Influencer II
As most of you have seen, we have further defined our US regions and assigned Ambassadors to oversee them (thread here: Overland Bound Regions!). As the ambassador for the newly merged East region I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and make my goals for the region visible.
About Me:
My name, as the profile states, is Chris. I grew up in Strafford NH, went to school in Wayne PA (just outside of Philadelphia) and moved back to NH while working in Boston. I am currently in Austin TX and have been for a few years for work but am moving back to MA in July. I have been outside my whole life doing everything from hunting/fishing to hiking to racing dirtbikes. If it involves being outside I've probably at least tried it. My rig is a 2002 Isuzu Trooper that I commute with during the week and use to get away from civilization on the weekends. Though, for the last year, my focus has been more on my 1 year old. We are finally getting back out and showing her the joys of exploration.
The Region:
It's no secret now that the Northeast and East regions have been merged. Though I've seen some grumblings, and I expected that, I want to encourage everyone to remain positive about this transition. There was a lot of deliberation and debate over how to proceed with the US regions, and I assure, this is the best outcome. As an ambassador, my role is one of facilitator, Facebook group administrator, and point of contact for the forums. You can come to me, or any of the ambassadors/staffers/mods with questions or concerns.
The Vision for the East:
Now the part you probably actually care about. Why regions? What are the goals? Well, the need for regions arose a while ago but hadn't seemed as big of an issue until recently. The point is to create more cohesion and encourage more face to face time between members who are geographically similar. The forums are great and we have an awesome web community and that will continue but we want to add that little something that takes this community beyond the computer monitor. The solidifying of regions and assignment of ambassadors is the first step. So what does that all look like? It's going to vary from region to region but the goals I have for the East should facilitate all of this.
2 Goals (for now):
1) I want there to be a regular meetup located in a fixed location. The meetups are not all going to look the same, some of them will be at the pub/coffee shop, some will be at a park. But all will be located strategically so that the majority of our regions members have one that is within an hour drive. They will need to meet at least once per month. This is going to take time to roll out and I won't be able to do it all alone so if you feel you have the time and drive to get something going please PM me so we can chat about what it will look like and how we can work together to make it a success. There is a thread for the vision of meetups that I started a while back for the Northeast that I will expand to the newly merged East. North East Monthly Meet and Greets
2) Apart from the regular meetups it is important to me to be sure we have events going on in the East. Anything from a weekend camping trip at a state park to a full on week long journey through Appalachia. Again, I can't do it all alone. But this is where the ambassador role is really going to come into play as a facilitator and mobilizer. If you have an idea for an event and you don't want or think you can plan it yourself let me know. We will do our best to make it happen. Be sure to post up in the trip planning thread so everyone can see. I will do my best to keep an eye on things in that thread and act as a promoter to help get people there. I will also be putting together events and in the not so distant future organizing OB official events for the East Region.
Here are a few places to keep your eye on so you don't miss anything that is happening.
Overland Bound Meetups
Overland Trip Planning
Overland Bound East
You can also join the Overland Bound East Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/OverlandBoundEast
Thanks for all your patience and support during this period of change. I am encouraged by the path we are taking. I can't wait to meet all of you through the trips and events we will have.
-Chris
About Me:
My name, as the profile states, is Chris. I grew up in Strafford NH, went to school in Wayne PA (just outside of Philadelphia) and moved back to NH while working in Boston. I am currently in Austin TX and have been for a few years for work but am moving back to MA in July. I have been outside my whole life doing everything from hunting/fishing to hiking to racing dirtbikes. If it involves being outside I've probably at least tried it. My rig is a 2002 Isuzu Trooper that I commute with during the week and use to get away from civilization on the weekends. Though, for the last year, my focus has been more on my 1 year old. We are finally getting back out and showing her the joys of exploration.
The Region:
It's no secret now that the Northeast and East regions have been merged. Though I've seen some grumblings, and I expected that, I want to encourage everyone to remain positive about this transition. There was a lot of deliberation and debate over how to proceed with the US regions, and I assure, this is the best outcome. As an ambassador, my role is one of facilitator, Facebook group administrator, and point of contact for the forums. You can come to me, or any of the ambassadors/staffers/mods with questions or concerns.
The Vision for the East:
Now the part you probably actually care about. Why regions? What are the goals? Well, the need for regions arose a while ago but hadn't seemed as big of an issue until recently. The point is to create more cohesion and encourage more face to face time between members who are geographically similar. The forums are great and we have an awesome web community and that will continue but we want to add that little something that takes this community beyond the computer monitor. The solidifying of regions and assignment of ambassadors is the first step. So what does that all look like? It's going to vary from region to region but the goals I have for the East should facilitate all of this.
2 Goals (for now):
1) I want there to be a regular meetup located in a fixed location. The meetups are not all going to look the same, some of them will be at the pub/coffee shop, some will be at a park. But all will be located strategically so that the majority of our regions members have one that is within an hour drive. They will need to meet at least once per month. This is going to take time to roll out and I won't be able to do it all alone so if you feel you have the time and drive to get something going please PM me so we can chat about what it will look like and how we can work together to make it a success. There is a thread for the vision of meetups that I started a while back for the Northeast that I will expand to the newly merged East. North East Monthly Meet and Greets
2) Apart from the regular meetups it is important to me to be sure we have events going on in the East. Anything from a weekend camping trip at a state park to a full on week long journey through Appalachia. Again, I can't do it all alone. But this is where the ambassador role is really going to come into play as a facilitator and mobilizer. If you have an idea for an event and you don't want or think you can plan it yourself let me know. We will do our best to make it happen. Be sure to post up in the trip planning thread so everyone can see. I will do my best to keep an eye on things in that thread and act as a promoter to help get people there. I will also be putting together events and in the not so distant future organizing OB official events for the East Region.
Here are a few places to keep your eye on so you don't miss anything that is happening.
Overland Bound Meetups
Overland Trip Planning
Overland Bound East
You can also join the Overland Bound East Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/OverlandBoundEast
Thanks for all your patience and support during this period of change. I am encouraged by the path we are taking. I can't wait to meet all of you through the trips and events we will have.
-Chris
