Welcome to a new year! The OTW has certainly seen a lot of changes in the past year. In the case of the Board, we recently have said goodbye to veteran Directors Ira Gladkova and Kristen Murphy, and hello to new Director Anna Genoese.

In our first post of the year, we’d like to focus on the criticism the OTW has received about the abrasive nature of interpersonal relations within the org. Personnel difficulties have accounted for what we consider to be a high rate of volunteer attrition. Due to this, many of Board's Directors have publicly indicated their interest in working to fix this problem.

We'd like to give a status update.

In the last year, one of the biggest changes the OTW has seen is the introduction of the Code of Conduct (COC) and its enforcement thanks to the Volunteers & Recruiting Committee. The COC offers specific rules and procedures for use in reporting harmful behavior, as well as conflicts between staffers and chairs.

The COC is executed through the use of the Constructive Corrective Action Procedure (CCAP), also administered through the Volunteers & Recruiting Committee. The CCAP focuses on clarity of communication, rather than punishment. It is action-oriented, and carried out in a manner that respects the nondiscrimination statement in the Code of Conduct.

The COC and CCAP do still have few rough edges, which is only to be expected. They are being addressed as they are noticed, and we definitely welcome input to help the OTW better serve its volunteers.

Despite the rough edges, we're hopeful that OTW volunteers see the COC and CCAP as something that helps define our organizational culture--we want people to feel safe volunteering for the OTW. We want people to feel that their work is appreciated. We can do that in part by providing a safe and welcoming space for them to work in, and in part by ensuring that problematic and/or hurtful interactions can be dealt with fairly and confidentially.

Another part of our work on this is the Board's documentation project. The main limitation of Constructive Corrective Action Procedure is that it cannot be applied to members of the Board of Directors. The Board is governed by the bylaws of the OTW, and therefore is not accountable to committees. Currently, the only way a Director can be removed is through a recall vote of the membership. Therefore, the Board is currently working on--with input from our committees--documents that deal with how to address complaints to Directors, a procedure to take action against a Director, and an outline of what reasonable expectations are for a Director.

What we as Directors hope is that people see these as the first steps we're taking toward becoming a better organization--which is, as any organization will tell you, a process that never ends.

As always, we welcome comments, critique, and suggestions for how to help shape the OTW into an organization you want to be part of and support. We'd also love for you to come join us to help us implement these changes over the next year and beyond.

Sincerely,
The Board of Directors

The OTW Board is pleased to introduce Anna Genoese as a nominee to the board. The final vote to decide Anna's appointment will happen by December 21, allowing the nominee, if the vote passes, to take office at the beginning of the term in 2014. If you'd like to ask Anna questions, just leave them here on this post.

Anna Genoese is a lifelong fan and professional editor/author who currently works full time for an international nonprofit focused on youth development. While working as a professional editor, Anna published the original fiction of several fanfic writers. Using a pseudonym, Anna has written fanfic and performed podfic in a number of fandoms, which can be found at the AO3. Anna has worked with the Strategic Planning Committee of the OTW since January 2012, and has been the chair of the committee since August 2012. Anna is also a volunteer tag wrangler.

Q&A with the nominee

Why did you decide to accept nomination to the Board?

I truly believe my skills and talents will lend themselves to helping the OTW improve, grow, and strengthen.

Can you list for your prior experience in the OTW and in Non-Profit work?

• 2003 - 2004 - Demos (public policy org) - Freelancer (website design, editing)
• 1/2012 - 8/2012 - OTW, Strategic Planning Workgroup/Committee staffer (participated in the identification of stakeholders, gathering information)
• 9/2012 - current - OTW, Strategic Planning Committee chair (led staff through the process of identifying stakeholders, gathering information from them, and creating a strategic plan)
• 4/2012 - current - OTW, Tag Wrangling volunteer (metadata)
• 2013 - current, 4-H - Development Coordinator (organizing data, working with fundraisers)

What other skills and/or experience would you bring to the Board?

I have a tremendous amount of experience in leadership and people management, in mentoring, and in working with teams toward a complex, complicated goal. (For example, at my last job I managed a department of 8-10 people; from 2001-2007 I worked for a publishing company where, amongst other things, I published my own imprint and also ran the internship program.)

What is your vision for the direction of the organization over the next year and how do you see working with your fellow board members to accomplish it?

My big vision for the OTW is very focused on internal changes. My goal for my tenure on Board would be to bring together the staff and help make the inner workings of the organization more smooth and inclusive. After working with the Strategic Planning Committee for so long, I have a great amount of insight into the internal troubles of the OTW, and I would love to be able to use that knowledge to focus on helping to heal the cracks in the organization from the inside out. This is something that absolutely requires the entire Board to work together and be on the same page. I know that a healthy, whole organization is something the whole Board wants, but someone has to be the point person to organize everything and bring everyone together, synthesize the information, come up with plans, and make sure those plans get implemented. As someone with a huge amount of energy and dedication to the OTW, I feel that I can be that person.

What is your experience of the OTW's projects and how would you collaborate with the relevant committees to support and strengthen them?

I would love to be able to use my experiences in Strategic Planning to help the org become more matrixed -- that is, to help the org chart of the organization become less silo'd so that all the teams can work together more easily. So many of the teams replicate each other's work because they aren't communicating (through no fault of their own!), so I would hope to work with Board and chairs to put a structure into place that allows teams to have an easier flow of information. For example, bringing back a Grants Committee and allowing for grants to be written to bring in more money that could help DevMem's needs for more/different merchandise, Systems' need for more databases, the AO3's need for full-time coders, etc. Allowing the organization's staff to have a better understanding of the inner workings of other committees is really one of the keys of having a healthier organization.

From a different perspective, I think so many of the OTW teams are incredibly talented and would love to see them given more of an ability to work together in order to provide each other with more support. Fanlore working with the AO3, Open Doors working with DevMem; the field is wide open for collaboration to create amazing opportunities!

What does transparency mean to you personally, both inside the organization and between projects and between the organization and fandom? How do you value it and how would you make it a part of your service?

This is a huge question! I value transparency tremendously because it's through transparency that accountability for commitments is created. The OTW needs transparency on every level. This doesn't mean breaking confidentiality -- in fact, the opposite. Transparency and accountability allow for confidentiality and allow for an environment where people can and do feel comfortable because the organization has espoused and is seen to follow a code of ethics and a code of conduct. Appropriate ethics that are aligned with the goals of the organization create an environment where people can be more productive.

For myself, transparency means being open and honest about my successes and failures. As chair of the Strategic Planning Committee - as in all things I do - I strive to create a culture for my staff where we are open with each other, and where critique comes from a place of compassion and a desire to enhance a coworker's performance. When we're honest about our motivations and adhere to the code of ethics we've set for ourselves, our environment becomes a place where people aren't afraid to make mistakes and therefore aren't afraid to make suggestions, to be creative, to reach out and learn and do new things.

For the organization as a whole, I actually think we need to do more to educate people about what transparency truly is, so that when people demand transparency and accountability from us, they really know what they're saying. For example, there's a big difference between a closed-door meeting and not telling people anything about what your team is working on; there are easy ways to construct minutes for a closed-door meeting that gets across what you've done without breaking any confidentiality. That is something I train my staff to do so that Strategic Planning's meeting minutes are always comprehensive for people who want to know what's going on with us. In the last few years, the OTW has been so much better about transparency as a whole; the problem is that the stakeholders (both internal and external) have been almost traumatized by the lack of transparency of the first few years of this organization's life. It's not just that the org now needs to continue with its efforts in transparency and accountability both, it's also a matter of overcoming that bad press and getting people on board. This is difficult work!

What does inclusiveness mean to you personally, both inside the organization and between projects and between the organization and fandom? How do you value it and how would you make it a part of your service?

Organizationally, to me inclusivity refers mostly to the idea of "cultural competency" (a common phrase used in nonprofits); it's the understanding that diversity makes organizations stronger. I cannot emphasize enough how strongly I believe in this. A diverse community that can come together to create something has a much better perspective, and that leads to a better chance of sustainability as well as more creativity in pursuits and a better chance of serving the entire population, rather than just a select group.

Personally, inclusivity means much the same thing, but includes a level of sensitivity to the cultures and norms of others that needs to be respected. However, respect is a thing the entire organization needs. When people respect each other (it can't just go one way!), then there can be collaboration and compassionate professionalism.

I have brought this with me to my service with the OTW to date; it's incredibly important to me to embrace the diversity fandom brings, and also to note the places where there aren't voices, and try to bring those voices into the organization. This includes types of fanwork and diverse fan populations as well as cultural and ability diversity.

What do you think the key responsibilities of a/the board are? Are you familiar with the legal requirements for a US-based nonprofit board of directors?

In general, it is the job of a board of directors for a nonprofit to create the mission and purpose for the organization, guide, excite, and support the organization's members, staff, and volunteers, make sure the organization is financially stable and secure, handle both long-term and short-term planning, serve as monitors of the organization's programs, and be strong role models for the entire org's ethics.

While the legal requirements for a US-based nonprofit board of directors vary, in general I understand that legally a director is held to the responsibilities of obedience to a charitable purpose, due care, and loyalty.

How would you balance your Board work with other roles in the org, or how do you plan to hand over your current roles to focus on Board work?

I plan to step down from the Strategic Planning Committee, but I will continue to volunteer as a tag wrangler. Since I don't hold any other org positions, I'll be able to fully focus on Board work.

The OTW Board is pleased to announce that Ira Gladkova and Cat Meier have agreed to serve as President and Vice President of the Board, respectively, for the remainder of the 2013 term. Ira was elected to the Board in 2010 and served as interim Secretary for most of 2013. Cat was appointed to the Board in 2012 and is currently the co-Chair of the Finance committee.

The Board is grateful for the support of OTW staff, volunteers, and members over the past several weeks as we shuffled our members and officers. Now that the matter of the presidency has been squared away, we will move on to addressing questions about the seats available for the 2013 election and expect to do so well in advance of that taking place.

The OTW Board of Directors regrets to announce the resignation of Board member Maia Bobrowicz, effective immediately, for personal reasons. She first joined the OTW staff in 2008 and served as Chair of the AD&T committee in 2009 before being appointed to the Board in December 2012. The Board is deeply grateful for Maia's years of dedicated service, which she will continue with our Accessibility, Design & Technology Committee.

Maia's term was slated to end in 2014, and her resignation means that her seat may be filled by appointment, or that up to four Board seats will potentially be up for election in 2013. The Board has a range of options for restoring the elections timetable, and the Board is currently discussing how and when to fill Maia's seat. That decision will be announced, at the latest, in time for the 2013 election.

The Board has taken the opportunity provided by Maia's resignation to reshuffle its officer slate with an eye towards organizational sustainability. Board President Kristen Murphy, who was elected to the Board in 2010 and whose seat is up for election this year, has decided to step down as President to take on the role of Secretary for the remainder of her term. Kristen previously served as Secretary for the 2011 term and has served as President since 2012.

At this time, the Board is finalizing its decision as to who will serve as its next President, and will make that announcement shortly.

This post has been edited to clarify that Maia is continuing work within the OTW.