SWUGN Spotlight – Central Texas SolidWorks User Group

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I can’t help but have a certain fondness for the Central Texas SolidWorks User Group.  Formed in September of 1999, it was the first independent SolidWorks User Group in Texas.  The original membership consisted of SolidWorks users from the Austin and San Antonio areas, but that changed when the group got a little too big for the centrally located meeting room (see SASUG).

In the nearly nine years of it’s existence, the group’s leadership has changed only twice.  Current group leader Bill Casnovsky has been doing a terrific job for several years now, and the group is as strong as ever (if not stronger).  CTSUG has historically attracted some high level SolidWorks talent to their meetings – Gerald Davis, Matt Lombard, and SolidWorks CEO Jeff Ray have all presented at meetings (hmmm..climate?). They meet quarterly in a very nice conference room donated by the good folks at The University of Texas (Hook’em Horns).  Phil Sluder is scheduled to present at the May 22nd meeting.

The CTSUG membership boasts some pretty famous folks, well, at least among SolidWorks users.  Steve Calvert can be found every morning on the SolidWorks discussion forums answering questions and generally helping out whomever he can.  Rick DuRapau is one of my favorite people of all time.  A local Austin entrepreneur, Rick is probably best known nationally as the inventor of the StoreHorse folding sawhorse, but is known locally as the crazy dude that floated a house on Lake Travis.  Steve and Rick are just two of the many wonderful SolidWorks users that CTSUG claims as members.

Austin, Texas is one of the best places in the US to live and work.  Having a local SolidWorks user group like CTSUG just makes it that much better.

Richard Doyle

Richard Doyle

My official title is Senior User Advocacy & SolidWorks User Groups - but most people just call me "The User Group Guy". I've been a SolidWorks user since 1997, and was one of the founding members of the SWUGN Committee. Since starting the Central Texas SolidWorks User Group in 1999, my career path has led me to DS SolidWorks and a dream job supporting the SolidWorks User Group Network worldwide.
Richard Doyle

@https://twitter.com/swugn

Richard Doyle