Happy 2018!
OpenStreetMap US is searching for its first Executive Director and we’d like your help!
We are grateful to everyone who has discussed OpenStreetMap US’s future with us over the past two months. It’s been amazing to hear your excitement echo our own as we consider what this next chapter can bring both to the US and global OSM communities.
OpenStreetMap US has grown dramatically over the past 7 years. In 2015, we became a registered 501(c)(3), with all of the benefits and administrative responsibilities attached.
Bringing on an Executive Director will provide us with the opportunity to expand our reach and capacity with a dedicated role. The Executive Director will be wholly focused on the health, growth, and success of the community and project. We believe that this is the next step to becoming a more mature organization that is both able to better support the mapping community in the United States and to expand its ambitions. The board will transition from a day-to-day tactical focus (specific volunteer activities, organizing State of the Map US) to a more strategic role, advising and supporting the Executive Director.
Aspiration and Allen Gunn (Aspiration’s ED) have supported us through the process so far. Gunner will continue working with us as a member of the hiring committee, and Aspiration will also support the new Executive Director during the initial transition phase. Aspiration has contributed to the evolution and governance of many Open Source and Open Data communities (including OpenStreetMap) over the past 15 years and we look forward to continue working with them.
This isn’t just about us, though. Or rather, it is, but you’re a part of us, too.
We need you to engage in dialog and reflection in order to build shared understanding of the challenges, responsibilities, and overall best fit for an Executive Director. Again, we understand and recognize that whenever paid staff are introduced into volunteer communities, valid concerns can arise. We want to be intentional about addressing these concerns and introducing this new role in a way that builds on and complements the strengths of OpenStreetMap US today.
To make sure the hire is done in a way that most fully benefits the community, we are planning for the majority of the hiring committee to be drawn from the OpenStreetMap US community. Our current plan is to seat a 7-person committee in order to engage a diverse set of perspectives as well as to represent local groups, which are OpenStreetMap’s heart.
We are thus inviting community members (YOU) to self-nominate if you are interested in participating in the hiring process. Depending on the level of interest expressed, we will work to ensure that all interested parties will have a role in the process (even if not explicitly on the hiring committee).
If you are interested in nominating yourself, expressions of interest will be accepted by email (to hiring@openstreetmap.us) until January 12th, 2018. If you have questions, feel free to contact any of the board members individually or use #board-forum on the OpenStreetMap US Slack (you can join here).
Please include your available time commitment as well as relevant experiences and perspectives you believe you will bring to the hiring process.
Thank you all! Here’s to an exciting 2018 for OpenStreetMap US and beyond.
