Join Your IT Peers August 21 for the itSMF Houston Meeting

When: August 21, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Where: The BMC campus, 2101 Citywest Blvd., Houston
Who: Haskell Moore, Release Manager for BP's
            Information Technology and Services (IT&S)
What: Focus on ITIL® Change and Release Processes

Special Guest Speaker

Join itSMF Houston on August 21 with a special guest speaker, panel discussion, a complimentary lunch including optional "Birds of a Feather" roundtables, and informal networking among your Houston IT peers. The meeting, as always, is free of charge, and will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the BMC building near Westheimer and the West Beltway. See below for the complete agenda, driving directions, and a link to a detailed map.

Our guest speaker will be Haskell Moore, the Release Manager for BP's Information Technology and Services (IT&S) within the North America Gas and Power organization. He and his team are responsible for the change and release management of over 60 applications across a variety of database and development platforms. A typical month will include up to 150 RFCs for applications operating under an estimated $60 million annual budget.

Haskell has more than 28 years of experience in Information Technology, ranging from development, systems analysis, project management, quality assurance, and Change Management. He also serves as the department's Health, Safety, Security and Environmental Coordinator. Outside of work, he is an amateur (HAM) radio operator, private pilot, author, and inventor.

Panel Discussion

Moderated by itSMF Houston vice president and Deloitte consultant, Reginald Best, a panel discussion will follow the keynote presentation. In addition to Haskell Moore, panel subject matter experts will include:

• Lynette Dale, Change Management Program Manager for CHRISTUS Health. The CHRISTUS Health system presents no small challenge for IT Change Management: the organization encompasses more than 40 hospitals and facilities in six American states and Mexico, with assets of more than $4.1 billion.
• Randal Locke, of CA. CA is an itSMF USA platinum sponsor, and Randal has been instrumental in the development and delivery of ITIL solutions for large clients in multiple industries, in both North America and Europe. He is IT Service Manager certified, and is the author of the book Service Management Process Maps, Van Haren Publishing.
• Anthony Orr, Global Best Practice Director for Educational Services, BMC Software, is responsible for the overall strategies for best-practice education including ITIL, ISO20000, COBIT, and training simulations. In addition to sitting on the itSMF Houston Board, he is a member of the APMG group ITIL Expert panel for v3 certification, sits on the APMG ITIL v3 Exam Board, is vice-chair of the itSMF Certification Committee, and is a member of the EXIN ITIL Expert group.
• Jean-Louis Arsenault, Regional Manager for N(i)2 USA. A 20-year veteran of Information Technology and Communications, Jean-Louis has worked with such notable organizations as Harris Corporation, Informix, Sun Microsystems, Oracle, NetSuite, and N(i)2. His broad business background includes truly global experience in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.

Lunchtime Discussion Groups

After the panel discussion we will break into informal groups for lunch. Each "Birds of a Feather" group will have a common Change or Release theme for conversation. Choose the theme that interests you, and enjoy a catered lunch with your Houston IT peers. Notes from the discussions will be compiled and posted by the end of August.

• "Service Transition: How Things Change in ITIL v3," Anthony Orr, moderator
• "Integration of the ITIL v2 Control Processes: Configuration, Change, & Release," Ed Williams, moderator
• "Managing Services for Implementation: Before the Change Process," Reginald Best, moderator

Agenda

08:30-09:00 Sign-in and Breakfast
09:00-09:15 Dr. Priscilla Smith, President's Introduction
09:15-10:30 Haskell Moore, "Change and Release Management:
          Implementing the Code, Herding the Kittens!"
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45-11:30 Panel Discussion, Featuring Lynette Dale,
          Randall Locke, Anthony Orr, and Jean-Louis Arsenault
11:30-Open Catered Lunch and "Birds of a Feather"
          Conversations

There is no charge to attend the meeting, and you do not have to be a member of itSMF USA, but seating is limited! Please click here to email your RSVP now and assure your space.

Location

BMC Software, an itSMF USA platinum sponsor, is allowing us to hold this meeting in Building 1 of their campus conveniently located in the Westchase area of Houston, near the corner of Westheimer and the Beltway. Click here for a detailed map to Guest Entrance 1 at BMC. The street address is:

2101 City West Blvd
Houston, TX 77042-2829

Traveling either northbound or southbound on the West Sam Houston Parkway, exit at Westheimer and turn west onto Westheimer, staying in the right-most lane. The second turn to the right is CityWest Boulevard. Go north on Citywest for three tenths of a mile; the road will curve to the left and start to curve back to the right. Watch for a large driveway and guard station to the right. It will be labeled "Visitors Entrance." Have your driver license ready and check in with the guard. He will direct you to the visitor parking on Level 2. On Level 2 you will see double-wide, glass, automatic doors. Through these doors, down the hall to the right, and in the large, open area is the receptionist station where you will check in and receive a visitor's badge. The receptionist will give you simple directions to the BMC Business School rooms where we are meeting.