International nonprofit organization, Global Game Jam, Inc® announced today that it is welcoming four new members to its board of directors, Jo Summers, Rilwon Jaiyeola, Margaret Wallace, and Jarory de Jesus. In what is a regular director turnover event, with individuals serving two year terms, the organization also bids a fond farewell to retiring board members Joseph Olin, Dr. Loretta Cheeks, and Hiroki Omae.
Tim Cullings, Executive Director of Global Game Jam Inc. said, "I can't thank our outgoing board members enough for their contributions to the Global Game Jam organization, event, and community. Each one of them brought unique perspectives and insights that helped drive things forward and broaden our view to better support our diverse community of game developers. I personally would like to thank Joseph Olin for his many years of service to GGJ both in Colombia as a site organizer, and as a board member and officer, he had a strong vision for the organization and the event and always helped us to stay focused on what was important. He works tirelessly to provide opportunities for aspiring developers who are struggling in his region to help them participate in Global Game Jam and to bring them to renowned game conferences like GDC. He embodies the ethos and spirit of GGJ and will be missed on the board but never too far away from the event and the organization.”
“I am excited to welcome Jo Summers back into the fold as I got my start working with her while she was Executive Producer of GGJ and it was on her recommendation that I replaced her as Director of Operations when she moved on to new opportunities. I owe so much to her for my personal growth as a game jam and community organizer and my career growth to become the Executive Director of GGJ. Jo has tremendous passion and knowledge around GGJ that is irreplaceable and we couldn't be happier to have her back. Rilwon, Margaret, and Jarory all bring a wealth of experience in the games industry and have already been contributing to the direction that the org and the event will be taking in the coming years. We couldn't be more grateful for their generosity in giving their time and energy to Global Game Jam and we expect everyone involved will feel their impact in the coming years."
Board President, Sabrina Culyba added, “Global Game Jam is not only the world's largest game-making event, it also serves an important role in cultivating gamedev communities around the world. Our incoming board members each bring unique skills, experience, and perspectives that will help the GGJ organization continue to expand our reach and impact."
As of 1 April 2024, the departing GGJ board members have officially passed the torch to the incoming group of industry veterans. The GGJ board is responsible for helping the organization maintain financial stability and supporting the Executive Director’s mission to forge new strategic partnerships and build relationships with current and future sponsors. As a non-profit organization, the GGJ also supports its community through local site grants and through its accessibility fund to enable more people to participate around the world and eliminate any barriers to developing and uploading their creations to the global GGJ network. GGJ also provides scholarships and small stipends to send some of our community members to games industry conferences like GDC, Gamescom and PocketGamer Connects.
The Global Game Jam® (GGJ) is the world's largest game creation event taking place around the globe, typically at physical locations. In January 2023, GGJ had a great year bringing even more in-person sites with 40,000 jammers at 800 locations in 108 countries creating 7,600 games!
The jam is known for helping foster new friendships, increase confidence and opportunities within the community and is always an intellectual challenge. Participants are invited to explore new technology tools, try on new roles in development and test their skills to do something that requires them to design, develop, create, test and make a new game in the time span of 48 hours.
About Global Game Jam, Inc.
GGJ is operated by the Global Game Jam, Inc.®, an international non-profit organization based in the United States, with a mission to empower individuals worldwide to learn, experiment and create together through the medium of games.
Media Contact:
Plan of Attack for GGJ
Audra McIver
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