This was my final year in an official capacity which was a lot more difficult to deal with than I had anticipated. Here's my record of service:
- 2010 (2011, Long Beach) - I was on the database abstract review committee run by Lewis Cunningham. I ended up volunteering to help put together the Sunday Symposium and with the help of Dominic Delmolino, Cary Millsap and Kris Rice, I felt I did a pretty decent job.
- 2011 (2012, San Antonio) - Database track lead. I believe this is the year that Oracle started running the Sunday Symposiums. Kris again led the charge with some input from those other two from the year before, i.e. DevOps oriented
- 2012 (2013, New Orleans) Content co-chair for the traditional stuff (Database, APEX, ADF), Interview Monkey (Tom Kyte OMFG!), OOW/ODTUG Coordinator, etc.
- 2013 (2014, Seattle) Content co-chair for the traditional stuff (Database, APEX, ADF), Interview Monkey, OOW/ODTUG Coordinator, etc.
- 2014 (2015, Hollywood, FL) Content co-chair for the traditional stuff (Database, APEX, ADF)
This has been a wonderful time for me both professionally and, more importantly to me, personally. Obviously I had a big voice in the direction of content. Also and maybe hard to believe, I actually presented for the first time. Slotted against Mr. Kyte. I reminded everyone of that too. Multiple times. It seemed to go well though. Only a few made fun of me.
I was constantly recruiting too. "Did you submit an abstract?" "No, why not?" and I'd go into my own personal diatribe (ignoring my own lack of presenting) into why they should present. Sarah Craynon Zumbrum summed it up pretty well in a recent article.
But it was the connections I made, the people I met, the stories I shared (#ampm, #cupcakeshirt, etc), and the friends that I made, that's what has had the most impact on me. Kscope is unique in that way because of it's size...at Collaborate or OOW, you'll be lucky to see someone more than once or twice, at Kscope you're running into everyone constantly.
How could I forget? #tadasforkate! This year was even more special. For those that don't know, Katezilla is my profoundly delayed but equally profoundly happy 10 y/o daughter. Just prior to the conference her physical therapist taught her "tada!" and Kate would hold her hands up high in the air and everyone around would yell, Tada! I got this crazy idea to ask others to do it and I would film it. Thirty or forty videos and hundreds of participants later...
So a gigantic thank you to everyone who made this possible for me.
Here's a short list of those that had a direct impact on me...
- Lewis Cunningham - he asked me to be a reviewer which started all of this off.
- Mike Riley - can't really say enough about Mike. After turning me away a long time ago (jerk), he was probably my biggest supporter over the years. (Remind me next year to you tell you about "The Hug."). Mike, and his family, are very dear to me.
- Monty Latiolais (rhymes with Frito Lay I would tell myself) - How can you not love this guy?
- Natalie Delemar - Co-chair for EPM/BI and then boss as Conference Chair.
- Opal Alapat - Co-chair for EPM/BI and one of my favorite humans ever invented. I aspire to be more organized, assertive, and bad-ass like Opal.
What's the future hold?
I have no idea. My people are in talks with Helen J. Sander's people to do one or more presentations next year, so there's that. Speaking of which...it's in Chicago. Abstract submissions start soon, I hope you plan on submitting. If you're not ready to submit, I hope you take try to take part in shaping the content by finding one of about 10 abstract review committees. Who knows where they may lead you?
Finally, here's the It's a Wrap video from Kscope15 (see Helen's story there). Here's Kscope16's site. Go sign up.
2 comments:
First off - that's quite a track record! 5 years of assisting with Kscope - WOW!
Secondly - although this was my first time at the conference, I totally "get it" when you talk about the connectedness with the people involved. What struck me immediately when I finally got to meet them all in person was how warm, welcoming, supportive and SMART this bunch of folks is.
I have My own special shout out to a few that you've already mentioned. First, Sarah Zumbrum. I was first introduced to Sarah through the ODTUG Leadership program - she was part of the first class- I was in the second. She has been an ambassador of ODTUG goodwill and whether she realizes it or not, really took this newcomer under her wing, and helped me feel comfortable. Thank you, Sarah!
Also a special thank you to Debbie Gollnick, who I got to know as part of the abstract selection committee for the DBA/Dev track. It was my first time doing abstract selection and she was encouraging and helpful through the entire process.
Sadly, Kellyn couldn't come - but she has been an inspiration to me ever since I read one of her articles on women in tech.
Then there are the folks I had fun with and even got some techie help from over the past year, via social media and was so excited to finally meet them in person at Kscope: namely Jeff Smith, Opal, Jennifer Anderson (Also part of the second Leadership class), Dave Schleis, Mia, Monty , Debra Lilley, and the women of YCC - Lori, Crystal, Lauren, Jill and Melissa.
Finally, I'd also like to mention a couple of folks I hadn't known very well at all, before the conference, that I know now, and am so glad I do! Tim Gorman, Amy del Rosario and her husband, Rick, Natalie and of course, YOU, Chet!
I'm very grateful to you and the others who are encouraging me to get an abstract in. I have no idea where this idea of co-presenting will go, but I'm looking forward to many more years of being a part of this amazing group of people and seeing what's on the horizon!
I'm so sorry I missed this @Helen. I'm out of blogging shape.
Community. You're seeing that. We are lucky to be a part of a great one at Kscope.
Though, I'm sure there will be more than one regret for putting you and I together...
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