Dallas/Fort Worth Postgres

Dallas/Fort Worth Postgres is part of the PostgresWorld network of Postgres related meetups. We specialize in building our users of Postgres and related ecosystem technologies including but not limited to RDS Postgres, Aurora for Postgres, Google Postgres, PostgreSQL.Org Postgres, Greenplum, Timescale and ZomboDB. Please join us in learning and building People, Postgres, Data.

DALLAS-FORT WORTH POSTGRESQL USER GROUP
LEADERSHIP TEAM SELECTION BYLAWS

PREAMBLE: ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW
The Dallas-Fort Worth PostgreSQL User Group is a professional association and member of the PostgresWorld network of PostgreSQL-related meetups. The organization specializes in building expertise among users of PostgreSQL and related ecosystem technologies including Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL, Amazon Aurora for PostgreSQL, Google Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL, PostgreSQL.org community edition, Greenplum, TimescaleDB, and ZomboDB. The organization's mission is to advance knowledge and build connections among people, PostgreSQL technologies, and data management practices within the North Texas region and the broader PostgreSQL community.

ARTICLE I: LEADERSHIP TEAM PURPOSE AND STRUCTURE
The Dallas-Fort Worth PostgreSQL User Group Leadership Team is a highly selective professional association that guides the technical direction of the PostgreSQL community in the North Texas region. Leadership Team positions require demonstrated exceptional PostgreSQL expertise and outstanding achievements in PostgreSQL technologies. The Leadership Team serves as the governing body responsible for establishing technical standards, organizing community events, and representing the Dallas-Fort Worth PostgreSQL community within the broader national and international PostgreSQL ecosystem.
ARTICLE II: LEADERSHIP TEAM SELECTION CRITERIA
Section 2.1 - Mandatory Requirements for Leadership Team Membership
Candidates for Leadership Team membership must satisfy ALL of the following criteria to be considered for this highly selective position:
Exceptional PostgreSQL Expertise: Demonstrated deep technical expertise in PostgreSQL database technologies as evidenced by:
• Minimum 10 years of professional experience with PostgreSQL systems in production environments
• Principal-level or equivalent technical role involving PostgreSQL architecture, design, or implementation
• Recognition as a PostgreSQL subject matter expert by peers, employers, and industry professionals
• Documented resolution of complex PostgreSQL technical challenges with measurable business impact
Outstanding Achievements in PostgreSQL: Evidence of outstanding achievements including at least three of the following:
• Published PostgreSQL technical articles, whitepapers, or documentation with documented reach and impact
• PostgreSQL tools or frameworks adopted by organizations beyond the candidate's employer
• Speaking engagements at PostgreSQL conferences (PostgresConf, PGConf, regional conferences) or user groups
• Contributions to PostgreSQL open-source projects or ecosystem tools
• Measurable customer impact through PostgreSQL expertise including performance improvements, cost reductions, or reliability enhancements
• Recognition or awards for PostgreSQL expertise from industry organizations or employers
Significant Community Commitment: Demonstrated commitment to the PostgreSQL community beyond general membership including:
• Regular attendance and active participation in PostgreSQL user group meetings
• Technical presentations or workshops delivered to the community
• Mentoring of emerging PostgreSQL professionals
• Contributions to PostgreSQL community resources or documentation
Meaningful Impact Through Prior Contributions: Evidence that prior contributions have had meaningful impact including:
• Adoption of candidate's PostgreSQL methodologies or tools by other organizations
• Positive feedback from community members on candidate's technical guidance
• Measurable improvements in PostgreSQL practices within the community
Evident Leadership Capabilities: Demonstrated leadership capabilities through previous professional activities including:
• Leading technical initiatives or projects involving PostgreSQL
• Influencing PostgreSQL technical direction within organizations
• Building and developing PostgreSQL technical teams
• Representing PostgreSQL expertise in cross-functional or executive contexts
Section 2.2 - Selection Process
Leadership Team members are selected through rigorous evaluation by recognized national and international PostgreSQL experts:
Nomination: Candidates may be nominated by existing Leadership Team members or recognized PostgreSQL community leaders based on observed outstanding PostgreSQL achievements
Evaluation Committee: All nominations are evaluated by a committee of recognized PostgreSQL experts including:
• Joshua Drake (Founder and Co-Chair of PostgresConf, President and CTO of Command Prompt, Inc., former Director of International Collaboration for PostgreSQL Association of China)
• Taha Kadado (Lead Data Engineer with 25+ years of database architecture experience and specialized PostgreSQL expertise)
• Chris Bandy (Senior Software Engineer at Snowflake, formerly Senior Software Engineer at Crunchy Data for six years)
• Existing Leadership Team members with documented PostgreSQL expertise
Evaluation Process: The committee evaluates candidates based on:
• Documentary evidence of exceptional PostgreSQL technical expertise
• Measurable contributions to PostgreSQL technologies or community
• Sustained PostgreSQL leadership over multiple years
• Originality and significance of PostgreSQL contributions
• Ability to advance PostgreSQL practices beyond routine database administration
Selection Standard: Only individuals with outstanding achievement in PostgreSQL technologies who meet the exceptional standards required for this selective position are approved for Leadership Team membership. The selection process is highly competitive and significantly more rigorous than general membership requirements.
Expert Endorsement: Final selection requires endorsement by at least two recognized PostgreSQL experts from the evaluation committee, including mandatory endorsement by Joshua Drake as Founder and Chair of PostgresConf
Section 2.3 - Qualifications of Evaluating Experts
The individuals who evaluate Leadership Team candidates are recognized as national and international experts in PostgreSQL:
Joshua Drake: Founder and Co-Chair of PostgresConf (the premier PostgreSQL conference series in North America), President and CTO of Command Prompt, Inc. (the oldest PostgreSQL service company in North America with over 28 years of PostgreSQL expertise), and former Director of International Collaboration for the PostgreSQL Association of China. He is internationally recognized as a leading authority in the PostgreSQL community through his conference leadership, company leadership, global PostgreSQL advocacy, and contributions to PostgreSQL ecosystem development. As Founder and Chair of PostgresConf, Joshua Drake personally participates in the evaluation and selection of all Dallas-Fort Worth PostgreSQL User Group Leadership Team members. His endorsement is based on candidates' demonstrated PostgreSQL expertise, community contributions, and leadership capabilities that meet the exceptional standards required for this selective position.
Taha Kadado: Lead Data Engineer with over 25 years of database architecture experience across multiple platforms, with specialized knowledge in PostgreSQL implementation for enterprise-scale applications. His active contributions to the PostgreSQL community through the Dallas PostgreSQL User Group and his extensive experience implementing PostgreSQL solutions for Fortune 500 companies qualify him as a recognized expert in database architecture and PostgreSQL implementation. His evaluation focuses on candidates' technical depth, architectural expertise, and ability to solve complex PostgreSQL challenges.
Chris Bandy: Senior Software Engineer at Snowflake, having previously served as Senior Software Engineer at Crunchy Data (one of the premier PostgreSQL development and support companies) for six years. His extensive experience in database design and implementation, particularly with PostgreSQL technologies, and his contributions to PostgreSQL open-source projects establish him as a recognized expert who evaluates the technical capabilities of leadership candidates. His evaluation focuses on candidates' contributions to the PostgreSQL ecosystem and technical innovation.
ARTICLE III: LEADERSHIP TEAM RESPONSIBILITIES
Leadership Team members are expected to fulfill the following responsibilities:
Guide the group's technical direction and strategic focus for PostgreSQL technologies
Select presentation topics that advance community knowledge of PostgreSQL
Evaluate and approve technical content for meetups to ensure high quality and relevance
Organize regular events and special technical sessions focused on PostgreSQL
Represent the Dallas-Fort Worth community within the broader national and international PostgreSQL ecosystem
Foster connections with the global PostgreSQL community including PostgresConf and other regional user groups
Establish technical standards and implementation best practices for PostgreSQL
Mentor emerging PostgreSQL professionals within the community
Maintain relationships with PostgreSQL vendors, service providers, and open-source contributors
Participate in the evaluation and selection of new Leadership Team candidates
ARTICLE IV: CURRENT LEADERSHIP TEAM
Section 4.1 - Leadership Team Members
The current Leadership Team consists of the following recognized PostgreSQL experts:
Joshua Drake: Founder and Co-Chair of PostgresConf and President and CTO of Command Prompt, Inc., the oldest PostgreSQL service company in North America, with over 28 years of PostgreSQL expertise. As former Director of International Collaboration for the PostgreSQL Association of China, he is internationally recognized as a leading authority in the PostgreSQL community.
Taha Kadado: Lead Data Engineer with over 25 years of database architecture experience across multiple platforms. His specialized knowledge in PostgreSQL implementation for enterprise-scale applications and active contributions to the PostgreSQL community through the Dallas PostgreSQL User Group qualify him as a recognized expert in database architecture and PostgreSQL implementation.
Chris Bandy: Senior Software Engineer at Snowflake, having previously served as Senior Software Engineer at Crunchy Data, one of the premier PostgreSQL development and support companies, for six years. His extensive experience in database design and implementation, particularly with PostgreSQL technologies, establishes him as a recognized expert in PostgreSQL ecosystem development.
Vivek Singh: Principal Database Specialist at Amazon Web Services with over 18 years of experience in PostgreSQL database systems. His expertise in PostgreSQL and cloud database architecture has been recognized with the 2025 Globee Customer Excellence Award. As a Leadership Team member, Vivek participates in the selection and evaluation of new leadership candidates, continuing the tradition of expert-based selection. His contributions include development of the PostgreSQL Health Check Automation Tool adopted across AWS Enterprise Support and authorship of 15 PostgreSQL operational frameworks published on AWS Database Blog with over 640,000 page views.
ARTICLE V: MEMBERSHIP VALIDATION
Section 5.1 - Selection Documentation
The Leadership Team maintains comprehensive documentation of each member's selection including:
• Nomination materials and supporting evidence of outstanding achievements
• Evaluation committee assessments and scoring
• Expert endorsements from at least two recognized PostgreSQL experts
• Evidence of outstanding achievements that formed the basis for selection
• Documentation of how the candidate satisfied each mandatory requirement
Section 5.2 - Ongoing Requirements
Leadership Team members must maintain active participation in the community and continue to demonstrate PostgreSQL expertise through ongoing contributions. Members are expected to:
• Attend at least 75% of Leadership Team meetings annually
• Contribute to at least two community events or presentations annually
• Participate in the evaluation of new Leadership Team candidates
• Maintain current PostgreSQL technical expertise through continued professional development
Members who become inactive or fail to meet ongoing participation requirements may be asked to step down from the Leadership Team.
Section 5.3 - Annual Review
The Leadership Team conducts an annual review of all members to ensure continued satisfaction of membership criteria and active participation in community leadership.

This document constitutes the official bylaws of the Dallas-Fort Worth PostgreSQL User Group Leadership Team and establishes the criteria and process for Leadership Team member selection.

Certified by:
Joshua Drake
Founder and Chair, PostgresConf
Co-Chair, Dallas-Fort Worth PostgreSQL User Group