NorCal OAUG Board Candidates 
for the March 2012 to March 2014 term

Candidates
Jannie Affeld (User)
Travis Cox (Non-User)
Scott P. Curry (Non-User)
Carl Harter (User)
Carlos Raul Jimenez (User)
Sudeep Kumar (Non-User)
John Peters (Non-User)
Ramesh K Potta (User)
Kelly Ann Sarabia (User)
Scott Tompkins (Non-User)
Mark West (Non-User)

Candidates are identified by affiliation.  Anyone who has a financial interest into selling into the Oracle Applications market space is considered a "Non-User", even if that firm is a licensed user of the Oracle Applications.  The by-laws limit the number of Non-User Board Members to 4.

Jannie Affeld
Director, Information Systems, Cisco

Affiliation: User

Experience:
17 years of experience with Oracle ERP suite, including audit, development, implementation and support experience in companies including Arthur Andersen, Oracle, Electronic Arts, Visa and Cisco.

How I can contribute to the NorCal OAUG:
I would like to continue the effort to spread knowledge and share best practices to increase the super user base, improve user experience and also build stronger liaisons between users and Oracle.

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Travis Cox, CPIM 
Principal, ParaKletos Consulting Group, LLC

Affiliation: Non-User

Experience:
Two years as Oracle employee, Project Manufacturing (PjM) development team
- Contributed to the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) of releases 10.7GUI, 11.0, and 11.5
- Included participation on the PjM Customer Advisory Board (CAB)
Twelve years of functional EBS consulting
- Project Management, Team Lead, and Senior Consultant roles
- In depth knowledge of the core manufacturing and supply chain applications, releases 11.0, 11.5, and R12
- Dozens of projects in the SF Bay Area and into Asia and Europe

How I can contribute to the NorCal OAUG:
I believe my combined Oracle expertise, business acumen, teamwork skills, and long history of serving in leadership roles in various volunteer and non-profit organizations will contribute to the Board’s overall ability to serve the NorCal OAUG community.
        I have gained broad and deep exposure to Oracle applications through my work in Oracle Development and the provision of consulting service on dozens of client projects in the SF Bay Area and into Asia and Europe. I stand ready to share this knowledge with my Board colleagues and hope to utilize it to improve the OAUG user community in general.
        I have more than two decades of continuing leadership roles in community and professional organizations. These roles include board positions in two APICS chapters, participation in the City of Dublin Leadership Academy, membership on the Computer Science Advisory Board of Los Medanos College, and leadership positions on state and local councils of Kairos, CMF Vacaville, a non-profit organization. This volunteer experience will help me contribute to the overall operating effectiveness of the NorCal OAUG Board.
        I earned an Adult Vocational Educational Teaching Credential from the State of California and completed coursework at SJSU on adult education. I have thousands of hours of classroom teaching through my client work, APICS certification classes, and presentations to professional and university groups. This experience will allow me to comfortably lead and/or facilitate OAUG presentations as needed. I can also use these abilities and education to help others develop their own presentation skills.
        My career spans 25 years of operations and consulting roles across North and South America, Asia, and Europe. My education includes CPIM certification by APICS, an AA in Accounting, a BA in MIS, a BA in Marketing, and an MBA in Transnational Business. I can use this broad and deep business experience to assist me in dealing with the NorCal OAUG community – both Users and Non-Users.

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Scott P. Curry
VP Oracle ERP Practice, Intelenex

Affiliation: Non-User

Experience:
I have spent the past 15 years in various Oracle related roles ranging from implementing Oracle on the client side, to working for Oracle in a Sales Consulting and Sales based role, to working on the implementation side for the past 8+ years.

How I can contribute to the NorCal OAUG:
I would like to provide tangible insights and guidance from a consulting world perspective and help drive greater customer adoption of the Oracle toolsets by increasing visibility into how they can maximize their investments, potentially resolve existing issues, and give direction as to upcoming market trends or toolsets they can investigate to optimize their use of Oracle Applications. I would view this as an honor and opportunity to be more entrenched with the association and actively providing these insights..

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Carl Harter
Sr. Director, Procurement, Travel, & Meetings, Hitachi Data Systems

Affiliation: User

Experience:
19 years experiece as a user of Oracle's Procurement module and all related items (iProcurement and so on).  I have a solid understanding of the PTP functionality.

How I can contribute to the NorCal OAUG:
I would like to continue to bring value to the user community through focused workshops that bring workable solutions to everyday issues in supporting back office transactions.  I have been with the NorCal OAUG since its inception and would appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve its members.

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Carlos Raul Jimenez
Sr. Oracle Applications DBA, Centroid, Inc.

Affiliation: User

How I can contribute to the NorCal OAUG:
I would like to help in the sharing of information and experiences of users in the group on implementations, upgrades and issues resolutions, and have NorCal OAUG be a place for everyone to help each other, and improve communication with Oracle Support and Oracle as a company.

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Sudeep Kumar
Director, Triniti Corporation

Affiliation: Non-User

Experience:
12 Years doing E-Business Suite Implementation for almost all modules especially in Semiconductor arena.

How I can contribute to the NorCal OAUG:
I would like to get more end user participation from my client list.

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John Peters
Independent Consultant, JRPJR, Inc.

Affiliation: Non-User

Experience:
I have been involved with the Oracle Applications for the past nineteen years, sixteen years as an Independent Consultant.  I have experience in both the Functional and Technical aspects of the Oracle Applications.  This allows me to take technical details and make them understandable to the average Oracle Applications User.  I also utilize my technical skills to improve the NorCal OAUG Web Site and Email communications with the members.  I have been involved with the NorCal OAUG going way back to the BAOAUG days.  My efforts have helped the NorCal OAUG receive the OAUG GEO Certificate of Distinction for the past nine years.  I am also involved at the national level of the OAUG as the Workflow SIG Chairman.

How I can contribute to the NorCal OAUG:
I have been on the NorCal OAUG Board since it's inception and my primary responsibility has been with User Group Communication.  You can see my handiwork on the Web Site as well as the Emails which are sent to the membership.  I have also been very involved with the Organization and Coordination of the NorCal OAUG Training Days and Seminars.   I would like to continue as a board member for another two years and continue improving the communication with the NorCal OAUG Membership.  I would like to help the NorCal OAUG come up with a Training Day event that helps the user community, while being scaled back and financially viable.  I would like to continue to share my knowledge of the Oracle Applications with the user community as a NorCal OAUG Board Member.

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Ramesh K Potta
Sr Business Analyst, Corsair

Affiliation: User

Experience:
15 yrs. Global Implementations, Different upgrades 10.7 to 11.5.4, to 11.5.8, to 11.5.10 and R12.

How I can contribute to the NorCal OAUG:
I am continuously involved in OAUG group community by presenting white papers/Panel discussion member.
- Presented white paper on OBIEE
- Panel member for R12 Upgrade at Norcal 2011
We all have a common connection about things Oracle. Exchange of information, discussion on a new feature or function, topics surrounding integration and daily operation are a prime motivation for any individual or organization to be interested in participation and be ahead of the competition. I would like to bring more participation, interaction and conversation amongst members/user in community. Education of Oracle ERP to the Northern California user community.

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Kelly Ann Sarabia
Payroll Director, Health Net, Inc.

Affiliation: User

Experience:
Implemented PeopleSoft Payroll in 1999, PeopleSoft Time & Labor in 2004.  Health Net also utilized PeopleSoft HR and Benefits/BenAdmin.  Led upgrades in 2003 and 2008.  As Payroll Director, I am also in charge of the business analysts supporting PeopleSoft.  We are very involved with the system and coordination with production processes.

How I can contribute to the NorCal OAUG:
I would like to facilitate and develop more understanding of how the Oracle modules work in specific circumstances and develop a mechanism to share this information with users.  It seems that we are all re-inventing the wheel, doing our own troubleshooting, inquiries with Oracle, work arounds, etc.  While I do see many postings related to questions, I don't see as much posted related to pushing out information to other users.  In today's business environment, we cannot afford to work in silos and duplicate efforts that are being performed by other users.  By sharing the information, we can hopefully work smarter and have less overall internal spend in this area.  We are very supportive of the Oracle products and solutions and want to ensure our companies do not see these as difficult to support.

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Scott Tompkins
Regional Sales Manager, Noetix Corporation

Affiliation: Non-User

Experience:
I have been working directly and indirectly with the Oracle EBS since 1995 when I started with Oracle.  I sold many customers on the Oracle EBS as well  as other Oracle Products.  After 4 years at Oracle, I left and moved to local bay area boutique consulting firm where we implemented and hosted the Oracle EBS.
In 2001 I left to pursue a start up opportunity in which I sold an ERP bolt on package for Electronic Bill/Invoice Presentment.  I worked with many local and global companies like Delta Dental, Xerox, Dell and PacificCare to name a few.
As the eBilling market was dwindling, I moved to 170 Systems in 2006 where I worked with hundreds of bay area companies that run Oracle EBS.  I literally oversaw 20-30 local Oracle EBS companies implement the 170 Systems solution over my 5 years at 170 Systems, leaving after the Kofax acquisition.
I reunited with my management from my Oracle Utility days at Noetix approximately a year ago, where I continue to cover the Bay Area and sell into the Oracle EBS Community. With the Noetix solution, I now am meeting many Mid-Sized Companies that I was unable to sell in the past. 
I keep in contact with many of my past customers and am happy to provide references to my integrity as well as my work ethic.

How I can contribute to the NorCal OAUG:
One of the things I would like to encourage within the NorCal OAUG is getting more users involved by setting up more educational and networking functions between users and if appropriate non-users.  I spend a lot of time talking with my customers and prospects and see a lot of the same issues.
• They want to upgrade to R12, but want to talk with others that have already done it to avoid pitfalls.
• IT resources being extremely tight, how to manage projects better.
• How to do more with less

 I think some real-time examples in a panel setting could only help educate Users and allow them to network so that they can help each other with their experience. 

I think utilizing online resources is also key.  Further education of the NorCal LinkedIn presence, as well as potentially scheduling some online webinars in which users can see how their colleagues have solved significant business problems without having to leave their office.  This reduces cost from both the user perspective as well as OAUG’s perspective. 

I would also like to selfishly help my fellow vendors be able to reach out and be more effective at the training days (and potentially online OAUG Webinars).  Having spent every year at the training days for the last 6-8 years, I would like to hear from more of the vendors on what is working and what is not.  I have my own ideas around educating the audience on who is exhibiting and what their Value Proposition is, but would like to hear from other Vendors to remain fair.

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Mark West
VP, Oracle EPM and BI Practice, P3 Solutions, Inc

Affiliation: Non-User

Experience:
I've been an NorCal OAUG Board Member for 8 years, leading the BI/EPM Training Tracks, Coordinating Vendors for the Training Days, organizing many of the Training and Panel Events, and acting as our Linkedin Group Moderator. In addition, I also serve on the OAUG Hyperion SIG as the National Geo Coordinator and was instrumental in re-starting our Hyperion Panels and Training Day Speakers.

How I can contribute to the NorCal OAUG:
Thank you for supporting me as your Board representative for the past 8 years. During these next 2 years, there are 3 goals I look to accomplish.

A - Bring back the Training Day event. We are looking at a better, more manageable format that will allow us to host them at a lower fee.

B - Continue our Panel Events, and add more Workshops. The past response for the Workshops was very positive - especially on Oracle BI Training.

C - Continue to build our membership. I started the NorCal OAUG Linkedin Group 2 years ago, and now we have close to 600 members. I'm also planning a Meetup Group as a way to bring in new members, rekindle interest with past members, and increase our networking..

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