IJA Board Elections

As a member of the juggling and flow arts communities for the past decade, juggling has been at times a pastime, a hobby, and a profession. More importantly, it has been a community crossing all kinds of social barriers, a practice that supports and teaches me, and a motivation that pushes me outside of my comfort zones for the sake of bettering myself and my community.

Through juggling, I’ve learned how to collaborate with others and take feedback on something so deeply personal and opinionated as expressive artworks—and I’ve carried this through to how I work with my team as a software engineer for the California Digital Library. I’ve learned how to read legal documents and negotiate with lawyers, for juggling and for my community, since I built (and subsequently had to shut down) a live/work warehouse space for circus artists. I’ve learned how to be a leader—particularly when I coordinated 50 people for 8 months to produce a 30-minute performance at Burning Man—and I’ve carried this experience forward to working with a non-profit startup to create and implement a sustainable business model for a non-profit arts workspace in West Oakland. I’ve learned time management, since I find myself in a place of having multiple passions in life for my software engineering work as well as my juggling work, and my life is structured around pursuing both of these interests. Most of all, I’ve learned how to fail, pick up my drops, and always keep trying.

For all of these reasons, I think juggling has brought me to a place in life to be a great fit for the IJA Board of Directors. I’m excited to continue pursuing all of the different kinds of connections I make through juggling, excited to continue supporting this community and the individuals within it, and excited to continue sharing the benefits of juggling far and wide.

I am pleased to announce my candidacy for the 2019 – 2021 term of the IJA Board of Directors. I have been a member of the Board for one term, beginning in 2017, and have served as Chair since 2018. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the IJA and its members in this role, and I hope to continue to do so for a second term. I believe that my continued service to the IJA has the power to play a critical role in the stability, growth, and longevity of the organization.

In my time on the board, the IJA has seen moderate growth in almost all areas, exciting development in future planning, and a successful festival. Membership is at a 5 year high and the year round programs of the IJA have expanded. While there have been challenges of varying degree along the way, there have been no major setbacks to the success of the IJA. I have done my best to handle all of the tasks that come with the duties of Chair with humility, grace, and as unbiased and impartial of a voice as is necessitated by the seat. I believe that I have built a comprehensive understanding of most the inner workings of the IJA, both in terms of where we are at and where we are trying to go. For all of these reasons and more, I believe that I am an ideal candidate for the coming term. I ask for your vote in support as I offer myself in service for another term of continuing to render assistance to you, my fellow jugglers.

My first term on the Board has been a great learning experience. I have been connected with juggling and the IJA for nearly 30 years, but my last two years have been some of the most inspirational and educational of my involvement with juggling. I am proud to be a part of this Board and associated with our Officer team. The increasing visibility of the IJA Regional Competitions, the development of the IJA Patreon, and the expansion of the YJA button programs to include props such as poi, diabolo, and cigar boxes all signal a bright future for the IJA.
There is still much to be done. Supporting the growth of the IRCs into a true “World Championship” akin to the soccer World Cup, greater contributions to the “Props2U” program sending equipment to developing areas, and here in the US, continuing to produce a fantastic annual convention. I am excited to be a part of the Board that will build on the momentum of these programs, and I hope to receive your vote.