After five roller coaster and wonderful years as a team lead for Information Worker, Michael O’Donovan and I have decided to move on to other pastures.
Michael and I were there right in the beginning when there were just 6 people sitting around a table in one region. Information Worker has grown to 3 regions with an average of 30 – 40 people attending in Joburg and Cape Town every month, and Durban a little less because they’ve just started.
We leave the technical SharePoint user group in the very capable hands of the following :
Johannesburg – Marlon Green, Kevin Coetzee
Cape Town : Marc Lenferna, Bradley Geldenhuys, Alistair Pugin
Durban : Andre Chapman, Lynda Hunter
I will still be attending the events every single month religiously like I always do, and will still be running the monthly SharePoint Business Workshops (SBW), and annual SharePoint Saturday Jhb (SPSJHB); plus I’m a co-manager of SharePoint Experts on LinkedIn, so I’ll see you there.
*** I am not leaving the community, just the one team lead position. *** 🙂
The last IW for the year in Jhb is on 11 December and it starts up again in February.
Bradley wrote a very touching farewell to us, but he is so right that the show must go on. It will do with gusto! It’s time we made space for new blood to enter into the community and shake things up. The way has been paved. Good luck IW!! May you go from strength to strength. I’ll be on the sidelines cheering you on and evangelising you to everybody as usual. Thank you for your amazing letter Bradley.
This does mean that there are now two spots open, and while I’m sure there will be a strict entry process, read this to find out what team leads do. Do you have what it takes to lead the community? Of course you do! All you need to do is step up to the plate. The community is about you.
Views from Veronique 
@Francois – your ongoing support and kindness means so much to me. It’s people like you that make everything worthwhile. I wish more people like you would step up and get involved in the community. Thank you for your lovely words. You know I appreciate them greatly. I look forward to our continued friendship.
@Zlatan – It’s been 5 years. I know what we’ve done for this community, and will continue to do – thankfully without you being here. As usual, you only read what you want to read. Don’t you have anything better to do…
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Just one big correction here, community was there long before you (so you were not there in the beginning) and it was strongly represented in two regions, specifically even more in the beginning in Cape Town, but shortly afterwards Johannesburg too. I usually let statements like this from your side go when they are brought to my attention, but I kind of got tired of people sending me links to your posts with similar statements. Also I’m pretty sure you’re overstating number of years you’ve been a lead.
Be that as it may I wish you all the best going forward.
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V, although you write that the show must go on, I do read this with a slight bit of sadness in my heart. Non profit and community type initiatives are SO difficult to get off the ground and keep running. It takes special energy and special individuals to make it work.
Your contributions have been, and will continue to be, very valueable in the IW arena..
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I’m not leaving the community – just the team lead position in one group. 🙂 I will be around for a long time yet, and blogging like mad as always. 🙂 I’m still a Team Lead on the SharePoint Business Workshops I founded, as well as SharePoint Experts on LinkedIn, so watch this space. 🙂 Thanks for the lovely words Jeff! 🙂
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Veronique — You will be missed. However, as you said … the show must go on. I know you will be wildly successful wherever you go. I have really enjoyed reading your blogs and I hope you continue writing them. You have a fantastic writing style – engaging, informative and fun. I particularly like your post about what it takes to be a Team Lead.
Good luck and please stay in touch.
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