Hello. :)
I want to introduce you all to three new events-focused people at the Foundation and also to inform you about the formation of a new team. Events are an important infrastructure in Wikimedia movement, enabling movement building, knowledge sharing, partnership and outreach opportunities, and much more. They enable us to connect, to learn from one another, to collaborate on shared goals, and to unify around common agendas. To enable more efficient support and collaboration, we have created this new Events Team, which will be focused on convenorship -- a critical part of our outreach and growth dynamic.
Joël Letang is the Events Team Manager, a newly created position designed to oversee an events strategy to deepen the impact and partnerships of movement events. He will be your contact point for strategy and partnerships in events.
Isabel Cueva is a Program Manager for Community Events and will be working predominantly on Wikimania.
Also part of the new Events Team is Rachel Farrand, who has been with the Foundation since 2011 and has for four years been the primary Events Program Manager for technical events supported by the Foundation.
Distinct from the Events Team but an important contributor to that work is Chen Almog, the Program Officer for Conferences & Events on the Community Resources team. She is your contact point for grants on movement events. You can read more about that program here: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Conference
I look forward to working with all four in our ever-improving events ecosystem!
Best,
Maggie