[Board Nomination] Antonio Contrisciani - Champion

[Antonio Contrisciani]

Dear HSL Community,

I am writing today to formally announce my candidacy for the position of Board Champion. Having been a dedicated member since the early days of COVID and a passionate supporter of the lab since its inception and a colleague or friend to many of our founders. I have a deep understanding of our core mission to provide essential tools and services to the community.

For the last five years, I have proudly served as the 3D Printing Champion, a role that required me to navigate significant operational challenges through a period of immense uncertainty. While personal and professional constraints previously limited my involvement, those factors have now stabilized. I am confident and eager to commit my full energy and focus to serving the community at the Board level.

My platform centers on transforming our processes and facilities to enable sustainable growth and foster a more connected community.

1. Enhancing Governance and Transparency

Like many of my contemporaries, I believe the path forward for HSL requires clarification and transparency. I propose initiatives to:

• Clarify Bylaws: Define our existing bylaws and procedures to be more explicit, ensuring they are well-defined rather than overly rigid.

• Formalize Operations: Establish official guidelines and documented procedures for all organizational processes. Every member, regardless of tenure, should clearly understand the how, where, when, and why behind Board decisions and facility changes.

• Build Trust: I am committed to eliminating the division caused by poor communication. My goal is to ensure the Board is viewed as an accessible and proactive resource, where members feel empowered to raise comments, concerns, or complaints without hesitation.

2. Streamlining the New Member Experience

A clear and consistent onboarding process is vital for recouping our pre-pandemic membership numbers and ensuring a welcoming environment. We must firmly establish guidelines for the entire new member journey, including:

• Standardized Onboarding: Creating a firm, documented process that guides a new member from signing up and paying dues through their orientation, card access activation, and full integration into the community.

• Eliminating Confusion: Proactively addressing the recurring issues of members asking about orientation and access by providing a clear, single methodology for all new member steps.

3. Revitalizing Our Physical Infrastructure

Our physical space is the foundation of our service. I advocate for actively addressing long-neglected infrastructure issues that currently impede our operations and growth:

• Facility Improvements: Focusing on concrete solutions for major constraints, such as the cramped machine shop layout, the need for safe window displays near fragile glass, the need for indoor fire suppression for woodworking and welding, or systemic repairs and improvements to areas like the basement, electrical systems, and the second floor.

• Strategic Planning: Actively assess whether our current space still meets our growing needs. If necessary, we must immediately begin the process of strategically seeking and planning a move to a new location to accommodate future growth.

I am prepared to commit my entire drive and energy to seeing these changes realized. I appreciate your time and consideration of my candidacy, and I look forward to working collaboratively with you to shape the vibrant future of HSL.

Thank you,

Antonio Contrisciani HSL 3D Printing Champion (2020–Present)