Hussain Abbas

About Me:

Hi, I am Hussain, an Engineering Manager at Axelerant who is learning the ropes of working more and more with people rather than machines. I am an introvert pushing myself towards extroversion by speaking at conferences, organising meetups, and pushing myself to introduce myself to others at meetups and conferences. I have worked with a variety of technologies and spent a significant portion of my career on Drupal project and Drupal community along with the wider PHP ecosystem and technology in general.

I got into Drupal a few years ago and started my participation in the community through contributions to Drupal core in around 2013. Since then, I have also helped organise meetups, camps, spoken at them, and served in various initiatives related to Drupal.

Statement of Candidacy Video:

https://youtu.be/F2hkYxLx89E

Board meeting attendence:

2-4

Have you served on a board or committee?:

Yes

If so, tell us about it.:

I have served on the committee that organises meetups and camps in Bangalore, the city where I live. I have also served on similar committees for other camps in India but in mostly an advisory capacity. I have also worked on broader community initiatives specific to Drupal's growth in India.

What perspective will you bring to the board when discussing strategic topics?:

As a long time developer, that will be my primary perspective in discussing strategic topics. I also help in organising meetups and camps and have generally worked for community initiatives in India and that is another perspective I can bring to the table.

What existing board topics are you most passionate about? and why?:

I am most passionate about moving the Drupal project forward mainly through improvements on drupal.org, and also improvements to DrupalCons.

What additional strategic topics would you like to introduce?:

I'd like to help further in forming Drupal Association's regional support structure (which is already in works and I am already helping such an activity in India). I'd also look at improvements to content on drupal.org and associated network to help in Drupal adoption.

What unique skills would you bring to the board?:

I have found myself to be a good listener and able to translate what's being said, and what's not being said into an action plan. At the same time, I have an extensive background in development which would help me in understanding the developer's needs and wants and translating that into a solution. Finally, I have some experience with running a company and serving on management where I work. This helps me in understanding the operational aspects of running an organisation such as finance and strategy.

How have your past contributions to Drupal prepared you for board candidacy?:

I started my non-code contributions to Drupal as a meetup organiser and eventually a camp organiser. My presence here afforded me even more opportunities to help such committees in other cities and also general community initiatives in my region. Apart from speaking at Drupal events throughout the world (not just coding topics), I have also helped people one-to-one through mentorship for both code and non-code matters. These experiences with the community (and more) have given me the confidence to suitably fulfil responsibilities as an At-Large board director.

Why should we vote for you?:

Thank you for considering my candidacy for the At-Large director role. My job is to be your voice on the board and I will fulfil that responsibility to the best of my ability. Further, I intend to be more than just a voice and actively assist in the implementation wherever applicable. I believe my skills cater to a wide segment of the Drupal community (developers and regional community leaders) and I would do my best to serve as a bridge to serve your needs for the general improvement of the Drupal project.