I. COMPLETING PROJECTS

The Survey workgroup, together with Communications, compiled and released the OTW's 2012 Community Survey Report. The 183 page report contained information from all 89 survey questions and cross-tabulated results. There were 5,895 people who provided feedback about their use of our projects and awareness of our activities. The OTW wants to thank everyone who gave their time and feedback!

There has been a very active and thoughtful response to our recent announcement in favor of allowing meta on the AO3. We'd like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to everyone for raising their concerns, showing their support, and otherwise engaging with us as we work to define our policies, refine our processes, and improve our communication. In addition, we'd like to respond to a number of the issues raised and clarify how this decision was reached and what the process will be from this point forward.

The Board regrets to announce the resignation of Julia Beck, effective immediately. Julia, who was elected to the Board in 2011, went on hiatus in September 2012 and had hoped to return at the beginning of this year, but personal and professional commitments outside the OTW made this impossible. An OTW staffer since 2008, Julia was the founding chair of the Internationalization & Outreach committee, and we will miss her deep commitment to and passion for that cause within the OTW, and the OTW itself. Thank you, Julia, for all your hard work and support over the past four years; you will continue to remain an inspiration to the rest of us.

Over the OTW's end-of-term break, two long-time Board members and volunteers for the OTW, Francesca Coppa and Naomi Novik, retired from the board, prompting the appointment of two new members, Cat Meier and Maia Bobrowicz.

The end of term period is traditionally a busy one for certain OTW groups, such as Board and our Volunteers & Recruitment Committee, even as it becomes a time of low-activity for others. This is because the end of term is a time when many people enter the organization, leave it, or change positions and committees. For Board members it is often a busy period of approving personnel changes, bringing new Board members up to speed, and assigning liaison duties or the positions previously held by those new members of Board.

Now that our new term has kicked off and the newly composed committees have had a chance to meet, we would like to individually introduce our new Board members. They have both created a manifesto, just as OTW Board candidates have done in the past, and will each have a post where they can answer questions by OTW members and users. Today, Cat Meier talks about plans for her time on the board, and her experience in the OTW.