So, other than those two things, we were never really given a forum where we could all share “equal time”. To me, at least, you need to know something about the person before you can cast a vote.

Brent: So…if PASS members have questions about you, or the voting process, how will they contact you?

SQLBatman: This year, I am going to plan on spending as much time as possible in and around the voting kiosks. Last year, the kiosks were near registration and the PASS booth. So, depending on the layout, I can spend time there and let people see me down there. That way I am giving people a chance to get to know me and ask me questions directly before voting.

Brent: Oh, I have a question for you already. I can use this as a litmus test for every candidate: CLR in the database, good or evil?

SQLBatman: It depends.

Brent: Good answer.