Board of Directors 2019–2020 Election
It’s that time of year again—time to vote for the ODTUG Board. Articles IV and VI of the ODTUG bylaws call for an election of four (4) members to the 2019–2020 Board of Directors. Voting opens on October 3, 2018 and ends on October 24, 2018 at 11:59 PM PDT. Submission of accepted votes of five percent (5%) of the membership in an election, whether submitted by mail or electronic means, shall also constitute a quorum.
This year, we have 9 candidates to choose from for four (4) positions. Be sure to read all the campaign statements and biographies of the candidates to learn about their passion and drive for ODTUG.
One of the many benefits of being an ODTUG member is the opportunity to vote for the leaders of ODTUG. If you are an individual or corporate member of ODTUG, you should have received an email from Association Voting providing you with an email address and Member ID. Please use that information to log in. Can't locate the email? Click here and then click on the help button to request the information be resent.
| Karen Cannell | David Silverstrim |
| Tim German | Jake Turrell |
| Eugene Mauro | Wayne Van Sluys |
| Helen Sanders | Neviana Zhgaba |
| Teal Sexton |
Karen Cannell, TH Technology |
|
 |
Campaign Statement I seek your vote for reelection to the ODTUG Board of Directors so that I may continue to actively establish and maintain ODTUG as the center of excellence for Oracle developers. ODTUG has a spark, an indescribable vibe that you just don’t find at other user groups or conferences. We are technical, committed, passionate, and fun. Something happens when top technical experts and Oracle product teams combine, elbow to elbow to share and talk tech. As an ODTUG director, my job is to make sure that spark continues. There are many challenges—engaging members, conference attendance, leading (not bleeding) edge content, member recruitment, quality technical content, marketing what-where-when-how—that combine to keep the ODTUG difference alive. That quality, that vibe, is our distinction—ODTUG is the best resource for Oracle developers. It takes work to keep it that way. And I love doing that unsung behind-the-scenes work. I have gained from ODTUG, I am happy to give back. How developers work and learn continues to evolve—ODTUG must keep pace by delivering practical advice and training on legacy and emerging technologies at novice through expert levels. As a senior ODTUG member, developer and consultant, I bring a quiet, steady, long-term perspective to the Board that is needed to balance the enticements of the “next new thing” with the need to deliver practical, get-the-work-done knowledge to our members. Please support my reelection to the ODTUG Board of Directors. For more information on my qualifications and interest to serve ODTUG, click here. Biography Karen Cannell is president of TH Technology, a consulting firm providing Oracle technology services. A mechanical engineer by degree (one of them), she has analyzed, designed, developed, converted, upgraded, enhanced, and otherwise implemented legacy and commercial database applications for over 30 years, concentrating on Oracle technologies. She has worked with Application Express since its beginning, and continues to leverage Oracle tools to build quality web applications for clients in government, medical, and engineering industries. Karen is an Oracle ACE, editor emeritus of the ODTUG Technical Journal, ODTUG Volunteer Award winner, and co-author of Expert Oracle Application Express, Agile Oracle Application Express and Beginning Oracle Application Express 4.2. Karen is a frequent presenter at Oracle conferences and an active member of ODTUG, IOUG, RMOUG, and NOUG. Karen may be contacted at kcannell@thtechnology.com. Questions If you could describe ODTUG in 10 words or less, what would they be? ODTUG is the center of technical excellence for Oracle developers. What motivates you to join the ODTUG Board of Directors? I wish to continue to steer ODTUG forward. Having served ODTUG as a 2017-2018 board member, technical journal editor, Oracle ACE, conference material reviewer, and long-time volunteer in many other capacities, I have the experience, drive, and depth of knowledge to guide ODTUG onward. I want to keep that ODTUG spark alive. How developers consume and share knowledge has changed, what knowledge developers need to consume is evolving rapidly. ODTUG needs to continue adapting to reach, welcome, educate, and energize developers at all levels. We face some tough issues—conference attendance, recruiting active volunteers, maintaining technical excellence, embracing new technologies while delivering practical content. These may seem like basics, but are challenging to implement within real-life time and resource constraints. Strategic planning is essential to keep our communities relevant and vibrant. I have the ODTUG experience to wisely address such issues and the motivation to carry effective initiatives to completion. What attributes do you bring to this position? - Insight on developer needs and challenges gained via 30+ years of development experience across large and small companies, government and private, large to single-person development teams. - Experience with ODTUG ongoing tasks: Leadership Program, emerging technologies, marketing, non-conference opportunities, content selection, and future ventures. - Above all, quiet steadfast persistence to get tasks done, even the less glorious ones. Do you have a principal goal you would like to achieve as a board member? Greater diversity of technical content to our members, combined with greater visibility and accessibility to: - New practical technical material, novice to advanced I believe that a greater diversity of content, implemented wisely, can attract new and energize existing members. Energized members volunteer, and active volunteers are what make the ODTUG difference.
|
|
|
|
Tim German, Qubix |
|
 |
Campaign Statement Hello (again), ODTUG! For the past two years it has been my privilege to serve you on the board of directors, an experience that has only deepened my appreciation for the ways ODTUG benefits us as members. ODTUG has taught me the value of knowledge sharing, deep personal networks, and especially the power of community. I have learned through the peer education that ODTUG supports, gained colleagues and friends across the globe, and seen the positive impact ODTUG has on all of us. Without ODTUG—and most importantly without you, my fellow members—none of this would have happened. I am grateful, and I continue to be ODTUG’s biggest fan. • Kscope11-18 Presenter Biography Tim grew up in the UK and now lives with his family in Chicago, Illinois. He has worked with Oracle tools since 1998 and is currently a director at Qubix, an Oracle Partner focused on EPM/BI solutions. Tim’s particular area of expertise is the design of systems built on the Essbase platform. He was recognized as an Oracle ACE in 2015 and became an Oracle ACE Director in 2018. Questions If you could describe ODTUG in 10 words or less, what would they be? Supportive, open, growing—the very best community for Oracle professionals. What motivates you to join the ODTUG Board of Directors? ODTUG has given so much to me: learning opportunities, new skills, and friends and colleagues from all over the world. None of this would have possible without ODTUG, and I'm grateful. I've given back through speaking, content selection, serving on the conference committee and (since 2017) on the Board. Given your vote, I'd like to continue representing you as an ODTUG Director. What attributes do you bring to this position? I love ODTUG, and I know how it's helped me grow in ways both professionally and personally that would literally have never have happened otherwise. My passion for and understanding of the power of the community makes me an advocate for all ODTUG members. I know the positive power of ODTUG, and I want to see ODTUG do ever better. Do you have a principal goal you would like to achieve as a board member? ODTUG is a family of communities. I want every member of this family to share the benefits I have enjoyed. I want to continue to encourage cross-pollination of people and ideas across communities, bringing the same focus I've had on EPM to all the communities and making sure that the board as a whole continues to take the same holistic view. |
|
|
|
Eugene Mauro, TEM Software LLC |
|
 |
Campaign Statement I have been using Oracle products since version 2. I've served companies like Legg Mason, Blue Cross, Westinghouse, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and SAIC. Spending half of my time in the commercial sector and the last half in the public sector, I see opportunities to strengthen the user community and to continue to fortify cyber security and protect ourselves and companies from terrorists and pirates. Biography Eugene Mauro, VP of TEM Software, provides application, financial, and technology services to fortune 500 and government agencies with a specialty in data science, predictive analytics, and Big Data applications. Since 2003, Eugene’s effort has been focused on supporting the US Patent and Trade Office’s budget formulation, execution, and patent application pendency reduction. Eugene graduated from The Johns Hopkins University, majoring in Biophysics after studying Zitterbewegung and large matrices as a high school student with Paul Dirac (Nobel Laureate, 1933 – Quantum Physics) at Stoneybrook University. At Hopkins he worked with Dennis Ritchie (Inventor of Unix and the C language) on comb filtering matrix technology. He deployed significant matrix solutions in the private sector for analysis and forecasts. Questions If you could describe ODTUG in 10 words or less, what would they be? The user community needs to guide Oracle's innovation. What is your motivation for joining the ODTUG Board of Directors? Working with the US Patent and Trademark Office for the last 15 years has provided me with an appreciation of innovation and information technology's influence in our lives. A new array of operating systems is poised to improve IT. Some of this change will ripple through the solution stacks used by today's products. Future next-generation systems need to leverage today's legacy systems to avoid losing value. What attributes do you bring to this position? I bring a forward look to technology that retains our best practices while incorporating proven innovation. Do you have a principal goal you would like to achieve as a board member? Each of our companies has or soon will have a road map guiding our product purchases, upgrades, and development efforts. We need to put these on the table and see how we can work together to support each other and our vendors in advancing our solutions. |
|
|
|
Helen Sanders, Temple University |
|
 |
Campaign Statement Hello fellow ODTUGers! Biography Helen Sanders is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in the IT industry as a database developer and leader. Questions If you could describe ODTUG in 10 words or less, what would they be? A place for learning, growth, friendship, collaboration, and fun! What motivates you to join the ODTUG Board of Directors? Being a part of ODTUG has been transformational for me. Through my involvement here, whether it be by serving on the Kscope abstract review committee, as database track lead, as Leadership Program coordinator, working on the Database community newsletter, or participating in Kscope Community Service Day, I’ve grown as a leader and made great friends. I want to give back to the organization that has given so much to me. What attributes do you bring to this position? Twenty years as database developer and many years of tireless non-profit volunteer experience, and a genuine love of this organization and what it stands for. Do you have a principal goal you would like to achieve as a board member? My passion for what ODTUG is and what it means to me to be a part of this amazing group drives me to want to make it even greater. I’d like to help by boosting awareness of our existence—especially to developers—who may not always be tuned in to the advantages of being part of a user group. I’d also like to drill down and find out what the current members—especially the database community—are looking for. What needs are we not meeting and how can we do better? |
|
|
|
Teal Sexton, UC Berkeley
|
|
 |
Campaign Statement Dear ODTUG, It would be an honor to represent our vibrant community and maintain it as a leading source of education, leadership development, and networking. Given the breadth of my work with Oracle tools, I will work to maintain ODTUG’s place as a primary vehicle for input to Oracle’s strategic roadmap and product management. As the director responsible for EPM, BI, APEX, and data warehouse investment at UC Berkeley, I have experience across the product suites represented by our communities. I designed an award-winning APEX application. I oversaw the design and implementation of a new EPM environment. I designed and implemented a suite of OBIEE dashboards for decision making. My experience puts me in the unique position of having worked with technologies represented across all ODTUG communities. With this experience and passion for ODTUG, I hope to expand our learning and networking opportunities through better engagement at the local level. I would drive the breadth and depth of the content at our premier user group conference, Kscope, to keep pace with the market’s rapidly changing landscape. ODTUG Experience:
I would be happy to serve across communities, building bridges and representing our various interests on the board. ODTUG has enriched my career in ways I never imagined, and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to serve our organization.
Teal earned a master’s in information technology from CSU Fullerton and a master’s in business administration from Humboldt State University (HSU), following her undergraduate education at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. In her role as director, Teal led the redesign of the budgeting & planning environment that utilizes Hyperion, Essbase, and SmartView. Teal migrated the campus reporting community from Hyperion Interactive Reporting to OBIEE for BI Analytics. Teal designed and implemented an award-winning APEX application that transformed the business of research administration. She currently leads an effort to integrate data from a new PeopleSoft HCM system into the EDW for HR and payroll analytics. Teal is highly skilled at leveraging UC Berkeley’s extensive investment in Oracle tools Questions If you could describe ODTUG in 10 words or less, what would they be? The best Oracle users' group in the whole wide world! What motivates you to join the ODTUG Board of Directors? The opportunity to represent the customers and partners who implement and use Oracle tools as we work with Oracle to make them better. What attributes do you bring to this position? I am a passionate, approachable, engaging leader who cares about the people in the ODTUG community. I will listen to them, advocate for them, work smart for them, and add value to the organization. Do you have a principal goal you would like to achieve as a board member? To keep ODTUG strong and valuable in a rapidly changing industry and to influence the strategic direction and product management of the Oracle tools we love. |
|
|
|
David Silverstrim, Baker Tilly |
|
 |
Campaign Statement I became involved with Hyperion Essbase and Hyperion Planning over ten years ago in a corporate organization as the financial systems manager. As an experienced operational accounting manager, I have always looked to the systems and software available to push for continuous improvement within the areas under my charge. Biography David Silverstrim is a director in the Enterprise Business Systems and Cloud Computing practice at Baker Tilly. David has multiple years of results-driven leadership of Hyperion/Oracle EPM projects (Oracle Essbase, Oracle Hyperion Planning, Oracle OBIEE+, EPBCS, PBCS, FCCS) in addition to 20+ years of financial systems corporate management experience. He combines strong operational accounting management with exceptional financial systems/business intelligence query and data modeling aptitude, project management experience from concept to completion, and excellence in functioning as an expert liaison decoding the needs of the key business stakeholders for the technical application developers. David specializes in business transformation enabled by Oracle EPM technology and functional process optimization. He has presented at the Higher Education User Group & NCHUG and has attended several additional national and international software conferences over the length of his career. David is a past board member of an international software users group. Questions If you could describe ODTUG in 10 words or less, what would they be? A community of Oracle Users dedicated to professional development. What motivates you to join the ODTUG Board of Directors? I am motivated to join the Board to continue to advocate and support this great organization with its goals of community and collaboration among all Users and Developers in the Oracle space. What attributes do you bring to this position? I would bring over 25 years of industry, management, and consulting experience in ERP, BI, and EPM applications to the role, as well as a diverse financial and IT background that allows me to participate and advocate in discussions on both sides of the issues and opportunities. Do you have a principal goal you would like to achieve as a board member? My principal goal would be to continue to expand the knowledge base and collaboration between Oracle, the Developers, and the Users. We are all seeking common goals – features & functionality, best-in-class, ease-of-use, and work-life balance. Collaborating in this community and learning from each other is the best way to achieve these goals. |
|
|
|
Jake Turrell, Turrell Consulting LLC |
|
|
|
Campaign Statement For the past two years I have had the honor of being an ODTUG board member, and I would like to ask the Oracle community for the opportunity to continue serving in this role. As a board member, I have served as the BI community board liaison and have been a member of the Finance Committee. In addition, I chaired the Emerging Technology Subcommittee that introduced Oracle Blockchain Cloud Service to our members at Kscope18. Like many members, I can’t imagine my career being nearly as fulfilling without ODTUG. As such, I would like the opportunity to continue to preserve and enhance the organization in an official capacity. I would like to ask for your vote for the ODTUG Board of Directors. Biography Jake Turrell is a solution architect with over 24 years of experience implementing Enterprise Performance Management solutions. Jake began his career as a financial systems intern at Dell, where he administered IMRS Micro Control, the predecessor to Hyperion Enterprise. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in management information systems, Jake joined Ernst & Young’s management consulting practice. In 1998, Jake moved to Navigator Systems, where he rose to the level of OLAP Practice Lead. Since 2003, Jake has been an independent consultant focused on the implementation of Essbase, Hyperion Planning, PBCS, and related technologies. Career Highlights: Questions If you could describe ODTUG in 10 words or less, what would they be? An association of Oracle developers focused on service and education. What motivates you to join the ODTUG Board of Directors? Over the last two years (my first term), I have had the opportunity to learn more about ODTUG than I could have ever imagined. This has allowed me to ramp up my contributions to the organization via the various subcommittees that I work with. On the Finance subcommittee, I have had the opportunity to build out data integrations for ODTUG's new PBCS implementation. On the Emerging Tech Subcommittee, I have had the opportunity to introduce Blockchain technology to Kscope. I have been able to participate more with the ODTUG Leadership Program and also with the BI community volunteers that bring us meetups, webinars, and newsletters. Many of these initiatives are gaining momentum and traction now. I'd like to take everything I've learned over the last two years and continue to advance these initiatives for our members. What attributes do you bring to this position? I have a strong commitment to organized, open, and transparent communication. I believe I can help members better understand and utilize the resources that ODTUG provides. Do you have a principal goal you would like to achieve as a board member? ODTUG has a fairly specific mission statement, which for me all boils down to serving our members. My goal is to ensure that we are fostering the learning and networking objectives of our members in a way that promotes the long-term health of the organization. |
|
|
|
Wayne Van Sluys, interRel Consulting |
|
|
|
Campaign Statement Dear Fellow ODTUGers, Biography I am an educator who enjoys technology. I enjoy being able to share my knowledge with others and learning what others have to share. I have been part of the Oracle ACE program since 2015. Being an Oracle ACE is about giving back to the community and sharing knowledge, which are part of my core beliefs. I have been active ODTUG volunteer, participating in the community service day since my first Kscope in 2010. I have served on the conference content selection committee for six years and two of those years as content track lead for BI. I am active in the IOUG Spatial and Graph SIG and have served as communications chair for the past 2.5 years. My involvement in the professional community as a presenter dates back into the early 2000's. Conference speaking includes BRIO, Hyperion Kscope, Analytics and Data Summit (BIWA), and Oracle OpenWorld. Questions If you could describe ODTUG in 10 words or less, what would they be? A community of professionals that feels like family. What is your motivation for joining the ODTUG Board of Directors? I have been a volunteer in various capacities primarily centered around Kscope for the past eight years; I feel it time to expand my involvement in the within ODTUG and serve at a higher capacity. What attributes do you bring to this position? As a consultant who specializes in Data Analytics, I will bring those skills to the ODTUG Board. I believe that there is an opportunity to leverage data analytics to help ODTUG be more efficient as an organization. Do you have a principal goal you would like to achieve as a board member? I would like to work on outreach for new members and new conference attendees. I have found that many of our new clients do not know about ODTUG or Kscope. |
Neviana Zhgaba, GE Digital |
|
|
|
Campaign Statement Even though it feels like I’ve been part of ODTUG for a long time, I have embraced its community, knowledge, philanthropy, and its fun. The ODTUGers that know me have felt the drive, passion, energy, love that I give to our organization. After volunteering in the EPM community, participating in the Leadership Program and presenting at the conference, I was also humbled to receive the prestigious ODTUG Volunteer Award. I am now asking for your support to spread the same spark and passion across all ODTUG communities. I am a Woman in Technology, a @DataRestless Millennial, a Dedicated ODTUG Member. I am no Einstein, but one of his quotes summarizes all that preceded: "I have no special talent, I am just passionately curious!". I believe curiosity is one of the key traits that will engage our global community to evolve and thrive, all for and because of people like you who care enough to invest in our organization's future. As Your ODTUG Board Member, I aim to increase engagement and give you more visibility through collaboration initiatives across all our communities; to expand your technical expertise in emerging technologies while teaming up as an organization to code for worthy nonprofit causes around the world; to provide you more opportunities to engage in mentoring activities by welcoming in our community the emerging generation – ODTUG’s future – of Oracle technical experts. With your vote, I will work tirelessly to make what is surely the best technical user group in the world, even better! Biography Neviana is a Finance IT technical project manager with a bachelor and a master of science degree in software engineering. She started her career at General Electric through the GE Digital Technology Leadership Program. Neviana has held various data management and project management roles across GE Corporate, GE Capital, GE Treasury, and GE Digital, implementing global cross-functional solutions in the financial services space. For the past two years she has been part of the team that manages all the Oracle EPM applications across all GE businesses, with a primary focus on Oracle DRM. Accomplishments to consider:
Questions If you could describe ODTUG in 10 words or less, what would they be? Fun crowd of ORACLE DISTINGUISHED TECHNICAL UNDENIABLE GEEKS What motivates you to join the ODTUG Board of Directors? I believe I can give back even more to our communities by joining a team of smart people who are just as passionate about ODTUG as I am. I believe that I have the vision to drive key important strategic initiatives to add value and serve the future of the organization. What attributes do you bring to this position? I’m an idea activator, a cross-functional communicator, a people developer, a community connector with some bonus sparks of positive energy! I’ve been told that those are the strongest attributes others draw the most value out of by working alongside me. Raising engagement levels across communities; driving forward new initiatives; making new members feel welcome; staying open and curious about technical trends that add value to existing members: That is what I hope to bring to the table. Do you have a principal goal you would like to achieve as a board member?
|
