New Year, New Us!

As we enter the new year, we begin to make new changes. In addition to the naming of a new President for the first time in the history of The Haiku Foundation (THF), we have had a number of staff changes. As volunteers have needed to move on for one reason or another, new volunteers have come in to assume their posts and keep our features and resources in working order.

To create more transparency and understanding of our operations for our readers, we have created new team pages to present the many layers of THF. These pages also list current openings for positions where we are seeking volunteers to keep expanding our reach.

Below are descriptions and links to the different sections of the Foundation where you can view the many generous volunteers who keep us up and running.

• THF Management Team: The THF Management Team is comprised of our Board of Directors, Officers, and Support Staff. Our bylaws dictate the structure of our Board and Officer positions. Board members and Officers must be voted into their roles and approved by a majority vote. The Board oversees operations, including decision-making about funding, direction of our current offerings, and vision and coordination of future projects. The Chair of the Board steers and manages Board discussions. The President enacts the directive of the Board and is the executive director. Advisors to the Board serve in a consulting capacity on an as-needed basis. Our Support Team provides vital tech support and security for our site.
• Committees Team: For each project or initiative of the Foundation, we have a committee of volunteers who serve on and lead them. They ensure all of the inner workings of THF are running smoothly and moving forward.
• Features Team: Every feature on the site requires volunteers to oversee and manage them. They report progress, problems, and general activity to the Features Committee Chair.
• Publications Team: We have a team assembled to manage THF publications which include books, The Haiku Foundation’s Volunteer Anthologies, and our peer-reviewed academic journal Juxtapositions: Research and Scholarship in Haiku.
• Friends of the Foundation: THF’s Friends are folks who volunteered for a significant amount of time, made substantial contributions to the Foundation, and/or are major donors whether monetary or archival.

Our sincere thanks to all past and present volunteers whose dedication, time, and energy have helped further our communal cause.

• Seeking Volunteers: You may notice that there are several people filling multiple positions. We are always in need of more dedicated volunteers to help spread the workload. Do you see an open position that you’re curious about? Would you like to send a proposal for a new project you’d like to lead? Just want to help in general? Send us a volunteer form and we can discuss what might be a good fit for you.

Robin Smith
President