Dear GroundReport Community,
Thank you for your support, passion, and commitment to the issues and events that shape the world. I am honored to share that I have accepted the role of Chief Digital Officer for the City of New York.
This new position will demand my full focus and energy, so I have reached out for help to take over leadership of GroundReport. Paul Sterne, my father, who has been a strong supporter of GroundReport since its inception, will be taking over the day-to-day management of the platform, joined by our longtime Chief Technology Officer Cory Crosland and a growing Editorial team.
We have come a long way in the four years since GroundReport’s launch in late 2006.
We have seen the shift in the exchange of information from one-to-many to many-to-many. We have watched ordinary individuals, empowered by tools and technology, capture important events and share them with the world.
And we have overcome formidable challenges. At GroundReport, thanks to your support and reporting, we weathered an economic recession and simultaneously improved our editorial standards, thanks to our unique vetting and administration system.
It goes without saying that this is all your work. GroundReport is a news outlet of the people, by the people, and for the people, and would be nothing without your insightful commentary, devoted reporting, and mutual support.
As I noted, GroundReport’s operations will now be led by someone whose leadership, values, and vision has been a driving force since Day One: Paul Sterne. I am thrilled that he will manage GroundReport as a platform for the global community to exercise one of its fundamental rights: freedom of speech.
He is going to drive the next phase of the platform’s development, working with CTO Cory Crosland, ushering in significant technology improvements. Already, his efforts to optimize the site and reward the GroundReport community through Recognition Awards have had a measurable impact, increasing our content and engagement. I am excited by the new heights that GroundReport will reach under his guidance, and he will tell you more about his plans in the coming weeks.
Once more, thank you. GroundReport’s passionate community has always been the foundation of our achievements.
Thank you, and best wishes for 2011,
Rachel Sterne