It is with great pleasure that I congratulate my colleague, Kim May, on being named an IBM Data Champion.
http://www-01.ibm.com/software/data/champion/profiles/may.html

Kim started with The Fillmore Group a little over four years ago with a background in Java application development services and Microsoft desktop and applications training. From a standing start, she has become an expert on the IBM Information Management software portfolio. Moreover, she has been a tireless evangelist for IBM IM training: she developed and promoted *free* webcasts delivered via the International DB2 Users Group and launched the Baltimore/Washington DB2 Users Group Linux, Unix, Windows track.

Kim has also established The Fillmore Group as an IBM Authorized Training Partner for in-depth for-fee classroom education.
IBM Authorized Training

Take a moment to give Kim a well-deserved shout out at kim.may@thefillmoregroup.com

For more information on the IBM Data Champions Program, go to
http://www-01.ibm.com/software/data/champion

I can’t believe Thanksgiving is tomorrow and we are just two weeks away from the first Baltimore/Washington DB2 Users Group LUW track meeting.  I haven’t seen the registration numbers yet but have been trying to contact any and everyone I can about the meeting.  The presenters are lined up and ready - DB2 evangelist Dwaine Snow from IBM on compression, an excited Bill Kincaid from xkoto, who closed a Gridscale deal with CNN just this week, and of course my favorite, Frank Fillmore, on high availability options.

If you will be in town, please join us.  Please!  It’s critical to show support for an LUW track as the legacy Baltimore/Washington DB2 Users Group core membership is comprised of DB2 for z/OS users.   They have been very tolerant of my persistent clamor to add an LUW track.  If we draw a crowd it will enable us to continue to offer an LUW track, providing LUW users with the same quality of low cost education that makes IDUG such a great contributor to the DB2 community.

When I first started working for Frank in early 2005 I volunteered to join the board of the Baltimore/Washington DB2 Users Group, our local IDUG regional users group. At that time our business was more focused on DB2 for Linux/UNIX/Windows, but the BWDB2UG was, and has remained, very mainframe-centric. The RUG is quite successful, with quarterly meeting attendance average around 75.

As The Fillmore Group has shifted to support the mainframe renaissance we haven’t lost sight of the need for local support for DB2 for LUW users however, and I am excited to announce that the board approved the addition of a second meeting track, specifically for DB2 for LUW, starting with our upcoming December 10th meeting. Best of all, in MY opinion, is that Frank Fillmore will present at the first meeting. I look forward to being part of the team that is enabling our local LUW folks to enjoy the low-cost education, support and networking the Baltimore/Washington DB2 Users Group members have enjoyed since 1988. Please join us December 10th if you are in the area.