Edith Kort
I have been a member of the OUSA Board for over a year. As a Board member I look for opportunities to to share my interest in origami, try to be more conscious of raising awareness of origami in the community, and try to take a more active role in promoting origami. I have enjoyed meeting more members of the origami community both at conventions and through other occasions, and I enjoy learning and sharing with them. As I write this I have been preparing an origami workshop at the local public library, and have reflected on my new role as a board member in structuring my presentation.
Mathematics education is my background and has a clear connection to origami, but there are numerous other connections with origami in the classroom and community. I would like to help others to integrate origami in what they do, whether it is artistic, mathematical, cultural or other circumstance.
I would like your support for continuing on the board. I would like to continue to support the work of the Board and to increase and facilitate opportunities for people to connect to, enjoy and learn origami
Jason Ku
I have served as a Board Member of OrigamiUSA for the past eight years. During this time I have tried to expand the reach of many OrigamiUSA programs. In addition to managing OrigamiUSA's online magazine, The Fold, I have been involved in many other initiatives including: the online submissions process, the online downloads exchange, introduction of an online membership, removing the distinction between the local and remote board members, reorganizing our interaction with Community Origami Groups, and exploring future expansion of online classes. Each of these initiatives seek to broaden the interaction between OrigamiUSA and the origami communities and beyond. For the past four years I have served as Board treasurer, and have worked to restructure our booking and budgeting processes, and have produced tools to generate automated visual financial reports to facilitate monthly analysis. I hope to continue expanding our organization by targeting programs that can expand revenue in order to generate funds for new and valuable programs to connect folders from around the world.
During my time as a board member, I have come to understand that the pace of change in our organization is slow. But reflecting back upon the growth of our board in recent years, I would like to continue to be a part of the new and exciting direction that OrigamiUSA is driving. I promise to continue to keep an open ear to the desires of the entire membership, and work to support initiatives that expand the ability of folders to interact, and expand the role of origami in people's lives. I would appreciate your support.
Maddalena Romano
I first joined Origami USA in March 2018, after taking a great class on Darwin Cyclones. I soon learned that this was the organization that is responsible for the famed Origami Christmas tree--which I loved--and I knew I needed to be a part of it. For the last year, I've noticed myself constantly looking for new opportunities and venues to promote origami, and have been emailing Origami USA with those ideas. When I received the email asking for nominations for the Board, I thought it the perfect opportunity to try to put some of those ideas into practice.
I'm a computer scientist by trade, and I have quite a bit of experience with designing databases, websites, and programming. I also run a small business, and have had quite a bit of experience in using social media for advertising, as well as organizing large events. I have quite a few hobbies, but find that origami is the best hobby for balancing both my right brain and left brain tendencies.
I've long felt that origami is not just an art, but a science. I want to bring origami to people of all genders, races, ages, and cultures, and I would like to promote events and activities that do just that. In this digital age, that task can be somewhat daunting, but in that realm I can also help. I want to combine my skillset with my love of origami to expand the universe in which origami is practiced. Whether this be through gallery showings, classes, conventions, online videos, social media blasts, advertising, origami hackathons, origami flash mobs, or simply through creating a mobile website, I want to do all I can to bring origami to as large an audience as possible.
Kathleen Sheridan
To be honest, looking back, when I joined the board in 2015, I did not know what I was really getting into. Oh, I thought I knew, but I was wrong. Throughout that first year I gained a surface understanding of: the history, the home office, the members, the publications, the numerous committees, the conventions and even a bit of the budget process. By year’s end I was ready to jump in and chose to be involved in the new initiative of the time; Origami Connect (online classes).
In February of 2016, I hosted the first Origami Connect class. When we wrapped for the season this spring, I hosted our 29th class. I do more than host the show, but the behind the scenes stuff isn’t really that interesting, is it?
That’s where I was wrong. It’s all “behind the scenes things” that make OUSA function as an organization and what I do find interesting. Behind the scenes work is what our volunteers do. It’s what the committees do. It’s what the board does. At the end of my second term on the board, I get it. Now I know.
I get that OUSA has a large pool of amazing tireless volunteers across the nation, yet we could always use more help. I know that our volunteer recognition could and should be increased.
I get that we have creative, successful fundraisers and we can do even more fundraising to realize all the creative ideas that our organization has (like our scholarship program).
I get that we have many members who are very involved, come to as many events and conventions as they can and sing our praises to anyone who will listen. I also understand that we struggle to build our membership, and to make membership valuable to our current members.
I get that OUSA is forever changing, evolving and experimenting. In doing this we face many challenges.
OUSA is a dot on the map yet what we really strive for is to make our organization known and revered worldwide.
I now understand and I’m committed to continue to work with the board to face our challenges head on and set goals to measure our success. I’d be honored to serve another term on the board.Know that I am also committed to listen to you and to be your voice. Contact me at any time.