[Linux-aus] Nomination: Stewart Smith

[Stewart Smith <stewart@linux.org.au>]

Hi all!

I am Stewart Smith, the current Vice President of Linux Australia, and
wish to nominate myself for the position of Vice President. If I don't
get that role, I'd like to nominate for an Ordinary Member on the
committee.

A bit about myself:

I started in computers at an age too young to remember - being given my
first one - with no software, but a BASIC manual - I wrote my own. It's
been partly that ever since - I like to code. Branching out into all
sorts of other areas - from web development to operating systems
development.

This has not dampened my desire for community groups - being a major
part of one of Australia's first student-run internet groups at a high
school before moving on to Monash University to study Computer Science.
I spent the best part of 3 years on the executive of the School of
Computer Science and Software Enigineering Student Club there, after
which I was given an Honorary lifetime membership for my efforts. During
this time, I helped bring membership up from less than 20 to over 400
(nearly a third of the school), organise many a Linux Install day
(roughly two a year), a Ball (or two), BBQs (Beer-B-Q's - this is a
university!). Towards the end of the third year - i began to
re-architect the membership database, which has turned into what LA is
using now.

I have spent the last year completing an Honors year in Computer
Science, with the thesis topic of "An Object Store for The Walnut
Kernel" - an effort which sucks up more time than I could imagine.

I also became more heavily involved with the GAUNIX group at Monash,
providing accounts on a student managed General Access UNIX machine
(yoyo) to any Monash student who wants one. I was heavily involved in
the migration from Tru64 to FreeBSD and consequently have earned a right
to cry in the corner of a room every time Tru64 is mentioned :)

So - I have good, solid experience with volunteer organisations which
are heavily community focused and my past year with LA has helped me
even more in becoming a good guy to have on the team (so I've been told
:) and really look forward to continuing to contribute to LA.

During my stint on the LA committee, we jointly have:
- put LA on solid legal ground
- kept LA in a solid financial position, with limits on expenditure
- laid groundwork for future solid legal and financial ground
  - such as constitution
  - complete meeting minutes (go Andrew!)
  - solid precidents on procedure
- kept a healthy community profile - involving the community in every
step of our organisation. We have kept remarkably open, to the extent of
publishing our committee meeting minutes on the web (something few
organisations do)
- cheered on the LCA team, making sure everything is on track to make
sure the community gets yet another great conference
  - It should be noted that the LCA team have done an awesome job, and
haven't needed prodding, poking or anything like that - they're truly
great and have maybe even helped us more than we've helped them (!? :) 
Hats off to these guys. However, I'm sure they appreciate the checks and
balances role of the LA committee.
- LA Grants Scheme
  - providing some of our (limited) funds to people/groups to do cool
work that benefits the community
    - We'd love to do more!
- Facilitated getting several .au people trained as LPI proctors, LPI
exams at LCA and close ties with LPI.
- Membership database (and related goodies) - which is progressing
nicely, if not as quickly as I would like
- Kept the User Group listing updated with current user groups and
contacts.
- Facilitated a forum for LUGs to communicate
- Facilitated forums to discuss future LCAs 2006 and beyond!
- picked a team for LCA05 - it'll rock.
- tried to get people motivated to help redo the LA web site - there is
some stuff sitting there sorta half done - volunteers welcome!

As well as more recently (and personally) been working on increasing the
relationship between LUV and LA.

(i'm sure i've missed lots of things out on this list :)

Although we may occationally feel that we wish we did more - it has been
a strong year, building the organisation up and giving it heaps of
momentum for the future. I feel we have achieved a lot and in a way that
will allow future LA committees to continue doing a lot. The sheer
number of nominations for ctte positions is a testament to that. I hope
to be able to continue in contributing to the organisations momentum in
2004.

-- 
Stewart Smith <stewart@linux.org.au>
Linux Australia Inc