A NNE K. GRAY
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

 

Introduction

My volunteer history may be a better indicator of my core competencies and passions than my job history; it's hard to say. In resumes I mingle them together under the heading "Experience" but here I wanted to highlight the many things I have done because I wanted to, despite the lack of paycheck.

 

Volunteer History

Publicist, Docent, Researcher and Grant Writer
3/2016-present

I helped prepare the William C. Goodridge Freedom Center and Underground Railroad Museum for a soft opening in May 2016 and help develop and publicize an ongoing program of monthly events. I have also assisted with grant writing and historical research, created and help maintain the Facebook page, and assisted in the development of a website. I regularly serve as a docent at the museum during First Fridays, and am considered the museum's resident expert on the Goodridge family history. Some of the Goodridge children left the York area in the 1860s and ended up in Saginaw, Michigan, which is where my mother's father grew up, which has been an interesting coincidence.

On March 19, 2017 I was awarded a Certificate of Recognition for this work by the Crispus Attucks Association of York, which owns and operates the museum.

LEGO WeDo Builder's Club Assistant
3/2017-5/2017

Assisted with an After School Enrichment Class at York Country Day School serving 15 kindergarten and first grade students and one second grader. Once a week I took a small group of 4 students out of the main class to teach them how to build and program simple LEGO robots using the LEGO WeDo 1.0 kits and software, with visual programming. They built an alligator that snapped its mouth shut when it detected motion in front of it, and an airplane where they could change the sound and engine speed based on the tilt of the plane's position in mid-air.
This was not a paid position, though in return I did not have to pay for my daughter to take the class.

Girl Friday
10/2012-7/2014
Member of the sucessful bid and executive committees for Detcon1, the 2014 North American Science Fiction Convention (NASFiC).

Created and edited content for fliers, the website, a large banner, and ads, joined in the leadership group to determine the theme (Driving the Future), name, GoH categories, etc, for midsize international science fiction convention. Ended up facilitating the diversity and outreach efforts throughout the convention, and also managed the IT team regarding email, lists, web, and other back-end and attendee-facing tools. Diversity facilitation included ateendance at regional events, communication with potential program participants, generation of program ideas, recruiting and consulting with an advisory committee on diversity, much of my work on publications and promotions, and my own appearance on a panel on Diversity at SF Conventions during Detcon1.

Media coverage:

  • Tor.com: SciFi in the Motor City: An Interview with the Committee of Detcon1
  • SF Signal:Detcon1's Commitment to Diversity
  • Huffington Post: Dear Progressives, We're Not Doing It Right

  • Head of Art @ Renovation
    3/2010-9/2011
    Head of the Art @ Renovation project at the 2011 Worldcon
    Coordinated outreach to artists, agents and art directors, ran Art Programming. Worked with staff to publish an online and print gallery of Art Show artists, arrange special Art Exhibits, and produce Art Night, including the Chesley Awards and artist reception, in collaboration with the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists (ASFA).
    TAFF Delegate
    12/2009-3/2012
    Brian and I were elected to be the 2010 Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund (TAFF) Delegates. On March 17, 2010 we began our TAFF trip with an overnight to London, where we took a double-decker bus tour of town, then caught a train to Winchester for Corflu UK. further touring took us to Poole, London, Cambridge, Edinburgh (Scotland), Birmingham, and back to London for Odyssey, the 2010 Eastercon, returning home on April 6th. In return for the wonderful trip, we managed TAFF for two years, during which we raised more money than we'd spent and ran the US side of two successful TAFF elections, the last of which deposed us from our post as planned. We are still on the hook for a printed report of the trip, of which we have so far published two bits:
    • "Anne and Brian Trip Through Corflu", Argentus 10 [PDF] ed. Steven H Silver, December 2010
    • "221b Baker Street; Fictional Flat a Monument to The Great Sleuth", by Anne [and Brian] Gray, Journey Planet 11, [PDF] ed. James Bacon and Chris Garcia, December 2011
    Board of Directors
    2002-present
    The Science Fiction Oral History Association
    In a position that nicely brings together my interests in Science Fiction and History, I help run the Science Fiction Oral History Association (SFOHA), which collects, maintains and distributes audio and video recordings of historical figures in science fiction and fantasy society (both professional and fannish). I was the Secretary of the board from 2002-2005 and became the President in 2006. I stepped down from the presidency at the end of 2008 and currently serve in the capacity of Past President.
    Guest of Honor Liaison
    2008-2009
    Guest of Honor Liaison to Neil Gaiman for Anticipation (The World Science Fiction Convention in Montreal, August of 2009)
    As a Guest of Honor Liaison I served as the convention's point-of-contact for Mr. Gaiman before, during and after the convention. I also recruited a local liaison, Tamu Townsend, to assist in this process. At the convention I served as Mr. Gaiman's at-con assistant, facilitating his non-convention-related interviews and other obligations in addition to getting him to all of his program items, making sure he was as well fed and rested as possible (despite late-night calls to his girlfriend, who was in Russia at the time), and generally keeping him on his feet. One of the most physically exhausting tasks of my life, and, as all the work I've done with Mr. Gaiman, rewarding and well worth every effort.
    Convention Chair
    3/2003 - 3/2005, 2008-2009
    Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association (AASFA)
    I spent two years as the elected chief executive of AASFA'a annual science fiction convention, ConFusion, and was once again Chair in 2009. This is an 800-person convention with a budget of ~$26,000, ~5 Guests of Honor, and 8 major departments: Programming, Masquerade, Dance, Art Show, Dealers, Registration, Publications, and Operations. As part of my responsibilities I helped negotiate our hotel contracts for 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, and 2011. For 2004 I also created and managed the web site.
  • Cryptic ConFusion
  • 31 Flavors of ConFusion
  • ConFusion XXX
  • Block Captain
    2002-2008
    AAPD Neighborhood Watch
    Block Captain of my immediate neighborhood.
    Guest of Honor Liaison
    2007-2008
    Guest of Honor Liaison to Scott Westerfeld and Justine Larbalestier for High Voltage Confusion
    As a Guest of Honor Liaison I served as the conventions point-of-contact for these guests both before and after the convention. I also made sure their travel arrangements were in order and that they got properly fed and watered while onsite. This included a trip to the mall to check out the situation there in case of zombie invasion. I also helped out with the programming department for ConFusion that year.
    Social Director
    2007-2008
    The Stilyagi Air Corps
    As an officer of Stilyagi I served under the supervision of the Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association Board, working to encourage and publicize club social functions. Mostly I maintained our Google Calendar.
    Guest of Honor Liaison
    2006-2007
    Guest of Honor Liaison to Charles Stross for Penguicon 5.0
    As a Guest of Honor Liaison I served as the convention's point-of-contact for our guest both before and after the convention. I also made sure his travel arrangements were in order and that he was properly fed and watered while onsite. Charles was a delight; a very easy guest to manage. I started out as the Penguicon Guest Liaison Wrangler but stepped down due to an overabundance of Life Stress (my Grandmother died the week after the convention).
    Proofreader
    2001 - 2006
    Emerald City
    Proofreader and sometimes book and short fiction reviewer for the Hugo Award-winning monthly fanzine Emerald City.
    Guest of Honor Liaison Wrangler
    2005-2006
    Guest Liaison Wrangler and Guest of Honor Liaison to Chris DiBona for Penguicon 4.0
    As a Guest of Honor Liaison I served as the convention's point-of-contact for our technical guest Chris DiBona both before and after the convention. I made sure his travel arrangements were in order and that he was properly fed and watered while onsite. I also served as the Penguicon Guest Liaison Wrangler, meaning that I recruited and oversaw the duties of the other guest liaisons for the convention. Among other things, I put together the gift baskets for all the guests, which was more fun than I expected.
    Master of Ceremonies
    2006
    Master of Ceremonies for the Chuck Roast
    In 2006 ConFusion held a friendly, spirited, two-hour roast of our Fan Guest of Honor, Chuck Firment. I organized the roast and performed as Master of Ceremonies. This included leading a choir of myself and three other ladies in a filk adaptation we did of "Walk Through the Fire" from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode "Once More With Feeling."
    Guest of Honor Liaison
    2004-2005
    Guest of Honor Liaison to Cory Doctorow for Penguicon 3.0
    As a Guest of Honor Liaison I served as the convention's point-of-contact for our technical and author guest Cory Doctorow both before and after the convention. I made sure his travel arrangements were in order and that he and Alice were properly fed and watered while onsite. Going to the Henry Ford Museum with the two of them was quite a trip. I also performed that year as Buffy in a shadowcast performance of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode "Once More With Feeling."
    Convention Liaison/
    Personal Assistant

    2004, 2005, 2006
    Neil Gaiman
    At Penguicon 2.0, Mythcon 35, Noreascon Four, the 2005 Nebula Awards, Balticon 40, and the Locus Awards Weekend and Science Fiction Hall of Fame Induction in 2006, I acted as Convention Liaison or Personal Assistant to Neil Gaiman, who was the Author Guest of Honor at the first two conventions, a program participant and Master of Ceremonies for the Hugo Awards at Noreascon Four, a guest of honor at Balticon, and MC for the awards ceremonies. In this capacity I handled Mr. Gaiman's scheduling for the weekend, helped him stay on schedule, ran errands, and generally assisted him. I discovered in the process that I'm really good at this, and I found it really rewarding. I've written up some notes for anyone who might take on this position in the future.
    Proofreader
    2004
    Noreascon Four
    Proofreading staff for the Souvenir Book of the 62nd World Science Fiction Convention.
    Editor
    9/2002 -9/2004
    MidFanzine
    Editor of the biannual fanzine of Midwest Fannish Conventions, Inc. Responsibilities included soliciting articles, art and advertising, as well as editing for grammar and content, collecting information, and writing. The spring edition is a general fanzine while the fall edition focuses on conrunning. In this position I produced MidFanzines 1 through 3.
    Vice President, Gala
    2003-2004
    Ann Arbor Association for Women in Computing
    Oversaw fundraising and event planning efforts to seed a community fund-based scholarship for Michigan Women in Computing. Ran a highly successful Gala dinner and first-year Michigan Women in Computing Awards ceremony. Designed and implemented the Gala website and served as Managing Editor of the Gala Program. Managed project with multiple committees and a budget of over $30,000.
    Assistant Convention Chair,
    Programming Liaison

    6/2002-1/2003
    ConFusion and Her Friends
    Aided con Chair in setting timeline for midsize regional science fiction convention organization, facilitated meetings and online communication. Planned convention program, produced written program content, acted as liaison to all program participants. ConFusion 2003 hailed by some as best ConFusion in twenty years.
    Poll Challenger
    11/2002
    Campaign for Equality
    This was a successful campaign to block the repeal of a non-discrimination law in Ypsilanti, Michigan. I helped address and sort a mailer earlier in the campaign, and on election day I was a challenger at a polling station. What this means is that I helped update the campaign's list of which of our supporters had voted, and also that I was responsible for helping make sure our supporters were able to vote and that no one was harrassed or preached to near or in the polling station, or coached when voting.
    ConSuite Staff
    7/2002 - 9/2002
    ConJosé

    Participated in planning and then supervised the morning shifts (5 am to 10 am) in the Hospitality Suite (ConSuite) at the 60th World Science Fiction Convention in San José California, August 30th - September 2, 2002.
    Copyeditor
    1/2002 - 8/2002
    ConJosé
    Sole copyeditor for the publications of an international convention. I also took on the responsibilities of "mail wrangler" in the summer, handling document management and coordination between authors and layout editors.
    Vice President
    2/2000-2/2001
    F.A.S.S.
    Helped manage the year-long writing and production process and was in charge of social gatherings for an amatuer musical production company affiliated with the University of Waterloo.




    (Obviously there was more before this, but it's a long list. Give me time...)


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