News — 01 June, 2023

Rebecca Firth on Becoming HOT's Executive Director

I am thrilled to share with all of you the incredible news that I have been appointed as the new Executive Director at Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) starting today.

As many of you know, I have always been passionate about community-led development through open mapping. I joined HOT in 2014 as a volunteer because I was inspired by how HOT was mobilizing people to support humanitarian response and saw how HOT’s approach had totally shifted the humanitarian response sector. Since then, I have been fortunate enough to pursue my personal and professional goals along with this organization, like meeting people all over the world that share the same values and concerns as me. I have also learned that there are many challenges still unaddressed in this sector, and there is a lot of low-hanging fruit still to pick; that further motivates me to achieve HOT’s goals of catalyzing an equitable and sustainable future through community-led mapping.

I want to express my deepest gratitude to the board of directors for entrusting me with this vital role. I am fully aware of the immense responsibility that comes with it, and I promise to give my utmost dedication, energy, and passion to fulfill our organization’s mission. Moreover, I want to express my gratitude to all the incredible individuals and organizations working tirelessly at the intersection of humanitarian efforts and mapping; every week I am re-inspired through the stories and experiences of HOT community members, partners, staff, and donors. Together, we can accomplish so much more. Let us continue to collaborate, share knowledge, and amplify our impact to build a better, more compassionate world.

I am thrilled to begin this new adventure!

Read the full press release here.