Dilemma

Ok, so I've got a dilemma re: a service "opportunity" for next year. A colleague of mine is terribly over-committed. This colleague has been our department's representative on two related Very Important University-Wide committees. We'd discussed me taking these over not next academic year but the year after. Now, the colleague thinks that it would be best just to step down now.

These committees are so important that there would be a department vote for who would serve as our representative. The thing is, if I chose to be nominated, I think I'd most likely win.

Pros:

• I really do care about the work that these committees do.
• I think I'd be a really strong advocate for our department.
• Strong service in this area would give me exposure university-wide, and would contribute to developing skills that could lead me into administration someday, should I want to head in that direction.
• This would be my way off of a university-wide committee on which I serve currently that I think is totally stupid.
  

Cons:

• Taking this on would be time-consuming.
• This is my first year post-tenure, and a large part of me wants not to take on something of this magnitude.
• There is no reason why I really have to do this now. It's not like I won't be able to do this service in the future if I want.
• I've got a big professional service thing that I need to begin organizing in earnest throughout this year, and that plus this may effectively put the kibosh on any kind of real research agenda. Or not. I don't know.

At the heart of my ambivalence is that on the one hand taking on this service task would put me closer toward my goal of world domination. Well, perhaps that's saying it too strongly, but it would allow me to have a voice in some very important things. I like that idea a whole lot. On the other hand, with world domination comes a huge time commitment and responsibility. I like that part of it not so much.

I think I need to discuss it with my chair.

In the meantime, though, what do you all think?