Join Us in Recognising and Celebrating Our Outgoing Board Members

October is not typically the season of new beginnings, but here at FIGT, it’s the time of year when we are excited by the new and exciting voices that are joining our community.

Not only are we being inspired by the many wonderful RFPs and scholarship applications that have been submitted for the Conference, we are also welcoming our incoming Board members.

But, as anyone familiar with our world will know, every great transition begins with a good goodbye. So before we introduce our new arrivals, we’re taking time to honor and celebrate the immense contributions of our outgoing Board Members, Kristine Racina (President), Daniela Tomer (Program Chair) Amanda Bates (Affiliate Chair), Carolina Porto (Nominations Chair) and Donnyale Ambrosine (Communications Chair)

We wanted to capture and share what inspired these hard working, dedicated and talented people to become involved with FIGT, and learn a little bit more about what they are most proud of. So here, in their own words, they share their own highlights.

What are you happiest about or proudest of your time on the FIGT Board?

Kristine: Having contributed to a challenging transition for FIGT moving its conference to Europe, establishing itself in Europe and now moving to Asia. Having been part of building the Board’s resilience during such a major change. The FIGT 20th Anniversary conference was a big accomplishment as well. It required a lot of work from the Board, committees and volunteers and became a true celebration of knowledge, friendship and togetherness.

Daniela: It’s hard to pick one thing. I am proud of many things - the conferences, the program content, the diverse voices that we included. The most important thing for me was to keep building systems into our work so that as people change, this work can continue. And especially to build up a team that I am very proud of - that is important to my heart.

Amanda: I am happy that we’ve expanded the number of local Affiliates and given people further opportunities to stay connected to FIGT. I love the fact that we now have a FIGT presence both in Asia and South America. FIGT is an international organization and it should always be reflective of that diversity.

Carolina: Happiest and proudest at the same time; the moment when we got the slate ready to be presented. I felt a sense of accomplishment and was SO happy to see such strong and amazing names together.

Donnyale: I’m proudest about successfully promoting the 20th Anniversary with record participation in our social media activities, social crowdsourcing, RFP submissions and attendance.

What did you enjoy most about being on the Board?

Kristine: Getting to know so many talented and dedicated people, to effectively work with, manage and lead them, as well as learn from them. Being professionally challenged on so many levels and still be able to see the big picture in the ocean of changing elements and pieces.

Daniela: I’m proud of being one of the non-native English speakers who brings another accent and background to an organization that was originally very American. I think it’s wonderful that we have this past and that we are welcoming people who are a bit different and I hope that it will continue to change and keep on growing.

Amanda: The best part of the Board was certainly its members. There’s such a high level of dedication and commitment that is somewhat indescribable, especially when you consider these are not paid positions!

Carolina: I have truly enjoyed the learning curve, a mixture of using my skills with doing something I have not done before. And above all, I had the pleasure of working with a group of different people walking towards the same goal. I was always inspired, sometimes challenged and often had a lot of fun!

Donnyale: Creating and developing our team. Save one person, every Communications team member was new, and I was thrilled to work with them and develop new vision for the positions. Our team was engaged, excited and fun - the best part of my time on the Board!

It’s always hard to say goodbye to people who have become such an integral part of our lives, work and our community, so we want to say a heartfelt ‘Thank You!’ to them all, and look forward to staying connected online and (hopefully!) in person at #FIGT19. 

You will all be missed!

Be a part of FIGT’s journey - volunteer for a committee! Head to https://www.figt.org/Get-Involved to find out more about the opportunities available.