After nearly a decade serving on the SoDA: The Digital Society board of directors, most recently as the board chair, I am officially stepping down and passing the torch of leadership. It's such a bittersweet time. I have loved so much serving the worldwide SoDA community and serving with so many inspiring and incredible people on the board and operations team.
My time on the board was filled with incredible highs and lows. So many wonderful things happened as well as some terrible moments that required some real leadership on the part of the whole community.
The highlight though was getting to surround myself with some of the best and brightest in the creative digital agency space! I hesitate to name specific people since there is always a risk of forgetting people. Instead of going too far back, I will mention those on the current board who have all taught me so much, inspired me to be a better leader, person, friend and contributor. Michael Lebowitz, Cain Ullah, Michael Dobell, Hannah Kreiswirth, Ann Sateri, Johnathan Tann, Agustin Linenberg, and Marjan Straathof. Each of them are part of some of the most incredible agencies in the world and run teams that are pushing the boundaries every day of creative possibilities! They are also now, more importantly, good friends.
I also had the incredible good fortune to work with a small but incredibly talented SoDA operations team that makes magic happen year in and year out. Tom Beck, Kendyll Picard, Lakai Newman, and Jessica Ongko as well as previously Chris Buettner, who are all so amazing and make SoDA membership incredibly special through all their efforts, talents, joy and passion! Also, have to mention Paul Lewis who first helped bring me into the SoDA community! They are also all wonderful friends who have made my life better by knowing them.
I'd also be remiss to not mention the opportunity I had to work closely with Adobe who was a founding sponsor of SoDA and continues their massive support to this day. I've worked very closely with so many people there, so I won't try and mention them all, but I have to mention Kristan Jiles Bell who I met in Italy at an Adobe MAX conference and who introduced me to the Adobe partner program which opened many doors and new relationships!
While I made the difficult decision to step away from the board (although selfishly I would have loved to stay on forever!) to let fresh ideas, talent and others get to experience the joy of serving the community and with the board team, I am far from stepping away from the wonderful SoDA community. Struck/STRKTR will continue its membership (in fact one of the founding members!) and I will continue my heavy involvement, just not in the same capacity.
So thank you SoDA: The Digital Society and all the many friends from around the world! Some of my dearest friends have come as a direct result of this organization and I will be eternally grateful for all that it and the people associated have brought to my life!
