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| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +layout: post |
| 3 | +title: New ACS Committer, Jamie Pell gives his thoughts on the current state of the project |
| 4 | +tags: [community] |
| 5 | +authors: [ivet] |
| 6 | +slug: jamie-pell-committer |
| 7 | +--- |
| 8 | + |
| 9 | + |
| 10 | + |
| 11 | + |
| 12 | +[Jamie Pell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-pell/) has been |
| 13 | +appointed as a Committer to the CloudStack project. In this written |
| 14 | +interview, he shares insights into his contributions beyond code, |
| 15 | +offers advice for newcomers looking to get involved, discusses the |
| 16 | +value of companies sharing their CloudStack use cases, and more. |
| 17 | + |
| 18 | +<!-- truncate --> |
| 19 | + |
| 20 | +##### Introduce yourself in a few words and what your job role/company is |
| 21 | + |
| 22 | +Hi, I'm Jamie. I work as the Digital Marketing Lead at |
| 23 | +[ShapeBlue](https://www.shapeblue.com/), the world's largest |
| 24 | +integrator of [Apache CloudStack technologies and a well-known name |
| 25 | +within the CloudStack community. In my role, I lead a range of digital |
| 26 | +initiatives including content creation (both video and written), |
| 27 | +social media strategy, web design and development, SEO, and end-to-end |
| 28 | +digital marketing campaigns. I’m also very involved in supporting and |
| 29 | +promoting the wider CloudStack community, applying the same expertise |
| 30 | +to help drive awareness and growth to the project. |
| 31 | + |
| 32 | + |
| 33 | +##### What are some key projects and developments you have worked on and are currently working on? |
| 34 | + |
| 35 | +A project which I finished earlier this year was the new [CloudStack |
| 36 | +Collaboration Conference](https://www.cloudstackcollab.org/) website, |
| 37 | +leading the project end to end. The goal was to deliver a modern, |
| 38 | +user-friendly site that better reflects the scale and significance of |
| 39 | +the conference, the most important event in the CloudStack |
| 40 | +calendar. Updating the design was especially important, as the event |
| 41 | +continues to grow in size and interest each year, and the website |
| 42 | +serves as the first point of contact for attendees, sponsors, and the |
| 43 | +wider community. |
| 44 | + |
| 45 | +Much of my current work is focused on upcoming events, such as this |
| 46 | +year’s [CloudStack Collaboration |
| 47 | +Conference](https://www.cloudstackcollab.org/). My responsibilities |
| 48 | +cover the full event cycle. From promoting registrations and the call |
| 49 | +for presentations, securing sponsorships, onboarding new sponsors and |
| 50 | +coordinating on-site arrangements to ensure everything runs smoothly |
| 51 | +throughout the event. |
| 52 | + |
| 53 | + |
| 54 | +##### Beyond writing code, what other forms of contribution would most benefit the CloudStack project? |
| 55 | + |
| 56 | +One of the most noticeable needs in the CloudStack community today is |
| 57 | +ensuring that the project website is consistently updated to reflect |
| 58 | +the pace of technological progress. The website serves as the first |
| 59 | +point of contact for many potential users, contributors, and |
| 60 | +decision-makers. By keeping it aligned with the latest features, |
| 61 | +trends, and advancements in CloudStack, we not only provide accurate |
| 62 | +information but also demonstrate that the project is vibrant, active, |
| 63 | +and continually evolving. |
| 64 | + |
| 65 | +I think refreshed website content and more regular solutions briefs & |
| 66 | +case studies all help inform and attract both adopters and |
| 67 | +contributors. When companies share their CloudStack use cases, the |
| 68 | +entire ecosystem benefits. Each story exposes the community to |
| 69 | +different infrastructures, environments, and real-world challenges. |
| 70 | + |
| 71 | + |
| 72 | +##### How do companies benefit when sharing their Use Case? |
| 73 | + |
| 74 | +By sharing their approach, companies build a reputation as a trusted |
| 75 | +reference point in the community, while their colleagues involved in |
| 76 | +the work are often seen as thought leaders, providing real-world |
| 77 | +insights that others can learn from. Sharing use cases also provides a |
| 78 | +platform to reinforce important principles such as avoiding vendor |
| 79 | +lock-in, achieving cost efficiency, ensuring scalability, enabling |
| 80 | +flexibility, and the list goes on. |
| 81 | + |
| 82 | + |
| 83 | +##### What is your approach to working with a community that’s spread across the globe? |
| 84 | + |
| 85 | +I collaborate with the community primarily through [the mailing |
| 86 | +lists](https://cloudstack.apache.org/mailing-lists/), which are the |
| 87 | +central communication channels for Apache CloudStack. That’s where |
| 88 | +most of the discussions take place, and it’s a great way to stay |
| 89 | +connected with contributors across the world. I also engage a lot |
| 90 | +through community events, which provide the chance to meet people |
| 91 | +face-to-face, share ideas, and strengthen relationships. Many |
| 92 | +contributors and project members are also very active in GitHub |
| 93 | +discussions, though I personally participate less there since my focus |
| 94 | +is more on the marketing and community outreach side of the project. |
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