Reasons to Run for the ODTUG Board of Directors

Guest Post: Cameron Lackpour, ODTUG Board Member, Director

Why oh why oh why would anyone run for theODTUG board of directors?

The not so serious reasons you run for the ODTUG board

Perhaps the candidate has:

• An obsessive fascination with committees
• Way too much free time and the desire to fill it
• A love of board conference calls on Sunday nights

The real reasons you run for the ODTUG board

I kid, I kid, those aren’t the real reasons.  I think the below is a much more likely set of motivations:

• Gratitude – You have been given much by ODTUG in the form of knowledge, networking, and exposure, and you want to show your appreciation.
• Vision – You want to influence where ODTUG goes in the future.
• Service – You want to serve the ODTUG membership through dedicated thought and action.

And now the detail

If knowledge is power, and in our business, it’s all about what you know, reflect on how ODTUG has given you deep technical knowledge through conferences, webinars, the technical journal, and the resource library.  Don’t forget the unparalleled opportunity the various conferences and events give you a chance to meet your peers and exchange ideas.  Think about how little you paid for it.  It’s a pretty compelling ROI.  Serving on the board is one way to give thanks for all that ODTUG has given.

ODTUG is made up of smart people with lots good ideas.  If you want to see those ideas made concrete, getting onto the board is the surest way to see Your Brilliant Idea come to life.

The ODTUG board of directors is a diverse group of people with different backgrounds, nationalities, technologies, and outlooks, but we’re not a shambolic gaggle of geeks because at our core we’re all there to help ODTUG serve its members to the best of everyone’s abilities.  That concept of service, and the concomitant sacrifice that it will entail (see the semi-humorous bullet points above), is what drives all of us.  It’s inspiring and humbling all at the same time.  I know that has spurred me into different directions than I would have taken otherwise.

So was I joking?  Only a little.

Committees (the tool for getting things done), demands on time (the execution of the committees’ decisions), and those ever-popular Sunday conference calls (you try scheduling international conference calls – it’s harder than you think):  all true, and all part of being on the ODTUG board.  Don’t let it scare you away, but know that all of that and more is there.  It’s not too bad, I promise.  

Should you run for the board?

If you’ve read this far, absolutely.  You’re obviously:  a person who wants to give back to an organization that has given much to you, are a far sighted individual who wants to direct ODTUG in new and exciting directions, and you have a deep desire to serve the ODTUG community.  I can’t wait to work with you.