Yes, I’m going to run for the PASS Board of Directors.  I have my application and will be sending it out to the nominating committee today.

Why?

My reasons are very similar to Steve Jones’ reasons for running.  I have not been involved with PASS as long as Steve, but the SQL Server Community, including PASS, is where my passion lies.  I love to attend my local PASS Chapter (OPASS) and being a leader of the chapter.  You can see how my involvement with PASS has grown over the last three years in my blog post, Being Involved in the Community.  I have also been outspoken when the PASS Board has made decisions that I disagree with.  Here are a few of my posts where I either talk about what PASS should do or criticizing what they have done:

1. PASS Summit 2010 Content Survey
2. Growing PASS Step One – Communication
3. PASS, Microsoft, and Certification
4. PASS Releases Survey Results & Summit Location – Reactions
5. A Swing and a Miss by PASS
6. SQLSaturday Acquired by PASS – Reactions
7. What Should PASS Strive to Be?

I was taught that you are either part of the solution or part of the problem, well, I want to be part of the solution.  I also believe that if you are going to publicly criticize volunteers, you need to be willing to be one of the volunteers.  Finally, I think the SQL Server community is great and that the community deserves a great professional organization and, while PASS has a great conference in the Summit and is moving in the right direction, I don’t think it is there yet and  I think that my ideas can help get PASS there sooner.

I’m excited to take this next step in my involvement in the SQL Server Community and in my personal and professional growth.  Keep reading this blog to see more about what I think PASS should do and become.  I’ll also post a longer post about how I came to my final decision.