[Note: There will be 3 Q&A posts total, covering all the topics brought up during the user-submitted Q&A period. Candidates were limited to 300 words per answer.]
What are a couple of major issues that you know the OTW Board struggles or has struggled with, and how would you personally act to avoid them if elected?
[Note: There will be 3 Q&A posts total, covering all the topics brought up during the user-submitted Q&A period. Candidates were limited to 300 words per answer.]
How would you plan to help make the OTW a welcoming space for Black fans and all fans of color and continue the process of addressing the previously acknowledged “long-standing issues with racism in fandom”?
[Note: There will be 3 Q&A posts total, covering all the topics brought up during the user-submitted Q&A period. Candidates were limited to 300 words per answer.]
Can you name a skill that you consider relevant for a board member, but that you consider a personal weakness?
Natalia Gruber is a teacher and lives in Brazil. She has been a volunteer with the Organization for Transformative Works since 2016, and served in the OTW Board from 2019–2021. She is currently co-chair of the Translation committee, leading a team of 250+ volunteers spread all over the world, and a member of the Volunteers & Recruiting committee. In the past, she has also volunteered for the Tag Wrangling and Policy & Abuse committees.
[Note: Candidates were limited to 300 words for each answer.]
9. What is something nice that you can say about your colleagues that you’re running with/against?
Running with, definitely! Michelle and I first met and started talking after we found out we shared some fannish interests, and have been friends ever since. It is a pleasure to talk to them both to discuss fannish things and projects we might be involved with. They are organised and proactive, always willing to help, and I’m confident they would be a great addition to the Board of Directors.
I first ran into Ryan in one of our Membership Drives. As a member of our Development & Membership committee, he was quite busy at the time, and it was easy to see he was a committed and hardworking person. Since we started running together, I got to know him better and see how sweet and friendly he is. I would be delighted to work with him in the future.
Asking me to say nice things about Lex is almost unfair. Ever since he joined the OTW, he’s been one of my closest friends. We talk about all sorts of silly and serious things, and he’s been incredibly supportive of me whenever I needed him. Lex is kind and passionate, and always ready to listen to anyone in need. I know he’ll do his very best if elected, because he already does in all of his current projects.
[Note: Candidates were limited to 300 words for each answer.]
5. What are a couple of major issues that you know the OTW board struggles or has struggled with, and how would you personally act to avoid them if elected?
The board has faced some issues in the past when directors became extremely out of touch with the OTW committees, which I will address in the next question. Another problem was that not only volunteers but also members of the organisation used to have no means to reach out to the Board to address concerns and dissatisfactions about how the OTW was run. I believe current members of the Board have made a lot of progress to improve this situation by communicating with committee chairs and the membership as a whole more openly and transparently. I intend to continue these efforts, and one measure I would like to take if possible is establishing a way in which Board members who are not fulfilling their duties appropriately can be removed from the Board by committee chairs.