To learn, leverage, and help evolve.
I started my working career in technology close to twenty years ago. It has surely not been an average career, but a career where I've continually learned and evolved to fulfill the need. In a sense, it all started with Linux and answering some questions about installing Linux. This started a journey into computer networking and eventually shifted to a systems engineering focus with a stop-over in data center operations.
The DevOps movement lead me more into software development and the operationalization of software due to the need to automate large scale systems deployments. This required bringing an operational perspective while bridging to the requirements, and often required digging deep into the underlying code to solve the problem of the day.
In a sense, I found a home in OpenStack in 2014 and the Ironic project in 2015 because of many years spent working with physical hardware in data centers.
I presently work for Red Hat as a Principal Software Engineer, where my upstream focus has been Ironic for the past few years, and my downstream focus has been on helping lead adoption and use of Ironic.
I'm involved in the following OpenStack projects: Bare Metal Provisioning Service (Ironic)
I see a world where choice is vital. Where freedom from vendor lock-in is critical to being able to provide the best services possible. Where we help change the world through both the technology and the people who use it. To me, this is why Open Infrastructure is critical. Portability, Choice, and quality of life for everyone.
Part of this, when looking at my past is why I'm so passionate about open infrastructure tooling. I've experienced the pain of vendor lock-in. Where we were unable to make the right choice because of it. On top of this, I have seen and experienced the positive impact and resulting joy which has resulted from the work being performed in the Open Infrastructure community. There is always more work to be done, which is why I'm here to contribute.
I have served on the Open Infrastructure Foundation Board of Directors this past year, and for the year before that when it was the OpenStack Foundation. Outside of technology, I have worked with some local advocacy and charity focused non-profits, but in a limited leadership capacity.
I see the board's role in success in part to be enablers of the Foundation, and ultimately the community. In part of this, we need to guide. At the same time, the board's role is to also advocate and help spread the word where possible and applicable.
I believe the top priority for the board during 2022 should be spreading the word of our larger community and of the projects within that community. The word, being spread wider also needs to come with a personal note of why we feel it is important as we are ultimately spreading the word of the foundation and reminding everyone that we as a community exist, and that we do important work which makes a difference.
Julia has already been nominated by: