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Leaving the Eclipse Foundation

Thursday, May 31, 2018 - 12:27 by Anonymous (not verified)

Yes. The rumours are true. I will star in the next Marvel film! Alright, alright. That’s a lie, but it is true that I am leaving my Marketing Specialist position at the Eclipse Foundation after nearly 6 years.

The beginning

To be honest, I don’t remember applying for the job. I got an email from someone named Ian Skerrett saying I had an interview. I was like… “What’s the Eclipse Foundation?”. I even had to Google what a “committer” was. To top it off, I got to the headquarters in Ottawa for my interview and the door said to go around the back, but I went the wrong way. I came to a dead end: face-to-face with a fence. I looked at the clock, 2 minutes left. I looked around. Screw it. I threw my high heels and resume over the fence, climbed then jumped over it barefoot in a dress. I got the job!

It has been quite the journey. I have met many great people along the way. I’ve connected with so many smart and talented professionals, I’ve made awesome friends — I even met my now partner Stefan Oehme at EclipseCon Europe. I created and edited the Eclipse Newsletter since 2013; it now has 250,000 subscribers! I helped launch the first EclipseCon France in 2013. In 2016, I moved from Canada to Germany and have been working from home ever since. Finally, I gave my first talk and coded my first full website in 2017.

All that to say that working at the Eclipse Foundation has shaped who I am today. Roxanne Joncas would be a completely different human being without the influence of all of you.

Say Goodbye in Person

I will be at EclipseCon France on June 13–14 in Toulouse. This will be my 14th and last EclipseCon. Wow. I can’t believe my first EclipseCon was in Boston in 2013. Get your ticket for Toulouse if you want to get one last high five from me!

My first EclipseCon

Thank you

I wanted to take the time to write how some of you have influenced me and how I will remember you. Here goes:

  • Sven Efftinge: First community member I remember working with and meeting in person.
  • Mélanie Bats: Voice your opinion.
  • Alex Morel: Always be yourself.
  • Mickael Istria: Passion is important.
  • Kai Hudalla: Ask questions.
  • Cédric Brun: Slides/presentations can be fun.
  • Jonas Helming: Always answer your emails.
  • Alexandra Schladebeck: Test. Test. Test. + Voice losenges.
  • Sebastian Zarnekow: Being quiet 99% of the time makes your words more powerful. Silent, but deadly.
  • Alexander Schmitt: I can speak in public.
  • Stéphane Bégaudeau: Stranger to friends in 5 seconds.
  • Tracy Miranda: Work on what you love.
  • Martin Lippert: Always show up.
  • Shawn Pearce: Being a ‘’Bored’’ Member can be fun.
  • Emily Jiang: A smile goes a long way!
  • Linda Snyder and Carole Garner: Plan. Plan. Plan. Make it seamless for attendees and it’ll be fine, even if it isn’t.
  • Goulwen Le Fur: A hoodie can be worth more than you think.
  • Eike Stepper: Badge ribbons are important.
  • Loredana Chituc: Open your heart.
  • Chris Aniszczyk: Spelling is important.
  • Lorenzo Bettini: Italy has a thing for paperwork.
  • Ivar Grimstad: When in London, eat Indian Food.

*Note: I didn’t include everyone, because the list would be too long. If your name isn’t up there. It does not mean I don’t like you or won’t remember you!

What next?

My last day at the Foundation will be mid-August (exact date TBD). Following my departure, I am planning a sweet 4-month break to let all my creative out and learn German at an expert level. I have no idea what 2019 will have in store for me, but I am excited to find out! Ideally, I become as cool as Kate McKinnon in Ghostbusters.

Not really goodbye

Obviously, we live on the digital frontier, so it’s not really a farewell. You can:

Farewell, my friends. See you out there in the wild!

Psst: You can apply for my position here.