OpenOakland welcomed nearly 150 volunteers over the course of 2021! We’re blown away by the dedication of so many, despite the tumult and challenges of the year. Earlier this month, we took a moment to pause and invite our brigade to recognize each others’ perseverance, contributions and commitment to this community we’re all building together. Here’s what our volunteers had to share with each other.

To: Ajay V

"Ajay brought an unusual sense of calm and care to our work. Thank you!"

To: Alana T

"The dev tickets you've closed have been so critical in helping us get closer to the MVP. Thank you so much for all the incredible work you do, behind the scenes with Wendy!!"

To: Angela K

"Your enthusiasm is infectious. Thank you for being a rock for WOAQ and making OpenOakland a fun community to hang out with!"

To: Beti G

"Thank you for your infectious enthusiasm and your great questions that always challenged us to think differently."

To: Brian F

"Thank you so much for helping us get organized Brian, and for showing up so consistently. :) "

To: Brooks J

"Brooks' openness and curiosity this year was so refreshing. Thanks, Brooks, for always asking great questions and providing critical perspective."

To: Colin KB

"Thank you for leading us last year, despite tumultuous times. And thank you for your ongoing contributions to Open Disclosure. We appreciate you!"

To: Elina R

"Thank you for sharing your honesty and insights with us this year. You are a breath of fresh air."

To: Erin N

"You make each project you touch better. Your kindness toward our users is palpable and I appreciate working with you this year."

To: Felicia B

"Thank you Felicia, for reviving Open Budget into a meaningful tool that people rely on and trust."

To: Felicia B

"Felicia, I’m always grateful when you share your insights with our group. You help make us smarter together."

To: Jess S

"Jess puts in 150% effort for OpenOakland. I really appreciate her efforts to keep our community thriving. All in addition to leading a project of her own and helping others with their projects. Thanks, Jess!"

To: Jess S

"Thank you for being an incredible project lead, co-lead, and OpenOakland member (and for always having time to be here for the team emotionally). Your commitment to driving work forward amidst the challenges of the past year inspires me daily! <3 "

To: Jess S

"You are tireless, thoughtful and a driving force that has given OpenOakland so much this year! Thank you, thank you, thank you for initiating so many ideas, talks, projects and more that have opened up many possibilities for us and kept the brigade moving forward."

To: John B

"Thank you for continually working to make OpenOakland better, even when it isn’t easy."

To: Jonathan M

"The best things about Jonathan: his constant willingness to help, his (seemingly) never ending list of cool technologies we can try implementing, his chill and welcoming vibe. So glad to have gotten to work with you over this year!"

To: Kabirdas H

"Shout-out to Kabirdas to being so versatile and contributing to multiple projects this year!"

To: Karen I

"Karen, your commitment to making our work more accessible to people of all walks is so inspiring."

To: Laurel A

"So grateful for your thoughtful and whip-smart project leadership."

To: Mary Y

"Your wisdom is deeply appreciated, as is your commitment to our safety and respect for each other, even when life (and the brigade) gets wild."

To: Mike U

"Thank you for sharing your experience with us, both as an OpenOaklander and beyond!"

To: Niels T

"Thanks for all that you do in pushing the design work for WOAQ forward, and for the time you've put in as our community organizer!"

To: Niels & Sean

"I've learned how to be a better teammate and leader through working with you both. Thank you!!! —Jess"

To: Sean M

"Sean has done a great job as chair of our steering committee - facilitating our hack nights and steering committee meetings. He also has great knowledge about finances and budgets and is generous with his time (helping OO teams). Thanks, Sean, for being a great leader of OO!"

To: Sean M

"You are the voice of OpenOakland. You have masterfully maintained balance at Hacknights and given incredible insight on the year's most pressing issues! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the amazing work you have done."

To: Tim M

"We could not be reaching the MVP without your help. Thank you for showing up in all the ways that you do outside of worksessions, and helping drive the development of this project for so long!"

To: Tim M

"Tim, you always push us to work smarter. Your quiet leadership is humbling."

To: Wendy W

"The dev tickets you've closed have been so critical in helping us get closer to the MVP. Thank you so much for all the incredible work you do! And, I've also just really appreciate getting to know you a bit this year. You're awesome!"

To: Wendy W

"Thank you for bringing patience, wisdom, and a collaborative spirit to our team!"

And thank YOU

Whether or not your name is listed here, OpenOakland is deeply grateful for your contribution in every form it takes. We appreciate you and everything you bring when you show up, explore our work, and share your perspective. We can’t wait to celebrate 2022 with you!