Over the years Andy Warren, Brian Knight, and I have talked about PASS quite a bit. It hasn't always been pretty, but we liked the idea of PASS, though Andy and I thought we had a conflict of interest in serving on the board. Early on in the history of this site Brian was on the board and we had to be careful about what we did with them. It was actually easier for the three of us when his term was up.

Now things are different and I saw Andy's post last week about running for the board and was intrigued. I completely agree he should run, though I temper that from a business standpoint. Andy and I have lots of work to do, him mostly, in running End to End Training and I was unsure of the value for our business. That's a sad way to look at it, but there are only so many hours in the day and having him working on PASS might hurt the training business.

It's not that I want PASS to somehow pay back the training business with some pork or earmarks, but more how we should divide our time. He has a family as well, travels more than he'd like (or his wife likes) and so it's something to be aware of as a business owner. You don't want employees stretching themselves too thin.

My situation is different, working for Red Gate and so they can give me a bit of time to run for the board. Other software vendors have and I assume there's some level of payback having the employees represent them at PASS and in the community. I asked my boss what he thought and I meant to write a post like Andy's, but didn't get to it. Or didn't make the time. Perhaps that says something about me.

I actually had intended to submit an application last week. The deadline was Friday and I had gotten the application once a few people had told me I should. But I got buried with some family stuff and then with a hectic schedule trying to get to Orlando, dealing with flight delays and then work, I missed my chance.

I suppose I could ask for an extension, but I just don't feel right in doing that. I was taught to respect deadlines and rules for the most part, and while I flex and bend, I have no excuse here.

Today I saw Grant's post on this and I agree. Change is needed and Andy's a guy that can effect change, perhaps more than I. He's a straight shooter, holds people accountable, and charges forward quicker than I. Perhaps he's a better choice, and I hope that he gets to run. If so, be sure you vote for him!

Should I run? Perhaps next year. I probably should since I'm out in the community and I do try to make things better for DBAs. I definitely have ideas for PASS and instead of lobbing them out there, I know I should make an effort to try and change things.