It’s that time of year where we get to vote for the three best candidates to serve a two year term on the PASS Board of Directors. It’s going to be a tough choice, there are five good candidates – all good, but certainly not interchangeable! Ballots will go out shortly via email to eligible voters.

Three of the candidates asked me for public recommendations to be included in their application and I was pleased to write those recommendations – you can see them in their detailed application on the election site. I hope you’ll read all of the applications and recommendations as you work toward your own voting decision this year.

I’ve also posted a couple of challenging questions for the candidates in the election forum, one asking how they will vote on future Summit locations and one about where they stand on appointments to mid-term vacancies. They are hard questions because there is no right answer, and that is the nature of leading. I hope you’ll post your own questions in the same spirit, let’s see what they’ve got without turning it into a bad reality TV show (or real politics).

What matters in a candidate?  Some of the things I think about when evaluating candidates:

• Will they make the time in their schedule to do PASS work even if other things suffer?
• Can they build a case for a decision they want and build the consensus to get it passed?
• Can they take criticism without being defensive?
• Do they have the depth of relationships in the PASS community that will enable them to be effective from the start?
• Will they take measured risks and how will they react to failed efforts?
• Will they remain connected to the community once elected, or will they fall into the ‘board bubble’ that seems to absorb some?
• Do they have experience managing and making substantial decisions?
• Do they have what it takes to go all the way to the top, to be one of the future leaders and visionaries of the organization?
• Do they have a track record of doing what they say they will do?

You might have a different list, that’s ok. As long as you cast a considered vote you’ve done a good job for the community. Votes matter, participation matters, especially when you consider that out of all the seats on the Board only six are elected – the remainder do not stand for election (2 from Computer Associates, 2 from Microsoft,and then the three officers plus the immediate past president).

Build the Board you want. Think about which of the people you select will (or could) move up to lead the organization.

Vote!