[gpfsug-discuss] GPFS UG User Group at USA

[GPFS UG Chair (Simon Thompson)]

As many of you know, there has been some interest in creating a USA 
based section of the group. Theres's been bits of discussion off list 
about this with a couple of interested parties and IBM. Rather than form 
a separate entity, we feel it would be good to have the USA group 
related to the @gpfsug.org mailing list as our two communities are 
likely to be of interest to the discussions.

We've agreed that we'll create the title "USA Principal" for the lead of 
the USA based group. The title "Chair" will remain as a member of the UK 
group where the GPFS UG group was initially founded.

Its proposed that we'd operate the title Principal in a similar manner 
to the UK chair post. The Principal would take the lead in coordinating 
USA based events with a local IBM based representative, we'd also call 
for election of the Principal every two years.

Given the size of the USA in terms of geography, we'll have to see how 
it works out and the Principal will review the USA group in 6 months 
time. We're planning also to create a co-principal (see details below).

I'd like to thank Kristy Kallback-Rose from Indiana University for 
taking this forward with IBM behind the scenes, and she is nominating 
herself for the inaugural Principal of the USA based group. Unless we 
hear otherwise by 10th August, we'll assume the group is OK with this as 
a way of us moving the USA based group forward.

Short Bio from Kristy:

"My experience with GPFS began about 3 years ago. I manage a storage 
team that uses GPFS to provide Home Directories for Indiana University’s 
HPC systems and also desktop access via sftp and Samba (with Active 
Directory integration). Prior to that I was a sysadmin in the same group 
providing a similar desktop service via OpenAFS and archival storage via 
High Performance Storage System (HPSS). I have spoken at the HPSS Users 
Forum multiple times and have driven a community process we call 
“Burning Issues” to allow the community to express and vote upon changes 
they would like to see in HPSS. I would like to be involved in similar 
community-driven processes in the GPFS arena including the GPFS Users 
Group.

LinkedIn Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/kristykallbackrose
"

We're also looking for someone to volunteer as co-principal, if this is 
something you are interested in, please can you provide a short Bio (to 
chair at gpfsug.org) including:

A paragraph covering their credentials;
A paragraph covering what they would bring to the group;
A paragraph setting out their vision for the group for the next two 
years.

Note that this should be a GPFS customer based in the USA.

If we get more than 1 person, we'll run a mini election for the post. 
Please can you respond by 11th August 2015 if you are interested.

Kristy will be following up later with some announcements about the USA 
group activities.

Simon
GPFS UG Chair