Hi everyone,
This announcement is going out a little later than I intended, but I hope it reaches you in time.
I’ve decided to pursue a new opportunity in the AI education space, and as a result, I no longer have the bandwidth to continue leading the Lasers area moving forward. Given our current financial situation, it’s unlikely the dedicated Laser room will be constructed anytime soon, so much of my specific planning and development work in that area is not immediately needed.
Because of that, it makes sense to transition leadership to proven and capable people who are already actively contributing to the Laser area. We are fortunate to have two very talented ladies, Eve and Christina, who already teach in Woodshop, use the Lasers and have demonstrated strong leadership and commitment. I believe they are a great fit to help move Lasers forward.
I’ll still be providing support and sharing knowledge to help ensure a smooth transition, so they won’t be starting from scratch. In fact, I expect most members will notice very little disruption.
As you know, we’ve been able to keep the laser systems running reliably because of a fantastic support team, and that team has committed to continuing to back up Eve and Christina moving forward. Operations should continue largely as normal with minimal hiccups.
We’re also in the process of installing individual air compressors on each machine so we are no longer dependent on the central compressor system, which has continued to overheat. This has been a major contributor to the unusually high frequency of lens replacements.
I’d also like to ask for your support of the new leadership team by either attending the meeting and voting in person or by sending me a proxy to cast a vote on your behalf.
The proxy can be as simple as sending a Talk PM to @SWA stating:
“I, [your name], hereby give Burt my proxy for the Laser Chair election.”
Thank you all for your continued support, and I look forward to seeing you around the shop.
— Burt