ABOUT ME:

I've been passionate about software quality for going on five decades, and that passion led me to be present at the very birth of AST. When we gathered in those early workshops that became the foundation for AST's formation, I never imagined I'd be writing a board candidate bio 20 years later, but here we are, and I'm more excited about AST's potential than ever.

My journey with AST runs deep. I served on the Board of Directors for about 10 years, including two years as Chair of the Board and as President from 2011-2012. But perhaps what I'm most proud of is my role in creating what became AST's signature contributions: I chaired three CAST conferences and helped establish the BBST course series that has trained thousands of testers worldwide. These weren't just events or courses, they were manifestations of AST's core mission to advance the craft of context driven software testing through rigorous thinking and community building.

After eight years away from active AST participation, I've rejoined the Board because I saw something that concerned me deeply: CAST, one of AST's fundamental contributions to our profession, has struggled since the pandemic like so many conferences. I didn't return to change everything or impose yesterday's solutions on today's challenges. I came back to work alongside the current Board members and provide historical perspective on what made AST successful in its formative years.

I've been advising for 35 years as owner of Software Quality Methods, LLC, where I've consulted with organizations ranging from Silicon Valley startups to Fortune 500 giants like Hewlett-Packard, FedEx, and Sun Microsystems. I hold degrees in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and an MBA, plus I'm a Fellow of the American Society for Quality. I've co-authored books, contributed new ideas about test automation and oracles to our profession, and spent over 20 years teaching at UC Santa Cruz Extension and training the next generation of quality professionals.

Here's what really drives me about AST's future: We need new blood... fresh thinkers who will challenge our assumptions and push us forward, while preserving the institutional knowledge that got us here. The world of software testing is radically different now than it was 20 years ago, and AST has evolved tremendously. We should be different today than we were yesterday, because improvement requires change.

My vision for AST centers on three bold moves that could transform testing careers worldwide:

1. We must revitalize CAST as a place where civil debates between people with conflicting ideas about testing can happen safely.

2. We need to become the premier resource for helping testers navigate the rapidly changing landscape of roles and technology, essentially becoming career advisors for our profession.

3. We should create robust platforms where testers can share employment opportunities and build meaningful professional networks.

I believe in learning from early successes and failures without repeating the same old mistakes when there are so many new ones to discover. Cultural differences, whether geographical, organizational, or generational, are challenges I've navigated throughout my career, from interviewing testers in India and China to managing quality across diverse corporate environments. I've learned that understanding comes from putting yourself in others' shoes and helping translate between different perspectives.

This Board role requires 10-20 hours per month of self-driven work, and frankly, that's what I'm already doing. I want to continue contributing because I see AST's potential to win recognition as a transformative force in testing careers worldwide. When I eventually step down from this board, I hope my Wikipedia entry will note not just my role as a founding member, but my contribution to AST's evolution into an organization that successfully bridges its rich history with an innovative future.

The question isn't whether we should change, it's whether we'll have the courage to make the bold moves that nobody sees coming while staying true to the values that made AST essential in the first place.