For those of you who were at Netroots Nation last week, you saw what an organizational marvel the event itself is. I (and the rest of the staff) get a lot of credit for that, but there is a team of people who make it all happen. A team of people who donate their time and brilliance to NN for nothing in return but lots of stress, lost sleep and a lingering 5 Hour Energy habit.
I cannot count the number of ways, over many years, these people have sacrificed themselves to help put on Netroots Nation. If it's passing on time with their friends and family or checking NN email on vacation, these folks balance a full-time real job and a full-time NN volunteer job with a smile and brilliance that I remain in awe of after all these years.
Now, I'll tell you something about a few of them, but please use the comments to share your stories of these amazing people and to honor any other volunteers who I might have inadvertently left off.
Lets start with Eric, our Operations Manager. Eric basically is the guy who you can ask anything of and he'll take care of it. If you are one of the 80% of people who have had to had a badge reprinted at some point in the last 3 NNs, you met Eric and you probably were impressed. We all are. These tasks are usually totally unglamorous and time consuming but when you ask Eric to handle something, even if it's a total PITA, he just smiles and says "send it over." Eric takes time away from his wife and his two kids to make sure that we have name badges and to ensure every operational detail is addressed. Eric, THANK YOU, we can not do it without you.
Alisa appeared out of nowhere to help run the keynotes in the first year in 2006 and she's been making our programs run smoothly ever since. She is a total professional when she's working backstage. She makes us look good -- not only to the attendees in the room, but also the VIP speakers who she works with. She used to be the person pushing folks onstage but she's now the one on the headset telling Nathaniel to do that. Even though her new job is less fun and more stressful, she takes it in stride and is willing to do whatever she is asked to put on the show. She has personally saved my ass many times and cleaned up my mess many more. She takes time out of her life to wear a headset in the dark and flash "wrap it up" to famous people from afar. Alisa, THANK YOU, we can not do it without you.
Nathaniel is our Director of Special Operations. We're not sure what that means, but we know what Nathaniel means to our success. Nathaniel runs the greenroom and backstage area in concert with Alisa. Nathaniel has to know exactly when everything in the show is going to happen, so he can make sure the right people are getting on stage at the right time. He works with our high-profile VIPs with a professionalism that makes NN a welcome stop for many electeds. He doesn't ask other people to solve problems for him, he jumps in and does it himself. Nathaniel is also wickedly hilarious and can crack a joke at just the right time to break any tension. He is a lawyer by day and has a wife and two daughters at home, yet he makes time for us and we appreciate it. Nathaniel, THANK YOU, we can not do it without you.
Linda Lee, our Exhibit Hall Manager, is an amazing person to work with. She's been a part of our organization since the first YearlyKos in 2006 (when she was among one of the five core organizers) and she is simply a delight to work with. She is amazingly good at what she does and if Linda says "I'll take care of it" you can take that to the bank. Beyond her exceptional operational capabilities, Linda is one of the most optimistic people I've ever met. Even when we're all on our 10th level of stress, Linda simply cannot offer a harsh word about anyone and the entire group of people she's around is lifted by her spirit. Linda has a husband and kido at home that she absolutely loves, yet she donates her time to NN. Linda, THANK YOU, we can not do it without you.
Shanna is another person who was one of the core organizers that first year in '06. She invented the job of volunteer coordinator on the fly that year and she's now pretty much perfected it. In a world where lots of volunteers are needed for lots of things (and frequently poorly managed), Shanna makes all the volunteers feel special and appreciated. Over and over in the hallways the volunteers Shanna worked with stop me and tell me how great she is. She keeps tabs on dozens and dozens of volunteers, can share with you back stories and connections they've made. I don't know how she keeps it all straight. And to top it off, she's got a killer sarcastic sense of humor that makes her a delight to be around. Shanna, THANK YOU, we can not do it without you.
Austin stepped up when we were in Austin, TX in 2008 and has been a critical member of the team ever since. He's bounced around roles, but he's always been a pivotal member of the team. In addition to his hilarious sense of humor and cool demeanor, he's a guy who gets things done. From the "holy crap we forgot to run prints of XYZ" the day before the convention to meeting Senators on the curb to walk them to where they need to be, Austin is there for us. Austin has two beautiful girls that he leaves at home to come to Netroots Nation and we appreciate that sacrifice. Austin, THANK YOU, we can not do it without you.
Mike Rogers is also due a hearty THANK YOU for his awesome work on the Netroots Connect LGBT program which took place the Wednesday before NN and brought literally dozens of new people and perspectives to the larger conference. Mike is hilarious to work with and knows exactly when it's time for a joke and when it's time to put the shoulder to the wheel. He created something awesome and he would not be deterred. (sorry Mike, couldn't find a pic of you at NN!) Mike, THANK YOU, we can not do it without you.
There are a few more people who I would be remiss if I did not mention...
We all know MsSpentyouth from DailyKos but Kim is also an amazing volunteer at Netroots Nation every year. I also want to recognize edgery, who was prevented from joining us in Minneapolis for personal reasons but she was missed and we really hope she can make it to Providence. She's a delight to work with and an amazing help at the reg desk every year.
THANK YOU to our photographers (linking to their twitter accounts where you can get more info on them): Mona Brooks, Steve Stearns, Carla Axtman and Marta Evry. They capture our good times in amazing shots and while memories fade, those photos endure and we appreciate it.
THANK YOU to our awesome video crew at Five Steps Forward. Chris and Dan have been helping us improve and have worked within our limited budget since 2008 and I can't imagine doing it without them.
A lifetime achievement THANK YOU goes to Mal, the guy ran the keynotes from 2006-2009. If you were on or near the keynote stage in our first 3 years, you met Mal and - if you took the time to think about it - you were impressed with him. His day job is doing production for arena shows and broadway shows with 6 and 7 figure production budgets and he volunteered his services our first few years and I honestly don't know if we would be where we are had he not been there to do so much grunt work those early years. I have a better idea of what I'm doing now, but if he hasn't been there to lean on, I shudder to think what our keynotes would have looked like (to say nothing of the presidential debate...).
This diary for the people who make NN run and who don't get their names chanted by large crowds. It's an honor and a privilege to get to work with such great people and I'm absolutely humbled when the staff of NN gets 'thanked,' because it's these great people who make it happen. THANK YOU