My HOT journey and story really starts with the State of the Map US conference a few years ago. I had just started working for the American Red Cross and was asked to talk about how and why we use OpenStreetMap. At the conference, I had the pleasure of meeting Mikel, Schuyler, Russ, and many other passionate HOT folks. Six months later, I was fully embedded and accepted into HOT, working very closely with Andrew Buck and Pierre Beland to provide the NGO perspective for the Typhoon Haiyan activation. In the weeks and months to follow, I learned of the tremendous passion and dedication that all HOT people have for the organization, the work, and the continued success of HOT.

It is with that same passion that I ask for your nomination to the HOT Board. HOT is still at a pivotal time in its growth. We haven’t fully put the events the past few board elections behind us. The old debates of what a ‘HOT project’ is versus what is HOT, still go on. HOT must grow out of this current adolescent phase if it is to become truly successful and sustainable. HOT is and will always be a mapping NGO. However, to get HOT to where it needs to be, it needs to be about more than skilled mappers and dedicated activators. HOT needs to improves its fundraising, administration, and visioning to become a sustainable organization. I know that there has been some resistance to HOT growing as an organization and that there are those members that see HOT the NGO as being different from the HOT community. I understand the resistance but disagree, HOT the NGO and HOT the community should be the same thing for a variety of reasons, most importantly fundraising.

In my day-to-day professional life as the GIS lead for the American Red Cross, I am constantly talking, bragging, and honing the work that HOT does. When the American Red Cross asked other organizations to come together to create the Missing Maps project, we did so because of how much we like and support HOT. Missing Maps is a huge accomplishment for HOT. It allows HOT to engage with new stakeholders, local communities, and donors to accomplish HOT’s work. I’ve worked hard since joining the non-profit sector to lend my hand at strengthening HOT: founding Missing Maps, building technology to enable our work (Tasking Manager 2, OpenMapKit, OSM-Meta-API), fundraising for various projects, helping host and plan the upcoming HOT Summit, and generally working behind the scenes in the humanitarian sector to lead the adoption and use of OSM by humanitarian organizations.

My vision for HOT is a continuation and evolution of its current path. I want HOT to have a solid financial foundation that supports both technology and field projects, HOT helps guide other humanitarian organizations to adopt and use OSM, and the old animosities are replaced with a renewed passion and dedication to help HOT grow.

The key areas that I will focus on if elected to the board include:

• Governance: Build upon the momentum created by existing HOT staff and working groups to manage and maintain the governance structures within HOT.
• Overhaul Board Terms of Reference: The existing HOT Board is required to oversee the daily management of HOT and does not have enough time to focus on creating and implementing a longer term vision. I will work to empower HOT staff to take a more active part in the daily decision-making process in line with how other NGOs function.
• Partnerships: It is imperative that HOT build better partnerships before disasters. One of the main reasons the American Red Cross uses OpenStreetMap is due to the relationship built prior to, rather than during, a disaster. Pre-established relationships can strengthen the broader applications of HOT to other actors. I will develop and strengthen partnerships with humanitarian relief organizations so that OSM and HOT are embedded into their business operations.
• Fundraising: HOT needs to create an endowment to support long term projects, technical infrastructure, and increased staff. Many organizations depend on HOT during times of crisis and even during normal operations.

During my time at the American Red Cross I’ve had the privilege of working directly with a number of the members. I’ve also had the privilege of seeing the HOT’s work first hand being used to alleviate suffering after Typhoon Haiyan and heard stories and reports from many humanitarians that depend on HOT to do their work for the West Africa Ebola outbreak and from many other activations. I want to see that HOT keeps being able to make others work that 1 percent easier.

Thank you for your time supporting HOT and for your consideration.