I, Kia Khadem, am submitting my Statement of Intent to run for the Board of Directors.

I've been a member of the Dallas Makerspace since the beginning of 2023, and I've formed a deep bond with the space since then.  Many excellent teacher have passed on new life skills like woodworking, blacksmithing, and 3D fab, and in return, I try to pass on some of that knowledge by teaching woodshop safety and the occasional programming class. Being an instructor has given me great insight into the inner workings of the space and to the dedication of its volunteers. To me, the strength of the makerspace is not in its workshop, but in its capability to facilitate collaboration between the maker community.
 
Thus, "community" would be the focus of my term as a board member, as a strong community is resilient. 

During my term, I would like to oversee the following:

1). An expansion of community engagement. Currently, I cohost monthly board game nights to drive up member enthusiasm, but the power of a board member would allow me to increase the scope and effectiveness of such programs by officially advertising on meetup, having an improved presence on calendar, etc.
2). Empowering teachers and volunteers. I've been training members at DMS for a year now, and I've noticed that teachers and volunteers collectively have many longstanding issues. But most of all, I don't think they get the recognition from the space that they deserve. Member appreciation nights, teacher raffles, reviewing honorarium attendance policies, etc. would go a long way to making these people seen and feel respected.
3). Engaging with other groups. With the resources available to DMS, we have the capabilities to do so much more outreach, especially when areas of the space frequently go unused. Whenever groups like DFW Computer Gamers come in, I love showing them the facilities on tours, so having these groups be able to advertise the space to their members is a large boon. Thus, I would like to establish many more of these mutually beneficial relationships.

Thank you for reading, and I hope I get to serve this community on the board.

Signature  

Kia Khadem

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