In 2018 the board was unable to spend much time working with and supporting the US mapping community because the majority of the board’s volunteer time was spent on a hiring process that unfortunately did not work out as planned. It became clear that the absence of an Executive Director was a step backwards for the organization, and that it would be best for someone to step into the role as soon as possible. We’re excited to announce that we have hired Maggie Cawley to serve as interim Executive Director. Please give her a warm welcome! [@MaggieMaps].
Maggie brings fifteen years of professional geospatial experience, specializing in open source geospatial tools and education. Her passion for maps has taken her all over the world - leading field data collection efforts, training others in open source geospatial tools, or just spreading the word about OpenStreetMap. She has been a board member for the last two years and has also been a long time volunteer for TeachOSM, where she has worked to promote the integration of geography into classrooms through OpenStreetMap and supported teachers wanting to learn about OSM. Now, Maggie will be based in Baltimore working full time to support and grow OpenStreetMap US. For the remainder of the year, Maggie will be working with the community and the board to develop a strategic plan for the organization, including new programs and ideas for OpenStreetMap US. She will be connecting with the community as much as possible, developing ways to expand programming and membership, leading fundraising efforts, and supporting the board with day-to-day administrative responsibilities. We believe her passion for maps, professional experience, and dedication to the OpenStreetMap community will benefit OpenStreetMap US over the coming months and we hope you will reach out and help us welcome her into this new role. Election to Fill Vacant Seat As a result of taking on the interim ED role, Maggie is stepping down from her seat on the board and we will need to fill her shoes through an election. We urge you to nominate yourself or someone else to join the Board for the remainder of the year. As a board member, you will help plan for State of the Map US, be a part of the strategic planning process for the organization, and support the US mapping community. Questions? Join the #elections channel on OSM US Slack, tweet us, or email us anytime. Nomination Instructions Nominations will be open from today, March 25 until Sunday March 31. To nominate yourself, please go to the election wiki page, and add yourself to the list. You can also see more information about the schedule and updated timeline there. Election Details Monday April 1 and end Sunday April 7. This year based on popular request we’re excited to announce that we’ll be using Ranked Choice Voting. To be permitted to vote please make sure your OpenStreetMap US membership is in good standing by March 31. We should be able to announce the new board member on April 8. _______________________________________________ Talk-us mailing list [email protected] https://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk-us
