Organization

Asmbly's organization structure consists of two main groups: the board, who are in charge of strategy and governance, and volunteer leaders, who are in charge of getting stuff done. Sometimes an individual volunteer serves in multiple roles, but this isn't always the case. See Leadership for info on current and past appointments.

The Board

Asmbly's board consists of a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and (as of 2021) two "at large" board members with no specific duties. Board terms are staggered so not everybody's up for replacement in the same year.

Officially board terms are two years, but people can be replaced mid-term by either resignation or ejection.

At this time, new board members are elected by majority of the current board.

President

The board president owns the agenda and generally runs board meetings. Asmbly's president is a voting member of the board.

Secretary

The board secretary is responsible for meeting minutes, governing documents, and official policies of Asmbly.

Treasurer

The board treasurer is responsible for Asmbly's overall budget. As of now the treasurer is also responsible for day-to-day accounts receivable and payable, but could be a staff or assistant volunteer responsibility in the future.

At-Large Board Members

An At-Large board member doesn't have any specific responsibilities beyond participating in board work and voting on motions before the board.

Volunteer/Paid Leaders

The day-to-day operation of Asmbly is largely driven by volunteer leaders, although we aim to someday transition all of these to paid positions. Some of these roles are filled by board members but none of them need be. Each volunteer/paid leader is essentially the top of an ad-hoc pyramid; they may manage their teams and delegate as they see fit, but are ultimately responsible that stuff gets done.

Executive Director

The Executive Director has overall authority over all staff and volunteers at Asmbly, answering only to the board.

Director of Outreach

The Director of Outreach has authority over Asmbly's outreach efforts, including partnerships and sponsorships, outreach programs and events.

Shop Area Leads

Each major shop area may have designated shop area leads. These individuals take on a leadership role within their designated areas to ensure that equipment is well maintained, in good working order, and meets the needs of membership. They work closely with other leaders, staff, and stewards in their designated areas.

More details about this program can be found here.

Unfilled Leadership Roles

Asmbly is interested in filling additional leadership roles if/when we can find the right volunteers

Director of Education

The Director of Education has authority over everything related to classes and training, including instructors, curricula and scheduling.

Director of Development

The Director of Development has authority over Asmbly's public interactions, including marketing, advertising, and fundraising.

Staff

Asmbly has a limited number of paid staff who are responsible for ensuring some of the basic critical operations of the organization are maintained. Below are roles that currently exist.

Membership & Volunteer Coordinator

The Membership Coordinator is responsible for responding to emails sent to membership@asmbly.org and leading weekly orientation sessions. They help members with any onboarding or system issues they experience. They collaborate with all other departments in the organization to ensure the needs of the membership are met. They actively engage members in the community to help members feel connected and supported. They organize volunteer committees to help Asmbly's operations and goals.

Education Coordinator

The Education Coordinator is responsible for ensuring classes are on the schedule, ideally at least 45 days in advance. They onboard new instructors, respond to class requests, determine appropriate cadence for classes, and other administrative tasks related to education. They work closely with other members of the Education Team to ensure education offerings at Asmbly are high quality and readily available.

Facilities Coordinator

The Facilities Coordinator is responsible for the physical space and its infrastructure, including space planning, networks, utilities, HVAC, and access controls. Volunteer stewards work closely with the Facilities Coordinator to ensure tool maintenance and repair is taken care of.  The Facilities Coordinator helps develop and enforce operational policies and procedures within shops in collaboration with Shop Area Leads.  They are also responsible for completing purchase orders and overseeing tool acquisitions.

Past Roles

These are roles that have existed at some point in Asmbly's history that do not exist currently.

Lead Instructor

The Lead Instructor is responsible for vetting instructors and evaluating new classes. They assist instructors in developing teaching skills as well as class curriculum. They work closely with other members of the Education Team to provide input on class cadence, size, and complexity level.

General Manager

The General Manager has authority over all goings-on in the space, including tool acquisition/disposition, project planning and execution, member onboarding and discipline, operational policies and procedures. The General Manager also has authority over the space and its infrastructure, including space planning, networks, utilities, HVAC, and access controls. Volunteer stewards report to the General Manager and work with them to ensure tool maintenance and repair is taken care of.