CAST2016 and AST Elections

You might already know about this, hopefully you already know about this, CAST2016 will be held in beautiful Vancouver, BC August 8th, 9th, and 10th. The theme this year is focusing on how testing helps propel software development projects forward. If you find yourself in a organization shifting toward more technical test techniques, this is the conference for you. As always, we will offer a full schedule with something special that you won’t find at most conferences, time to talk with the presenters and have deep conversations about their experiences.

TestRetreat, a peer conference, will be held the Saturday before CAST2016. TestRetreat is a little different. The attendees create the schedule and for the most part, run the event. If there is a specific topic you want to talk about, or a practical problem you want to work on in a group, this is a great forum. I have attended all but the first TestRetreat and will be there this year.

AST Board of Directors Elections

My first term on the AST board of directors will end at CAST2016. I served one year as VP of Education and Chair of the Education Committee, and my second year as President. Over the course of those two years, I was:

• Directly involved with the publishing and development of the AST skill wiki
• Began an effort to update exercises in BBST Foundations and Bug Advocacy
• Have helped put on two CAST conferences
• Went to, and reported on (not yet released as of publishing this) the DeepSpec workshop as a representative of the Committee on Standards and Professional Practices.
• Facilitated decentralization of work traditionally done by board members by creating the AST Grants Comittee

I will be running for my second, and last, term on the AST board this August. If I am elected again, I would like to focus on three things:

• Continuing to help develop and promote our public education offerings like BBST, webinars, attending and reporting on academic software events.
• Further decentralizing some aspects of work traditionally done by the BoD by fostering an engaged membership.
• Discovering new ways to expand the reach of AST and good testing practices.

If you are happy with the work I have done so far, and what I might do over the next two years, I hope you’ll vote for me this August in Vancouver.