Time flies. I didn’t notice that I hadn’t posted an update in February.
There’s been a lot going on since I last posted! I’ve attended the executive committee meetings. I’ve also hosted my first board meetings and I took part in my first Town Hall. I’ve been working with PASS HQ to set the agenda for upcoming meetings and we’re starting the budgeting process for FY2017. I’ve got a couple of blog posts I’ve put together on the Board Elections (for my blog) and on the goals and plans for the EVP (on the PASS blog) that are going through an editing process. I should be able to share those with you soon.
Today, I’m going to discuss a couple of things that I’ve been mulling over. They’re things that I think ought to help drive our organization forward, but I’d like to hear back from others. First up (and remember, this is just me thinking about things by writing them down; this isn’t a commitment, promise, goal, or solemn oath), I’m trying to come up with a good list of why people should become involved with PASS. I know my involvement has led to amazing things. I know lots of others who can say the same. However, I also know a lot of people who aren’t involved at all, or are involved but don’t see benefits because of it. I want to see people actively seeking out PASS: Chapters, events, knowledge. Connect, Share, Learn. I think we have a positive and unique story here.
Connect
- We support Chapters around the world through the website, regional emails promoting local meetings, and the management tools.
- We support the infrastructure that makes SQLSaturday events possible.
- PASS Summit!
- Business Analytics Conference!
- Women in Technology.
- Promotion of all these aims to connect people.
Share
- Chapters again — offering people the opportunity to organize and run a local Chapter, but also a venue for sharing your knowledge.
- SQLSaturday again, if you don’t start presenting at the local Chapter, you probably start here.
- Summit and Business Analytics Conference.
- Virtual Chapters.
- 24 Hours of PASS (Incarnation X).
Learn
- All of the above.
- Recordings of much of the above.
- A very productive relationship with Microsoft.
This is a unique and rich community that we have built. Frankly, I want more. I’m greedy. I don’t just want to add to this list, or improve on the stuff already on it, but make people actively want to get involved. Help me out here. Let’s get others to become as passionate about this stuff as we are!