I’m running for OpenStreetMap United States board in the upcoming board elections.

This was a tough year for OpenStreetMap US. We ran a great State of the Map US in Detroit with an amazing local team. We hired an executive director and found that our expectations for the job differed drastically. The hiring process, working with the new executive director to get started, and going our separate ways were extremely draining and took a lot of wind out of our sails.

This coming year, I’m looking forward to reengaging the community so we can bring back the feeling of camaraderie that makes OSM US so powerful. I want to bring back things like the Mappy Hours, work harder to get members of our community out advocating for OpenStreetMap with travel grants, and move State of the Map US back towards a grassroots feeling that empowers and excites our community.

I continue to believe that OpenStreetMap US can’t get much done without people interested in helping move it forward, and I want to see us bring more people into that fold. Please join us, vote, and participate!