I've joined the board of App Camp For Girls

I’m very pleased to make the somewhat overdue announcement that I have joined the Board of Directors of App Camp For Girls, a non-profit that I’ve been involved with since its inception in 2013. App Camp seeks to correct the gender imbalance in the tech industry through summer day camps for female, non-gender-conforming, and transgender youth.

Some photos I took at App Camp 2013

When I was asked to consider joining the board late last year by my friend and App Camp cofounder Jean MacDonald and App Camp’s Interim Executive Director Jill Kuehler, the decision was a no-brainer for me. App Camp has done so much positive work that I am passionate about. I feel that I can bring a strong industry background and technical mindset, as well as the perspective of a professional who has both benefitted from white male privilege as well as been heavily verbally and physically bullied as a kid for being me. It’s important to me that kids have a space to be themselves and to pursue interests, no matter how geeky, that they are passionate about.

Last year about this time, I was asked to be part of a multi-month Strategic Planning Committee which helped to craft a three-year plan for the App Camp organization to guide it in becoming more sustainable and in furthering its reach towards 2020. This in itself was a great honor and I enjoyed working with the rest of the team and putting my skills and experience to use in this longer-term planning.

Folks who know me or who read this blog will understand the other big reason that I’m involved. My late wife Michelle volunteered alongside me in App Camp’s first summer of 2013.

Michelle and App Camp founder Jean MacDonald

For her, this very quickly turned into a position as the founding Operations Director of the organization until her sudden illness and death from pancreatic cancer in 2016. App Camp literally would not exist without her hard work and organizational skills, so for me to be able to continue to help the organization in her memory is a great honor.

Here’s to 2020 and beyond for App Camp! Get ready for some exciting growth in the years ahead.