The Board of Directors
Members of the Apogaea Board of Directors, elected by Ignition, serve one-year, two-year, or three year terms and help guide the organization with the help of the Bylaws. Apogaea has a “policy board” meaning that the Board of Directors is primarily responsible for setting policy, not the logistics of running the event.
Each department has a board liaison and the board works to empower departmental leads and create policies to help guide the growth of the event and the org. For more information about departmental board liaisons, refer to the Org Chart(2017 org chart coming soon!).
Officers are elected to one-year terms by the Board of Directors. Officers are not required to be board members, but they often are.
If interested in an open board position, or if you would like to reach out to the BOD and officers as a whole, please email [email protected].
Apogaea Board of Directors
Ignition Departments
As a 501C-3 organization, Apogaea, Inc. is a member-based organization composed of individuals who are affiliates of the Corporation and actively participating within in it. These members are otherwise known as Ignition. At the heart of Apogaea the event, and all that makes up Apogaea, is a synergistic team of dedicated volunteer members. The Ignition Departments are responsible for the logistics of the event.
The Acculturation Department is composed of the Colorado Burning Man Regional Representatives. The Regional Reps are elected by the Board from among those appointed by Burning Man.
The Apogaea Media and Publications Department (otherwise known as AMP) is responsible for the production of the WWWW, Survival Guide, and other key documents. The department also focuses on photography, video and graphics used or needed by the Apogaea Org. This includes, but is not limited to, managing photo archives in Apogaea photo accounts, creating graphics used on the website and in the Outpost Email Blasts, and create/distribute videos produced by Apogaea, Inc for various reasons (ie: volunteer recruitment, event overview, BAMF training, education on Apogaea Inc’s photography policy). The team works collaboratively with the Communications/Telemetry Teams as well as the rest of the Apogaea Org to create/provide specific forms of media for specific purposes.
We donate our time and expertise as our gift to the community. We operate within the scope of basic first aid and mitigation, with the agenda of helping our friends and family during times of need.
Center Camp is the central hub for Apogaea. Here you can learn more about the Ten Principles, grab a piping hot cup of coffee, purchase ice, sit back and groove to some live music, participate in a workshop, or just mingle with fellow Apogaeans.
Creative Art Team Support (CATS) works each year refining creative grant process, reading and discussing numerous grant applications, and ultimately selecting who receives the grant funds.
The Communications Department (also known as “Telemetry”) works hard year-round to communicate with transparency the organizational information and news to the public. The team works collaboratively with all departments of Apogaea, including the Board of Directors, to create and distribute effective communications via our website, as well as via blog posts, newsletters, event calendars and social media. Telemetry aims to insure accurate information, to educate the public of all that is Apo, and to provide a reliable and consistent place to find information.
The Community Outreach position is important for supporting public relations with media and the local community, representing Apogaea to its site owner, supporting the land search, engaging the event with kindred arts organizations, and performing community mediation as needed.
That’s the Department of Mutant Vehicles. The mountainous terrain of Apogaea makes Art Cars a challenge, but we do have a few Art Cars each year. This position oversees the registration and operation of Art Cars at the event.
Apoagea’s Department of Public Works, DPW, helps build the mountain refuge we call home for a week. They are the first group to arrive and the very last to leave.
The finance committee is composed of the Treasurer, an assistant treasurer, a business lead, a second board member, and a community member.
Maintain perimeter and fire safety at fire performances
The Gate crew helps you get into the event by accepting and filing your waiver, checking your ID, giving you any S.W.A.G. such as stickers and most importantly, checking you off the ticket list and giving you the all important wristband. The Gate crew also includes Greeters and Degreeters, the fun folks who welcome you to the event and help ease the transition into and out of Apogaea’s autonomous zone.
The Greeters are the second group of people Apogaeans meet upon entering the mountain city. They greet you, officially, by reviewing the 10 Principles, giving the most up-to-date fire status, remind everyone Rangers are there to help and any other pertinent information that needs to be disseminated, all as fast as possible.
The purpose and intent of this position is to document and catalog the history of Apogaea. This will be in the form of written information/files, physical documents and items (maps, stickers, patches, gifts, etc) and oral history (stories, memories documented). The position requires research and interviews, creative documentation and organization of quantities of information in a usable format. Starting in 2013, a banner depicting Apogaea’s history was displayed in Center Camp and the Historian began hosting a “History of Apogaea” storytelling event/workshop.
The Info Booth, located near Center Camp, has all of the event information you might need about Apo. Looking for a specific art piece or camp? There’s a placement map at Info Booth. Can’t find your friends? Leave a message on the whiteboard for them. Need the time and date for a workshop? The Info Booth will have a printed WWWW for you to check as well. Lose something? Come by the Info Booth to check the Lost & Found. Metaphysical items will need to be found elsewhere though.
The IT department is responsible for Apogaea’s internal documentation, emails, and… IT is separate from the Communications department which writes newsletters, blog posts, Board Meeting Summaries, public information, and updates this website.
The Placement department plans the physical placement of all entities on the festival site. This includes all theme camps, sound camps, Apogaea internal department facilities (like BAMF, fire stage, center camp, parking tent, info booth, etc.), art installations, RV parking, car parking, and what space is to be used for general camping/quiet camping/etc.
Keep track and organize all equipment articles owned by Apogaea
Rangers are participant-volunteers who attend to their fellow artists, using the community’s trust modestly and soberly to provide public safety, peer counseling, conflict mediation, and to interface with emergency professionals. Excellent rangering is more art than science. Communication, creativity, and calm are key tools. The scope of crises that Rangers have resolved over the years is remarkable, and Burners have come to expect that the Ranger logo means someone who can act responsibly as the eyes, ears, and voice of the event. Rangers on duty are supported by shift leads, whose seniority and judgement make them ideal backup for Rangers in uncertain circumstances. They are coordinated by the Event Lead, who is supported by XOs.
Operate the ticket sales process
Coordinate the volunteer force operations
Many members of our community are families with kids. While our expectation, as always, is that community members be self-reliant, we also recognize that bringing kids to Apogaea presents special challenges, additional responsibilities, and raises common questions. The Youth Coordinator is in charge of organizing events for kids at the festival. Past events have included an art walk, a kids rave, and face painting.
Documents, Legal Info & Bylaws
Apogaea is a non-profit organization, and like all non-profits, has Bylaws to define how it will be managed and how it will run. Bylaws create a framework for the organization, and aid in resolving internal disputes as well. Our Board of Directors, voted in by the members of the organization, are able to change the bylaws to ideally improve the way Apo functions. As our organization grows and issues arise, the Board must continuously review the policies to make sure they are optimizing the function of the organization.