Microsoft word - real-bod-application-provost

Name: Gary Provost

Phone: _303-506-3750_____ Email: _gprovost@q.com
_
1. PERSONAL BACKGROUND
Raised in Pueblo, I graduated from CU-Boulder with a BS in Computer Science. I have had an eighteen year career in Information Technology in the Denver metro area. I am currently serving as the Vice President of Infrastructure Services at Dex One Corporation. In this role, I am responsible for managing all IT infrastructure (network, telephones, desktops/laptops, servers, data centers) and websites, including www.dexknows.com. I also oversee IT customer support and helpdesk services for our 2800 person corporation. I am responsible for managing a team of 70+ geographically diverse employees and I was an athlete in high school (baseball, basketball, football), but never played soccer. I have become an avid recreational runner as an adult, running several marathons and half marathons. Staying fit and active is a priority for me and my family. My wife and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary this month. We have three children and have lived in Highlands Ranch since 1998. 2. INVOLVEMENT WITH REAL COLORADO AND ANY OTHER SOCCER ORGANIZATIONS. My daughter has been playing with Real since she was 5 years old. She is currently in her first year of competitive soccer as a member of the 01/02 Silver team. Playing soccer is absolutely her favorite thing to do in the world. I am the treasurer for the team. My youngest son will be playing his third season of soccer this year on a U6 recreational team. 3. WHY DO I WANT TO SERVE AS A DIRECTOR? I have a true love for youth sports as they had such a positive influence on me and helped shape my life when I was growing up. I would like to be a more formal part of an organization that helps do that for other kids. At the same time, I see some things going on with youth sports today that concern me – too many games, no rest during the year, tremendous pressure to “specialize” and becoming too competitive at too young of an age. It is easy for someone like me to sit on the outside and criticize an organization like Real for some of the decisions I may not like (e.g. recent move to make competitive teams starting at U9), but I also understand I lack perspective to know all the information that go into such decisions. I also realize first hand, based on my daughter’s experience, that there is far more I like than don’t like I would like to be on the inside, gain a full perspective of the club and be part of the decision making process. I would bring an important perspective that I think might be underrepresented at times in a club like Real: the parents and children who are competitive and engaged - more so than a recreational player, but not to the level of someone who is willing and able to commit to the time necessary to Also, I won’t hide the fact that this represents a growth opportunity for me personally. I would hope to learn from the other board members and grow my personal and professional network by participating as a member of a board of directors. While I hope I bring value to the board, I also hope I can benefit personally from the relationships I will build and what I learn as a board member will provide an opportunity to bring diversity to my professional career. 4. WHAT DO I EXPECT TO CONTRIBUTE TO REAL COLORADO IF ELECTED TO THE BOARD I believe my leadership and management skills can be an asset to a group like the Real Board of Directors. I enjoy collaborating with a group of people to work on projects and solve problems. While I have never worked for a non-profit, managing a diverse group of people under ever escalating budget pressure has given me the experience of always looking for unique or creative ways to work projects or solve issues. I expect the Real board faces similar pressure to maintain a diverse group of services to a large community with widely varying desires and expectations. I feel I can bring a thoughtful and intelligent perspective to the club, but also understand there are other important voices to be heard. I can disagree or challenged and still be professional and respectful of other’s opinions – an important part of any effective governing body. My job requires me to deal with vendors and contracts every day. I have extensive experience negotiating contracts and managing a tight budget. My portion of the IT budget constitutes 60% of the total IT budget and we successfully met the challenge to cut spend by over 20% the past two years. Also, having been a Real parent for about six years, I know there is a large frustration with the IT services from the club. I often hear numerous complaints about the website, emails, registration, etc. I would hope that my experience in this area (including running a large, consumer facing website) may provide expertise in this area that will help improve communication with the large Real family. Improved communication may help with fundraising efforts and could increase participation in Real events. 5. I AM INTERESTED IN SERVING A ONE (1) YEAR TERM ______ TWO (2) YEAR TERM I am happy to serve either a one or two year term, depending on the need of the club. 

Source: http://realcolorado.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Gary-Provost.pdf