About Me:
I build public school websites with Drupal full-time with a non-profit owned by the school districts we serve. Though I've been helping the districts build their websites since 1999, we consolidated on Drupal as our CMS of choice for building, hosting, and training content editors. Our organization provides internet access, network support, field technicians and hosting of various applications in our data center. I am person primarily responsible for building and maintaining their school district websites, training new users, and troubleshooting problems as they get reported. There is one other person in our organization who helps me with back end support but he is shared among several departments. We have also moved to using a local graphic design company to help us with the layout and design of our school district websites as they do a far better job since they are true graphic designers and artists. So, in essence, I not only oversee the creation of the school district websites but I am also the project manager, developer, site-builder, maintainer, and trouble-shooter all wrapped up in one.
Statement of Candidacy Video:
Board meeting attendence:
Have you served on a board or committee?:
If so, tell us about it.:
I've served on several district-level committees with the Boy Scouts of America and was Advancement Chairperson for all Eagle Scout Boards of Review in our part of the state of Ohio.
What perspective will you bring to the board when discussing strategic topics?:
As a one-person shop, I would bring the perspective of what can reasonably be done within micro organizations using Drupal and encourage them to continue their use of Drupal and not go shopping for another CMS out of frustration.
What existing board topics are you most passionate about? and why?:
Understanding what the project needs to move forward and determine how the Association can help meet those needs through Drupal.org and DrupalCon specifically by focusing on encouraging the hobbyists and owners of micro shops who are considering leaving the Drupal community by letting them know that they are both needed as contributors and recognized as equal players in the community at large through a public relations effort.
What additional strategic topics would you like to introduce?:
Developing strategies that encourage smaller shops to maintain their use of Drupal and education initiatives to make the transition to newer versions less taxing to agencies with limited budgets.
What unique skills would you bring to the board?:
I think that my experience with public schools could bring a large community to Drupal, much like universities that have embraced Drupal as their primary CMS. The success of our organization with implementing Drupal in public schools has proven it can be both feasible and effective in meeting the needs of schools throughout the world!
How have your past contributions to Drupal prepared you for board candidacy?:
This is my third time running for the Drupal Association Board as an advocate for hobbyists and very small shops that have felt somewhat marginalized by the perceived notion that the Drupal Association has been catering to large corporations and leaving the small companies, hobbyists, non-profits and clubs with limited budgets behind as rather insignificant. This is wrong and needs to be addressed. I have seen a shift at the top in recognition of this mistake in community relations and given my experience with Drupal as a small non-profit that has been considering a move to another CMS would make me unique member on the board with empathy and understanding for those who feel marginalized.
Why should we vote for you?:
Because I would be a voice of the hobbyists and small shops that still have an interest in continuing to use Drupal by addressing their needs as equally as important as multi-million-dollar corporations.
Questions for the Candidate