What? No Houston User's Group?!!

[Shelley_Smith-Woods]

While navigating the community, I noticed that there is no Houston User's Group and although I have joined the Austin User's Group (hoping you guys keep it weird) and the Dallas User's Group (although I am truly a Texan and not a Cowgirl), it would be nice to be part of a community closer to home.  So, why isn't there a Houston User's Group and how how do we get a one started? 

[LarryBrock · Accepted solution]

Woohoo - welcome post published this morning and we're up to 3 members!

[Celina Zamora · Accepted solution]

Hey @Shelley_Smith-Woods, I would love to chat more with you! Let me know if you have some time this week or next. Can you shoot me an email (czamoratorres@atlassian.com)? I would love to get some insight and also talk about how to get Houston more engaged. Thanks! 

[Shelley_Smith-Woods]

Hi Celina, definitely looking forward to connecting with you. An email is on the way! Thank you for your response.

[Monique vdB]

@Shelley_Smith-Woods hi Shelley!

There is an in-person Houston User Group, which you can join here. The last event was in June so I will check with our regional AUG team on the status of this group.  Definitely join it so you can be notified of any upcoming events as they appear on the calendar. 

We are rolling out our online user groups based on the activity of the in-person user group and its leaders' willingness to help moderate. If you want to get involved either online or in person, or both, we would love it!

Let me chat with the AUG team lead for EMEA, @Celina Zamora, and see what she would recommend as next steps. 

[Shelley_Smith-Woods]

Great! Thank you for responding @Monique vdB. I am looking forward to hearing from both you and @Celina Zamora.

[LarryBrock]

Hello again @Shelley_Smith-Woods -   As I believe @Celina Zamora will attest, getting an AUG started in Houston has been particularly perplexing given the size of the city and the number of Atlassian users there.  Also as @Monique vdB mentioned, there's a Houston AUG website, just not an online community group for it yet.

As a former Austin AUG leader, and now an employee of Praecipio Consulting, I can tell you that Praecipio Consulting is a huge supporter of AUGs and particularly the Texas AUGs since we're based here in Austin.  (It's actually part of the reason I joined the company.) 

As I mentioned in another post, I'll be working in Houston off and on throughout the winter and spring.  One of the tasks I've given myself is to contact Tim Zacharias, listed as the current Houston AUG leader, to see what assistance I can give him to help bootstrap the Houston AUG to a sustained meeting schedule.  I share from experience that having more than one leader makes a tremendous difference in keeping an AUG healthy, meeting and growing so here's the pitch - would you be interested in helping me help Tim plan the next Houston AUG meeting? No long-term commitment, just a trial run to see if you like it.  Thoughts?

[Shelley_Smith-Woods]

Hello @LarryBrock, sounds interesting. Let me know when you plan to meet with Tim. I am very interested in building a network of individuals who can help me grow so that I am able to do the same for others.

[LarryBrock]

Hey @Shelley_Smith-Woods - there's an AUG meeting in Houston next week and the very special and talented @Celina Zamora is one of the speakers!

(Sign up here:  https://aug.atlassian.com/houston/ )

I'll be in town working and plan to attend the meeting.  Look forward to meeting you if you can make it.  If not, let me know and perhaps we can plan an alternative.

~~Larry

[Shelley_Smith-Woods]

Yes @LarryBrock,  I have already registered and plan to be there.  Looking forward to meeting both you and @Celina Zamora

[LarryBrock]

Hey @Shelley_Smith-Woods - missed you at the meeting.  I'll be back in Houston the week of Jan 7th - want to meet for dinner while I'm there?  Tue night seems to work well for my schedule while I'm there.

~~Larry

[Shelley_Smith-Woods]

Hi @LarryBrock , I hate I missed you. I was actually headed there and the traffic was so bad, by the time I got to Westheimer, I was an hour late, so I just headed home. Let's revisit closer to your arrival, at this time my schedule is open, however with the nature of this business, that could change at any time. For now let's say yes tentatively.

Shelley

[LarryBrock]

Hi @Shelley_Smith-Woods (and you too @Veronica Kolstad)  I'm back in Houston this week (14-16th) and would very much enjoy meeting either or both of you tomorrow evening if you're free.  I'm downtown so I can go any direction pretty easily.  Let me know if you're up for a beverage and/or dinner!

[LarryBrock]

@Shelley_Smith-Woodsand @Veronica Kolstad- if you contact @Celina Zamora, she'll give you my contact info.  That might work better for coordinating a time/place.  ~~Larry

[Shelley_Smith-Woods]

@LarryBrock when are you due back in town? Let me know sooner than later. I had several offsite meetings that week.

[LarryBrock]

@Shelley_Smith-Woods- I'm not back down there until the week of the AUG meeting.  Depending on start time, maybe we can meet for dinner near the meeting site and then head over to the meeting.  Thoughts?

[Shelley_Smith-Woods]

It may have to be following the AUG meeting, as my office is on the other side of town. I will probably arrive right as the meeting is beginning, if not shortly after.

[Monique vdB]

Ooh what's this that just appeared? So weird. I wonder if someone should tell @LarryBrock about this...

[Shelley_Smith-Woods]

Oh noooooooooooo!!! What happened to the Houston AUG? Wowzerz!!!

[LarryBrock]

Hi @Shelley_Smith-Woods and @Veronica Kolstad!  Just making sure you were aware of this meeting - hope to meet you there if not before!

https://aug.atlassian.com/events/details/atlassian-houston-presents-automation-in-jira-and-lucidchart-diagramming/

[Veronica Kolstad]

Thanks, Larry! I signed up; sorry to have missed you this week.

[Shelley_Smith-Woods]

Yes, I am registered. Thank you @LarryBrock!

[Veronica Kolstad]

Just saw this thread.. I went to the June Houston AUG, and the group decided to meet quarterly until we get a good following. I have been traveling a lot, so I missed the last few, but I'm hoping to get back on the horse in 2019  :)