As I complete my last day leading the Drupal Association, I want to share my gratitude for everyone that makes Drupal so darn special. The past three years have provided me with significant lessons in leadership, collaboration, and resiliency. It’s been an honor to serve the Drupal Association and the Drupal community. I leave with memories and experiences that I will always cherish.
I’m incredibly proud of the Drupal Association staff, who continue to have a positive and lasting impact on the Drupal project. This team is an essential part of the Drupal community. Each gives so much time, talent, and thoughtfulness to all they do to support our mission. They keep Drupal moving forward by helping the people (that’s you!) and maintaining the tools that make it all possible. I have no doubt that this team, led by acting executive director, Angie Sabin, will continue to succeed given the solid strategic goals and action plans firmly in place and ongoing advisement from our outstanding Board of Directors.
Even though I’m off on a new adventure to grow and scale Amazon’s Alexa Prize program, I’ll have the opportunity to stay connected to Drupal through my new role as a contributor for the Discover Drupal talent and education program. We are in the process of learning from year one of the Discover Drupal pilot and are developing strategies to launch the program globally, providing new access ramps to Drupal. Discover Drupal is a prime example of what we can and should do as a community and is part of the solution to continue growth and innovation for the Drupal project.
My wish for each of you reading this message is that you can contribute to Drupal’s Community of Innovation in a way that is meaningful to you. One of the very best ways to get started on your journey as a Drupal maker is by attending an event near you. I sincerely hope many of you also have the opportunity to travel to DrupalCon Portland in April and/or DrupalCon Prague in September to learn, build, and connect. Many thanks to all of the event organizers, volunteers, sponsors, participants and contribution mentors that make these important Drupal events possible.
One of the things that Dries and I bonded over when I first began this job was our shared belief that Drupal has the power to make a positive impact in the world. I had the opportunity to share my thoughts on this subject during my keynote speech at NEDCamp in 2020 – Better Together: How the Drupal Community Can Change the World. Strong communities give us shared purpose and connection and allow us to better meet our goals. Still, they require a sense of psychological safety to function optimally. I appreciate the work of this community, particularly the Community Working Group (CWG), toward making Drupal a safe space for everyone.
As I said at DrupalCon Europe last year, I have a vision for Drupal’s Community of Innovation. I believe all things are possible because:
We believe in the power of Drupal’s flexible, free, open source platform to make a positive impact in the world.
We are diverse, inclusive, curious, and collaborative.
We are Drupal makers.
We are better together.
Drupal’s Community of Innovation is a true leader in the world of open source. You have the energy, talent, and collective wisdom to accomplish almost anything, and I can’t wait to see what you do next.
– Heather Rocker
