T-SQL Tuesday #096: The Group Who Changed My Career Forever!

T-SQL Tuesday #96: Folks Who Have Made A Difference

Today’s blog post is about T-SQL Tuesday.  If you haven’t seen T-SQL Tuesday before its a great monthly call for all SQL Server bloggers to write about one topic that always changes from month to month.  In this months installment, we’re focusing on folks who made a difference.

Looking back,  I wrote about this subject almost seven years ago.  While I covered a lot of great people there is a group left out. I wished I included them because they were the first to believe in me, mentor me, and help me become the IT Pro I am today.

Being A SQL Server MVP you might think I would focus on data people.   I am actually going to focus on a forgotten IT organization.  This would be the Association of Information Technology Professionals or AITP for short.  In fact, its really for my local chapter the Greater Wheeling Chapter of AITP (GWC of AITP). For those who didn’t know I grew up as an adult in Wheeling, WV.

The Greater Wheeling Chapter of AITP taught me how to be the best IT Professional I could be. While I attended to eat great food and to learn tech. I learned a whole lot more. I learned that it’s the people who matter and that technology will always change. I started to learn how to lead here as well.  I became a chapter president, heck even became the VP of the region.  I learned a lot of skills here that helped make me the IT person and business owner I am today.

When I wanted to bring SQL Saturday #36 to Wheeling, WV the whole Greater Wheeling AITP Chapter helped and supported me. Even though none of us knew what we were doing.

Earlier this year, Dolph Santorine the current President of GWC of AITP had a speaker cancel. In a bind, he asked if I could do a webinar to help. I refused to do the webinar because I told him I would jump on a flight and be there to do it in-person.  During this trip, over a Bridgeport brownie, I learned there might be another way I could pay things forward back to the GWC of AITP.

This is how all user group decisions should be made. Over a Bridgeport brownie at @YeOldeAlpha! pic.twitter.com/pl65m6ejJ3

— John Sterrett (@johnsterrett) January 11, 2017

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

How I Will Payback Those Who Helped Me

The GWC of AITP could use another great event to raise awareness and drive up membership.  I will be using my knowledge and #sqlfamily to help bring a third SQL Saturday to Wheeling, WV. 

That’s right, we’re going to go from SQL Saturday #36 to #717 with a good old Throwback SQL Saturday. Save the date: April 28th. Like the old days, this will be a low budget grassroots event that brings some of the best SQL Server training to West Virginia. We are going to prove again that if a SQL Saturday can happen in Wheeling, WV it can happen anywhere!

I look forward to showing my data friends why Wheeling, WV is one of my favorite places in the world! You will quickly see that Wheeling is very different from your typical American small town.

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