David McAllister - Overland Park, KS

1.  Please describe the skills you possess which would make you an asset as a board member, in dealing with the challenges facing KCBS, and give an example of how those skills would serve the KCBS board of Directors and its membership.

 
Being a software developer for the last 18 years, I have experienced both the good and bad as it relates to technology projects and can bring to the table those experiences.   I feel that my skillset and experience in the technology field will allow for the other board members to look to me for direction as it relates to technology.    Given the current state of the technological issues that the society has encountered, I feel that I can add some valuable guidance as to what serves the best interest of the organization and the membership.
 

2.  If you are a Cook, Judge, Organizer, Rep or Backyard Cook, please identify the major KCBS issues concerning one of the areas in which you are involved. Describe the major issue, your strategies to correct or improve the issue and what you see as the biggest challenge to the success of your plan.

 
The biggest issue is how KCBS is using or not using technology.  For example, the web platform experienced problems due to launching it early and without any beta testing. The right planning and experience on the board of how a technology project operates could have reduced the impact to the end-users. The current issues that are related to uploading the results, team and judge registrations are other examples of not using the technology properly by trying to manipulate a membership platform into a one size fits all application.   As a judge and a cook, I feel that improving the technology that is supporting the organization will provide many benefits.  An example of this would be to provide a better experience for judges to sign up for a contest.  Another example would be to provide a better system for the organizers to access the information related to judges etc.
 

3.  Identify your major short-term goal and the major long-term goal, if elected to the Board of KCBS and your plan to implement change or improvement in order to carry out each of these goals.

 
My short-term goal would be to drive the organization to get a more polished landing page as the default for the web site.  The home page(s) should be separate from the membership platform and allow for the office/marketing personal to update and maintain.  The benefits behind having a home page that has more appeal to it will enable the organization to use it to help to market to potential partners and members.
 
My long-term goals are related to the use of technology as a whole for the organization.  I want to help the office staff to automate some of the manual work they are doing to allow for them to be freed up.  I want to get the organization to realize the possibilities of how technology can be used to help with the business of contest sanctioning.  I want to get the organization to recognize that the use of technology can help with membership retention, help gain marketing partners, and continue to be the gold standard in BBQ.
 

4.  If elected please explain "your level of commitment, time and energy" for committee projects and monthly reports, board meetings and attendance, as well as representing KCBS to the public and being responsive to our members.  Board members typically volunteer 4-6 hours a month to Board meeting; Committee Chairs typically volunteer 2-4 hours a month and general Board Work a minimum of 6-8 hours a month.

 
As a contractor and owner of my own company I have the ability to make my own schedule.  Living in the Kansas City suburbs gives me the opportunity to be in the KCBS office when needed.
 

5.  Please describe your previous participation in KCBS activities and years of experience.

I am a member of the 913 BBQ competition BBQ team and am a CBJ.  As a member of the 913 BBQ team, I cook around 25 competitions a year.   We started cooking competition BBQ in 2014 and have been members of KCBS from the start.
 

6.  Please explain why you want to be a member of the KCBS Board of Directors.

 
As a member of KCBS, I want the organization to continue to grow and prosper, and I have a skill set that is desperately needed. I have experience running my own company and being on the board of another, albeit at a smaller scale.  While I have experience in other aspects of business, I feel that my background in technology is of the most use to the organization.