[Board Nomination] Brett Neese - Secretary

[Brett Neese]

I would like to nominate myself for the position of Secretary.

I've got some unique qualifications and circumstances that make me a good candidate: when I was a teen, I helped found the QC Co-Lab in Quad Cities, Iowa; when I was a little older, I helped found the Area 515 Makerspace in Des Moines, Iowa, and when I was a bit older than that, my first "real" job was a partnerships manager for a STEAM non-profit called StudentRND (now known as CodeDay). I was then involved as a member at CRASH Space in Los Angeles, CA for several years.

I'm also both new to the area and to the space as of May 2025. This puts me in a unique position; as of now I have minimal outside community commitments and I want to get more involved in my local community. I'm also fresh enough to not have been burnt out by previous lab drama (though I've seen some of the threads.) I also feel it will be a good opportunity to get to know the humans that make up the lab better as there are many good humans involved in the lab I have yet to meet.

My primary platform is improving lab communication, and I have been here both long enough to see existing practices but short enough to still have "beginner's mind." What I've noticed is that in absence of communication, conspiracies about decisions being made in smoky back rooms tend to form. This is toxic to the lab and something the Secretary is positioned to improve. 

In my brief time at HSL, I have tried to lead by example as I know that actions speak louder than words. 

Thank you for your consideration,

Brett