Lifetime Personal Membership Awards
OPF lifetime personal membership awards recognise individuals who have made a significant contribution to the Foundation and our community. The awards were launched in June 2020 as part of our tenth-anniversary celebrations.
Recipients
Adam Farquhar
Adam was Scientific Director of the Planets project which led to the establishment of the OPF. He founded and developed the OPF to become a stable, viable organisation, and demonstrated strategic leadership on the OPF board of directors between 2010 – 2016 (chair 2010-2013).
The OPF has come to play a prominent and valued role in the digital preservation landscape. I’m honoured to be among the first recipients of this award. Having established the organisation over a decade ago and serving as its first Board President, I’m really proud when I look over its accomplishments and see the strong team that leads the OPF today. – Adam Farquhar
Ross King
During his period of strategic leadership on the OPF board of directors between 2010-2019, Ross led the OPF through a period of change as it matured. He oversaw vital milestones such as software adoption, the development of our sustainability and membership model, hiring new staff and the foundation’s change of name. His work was crucial in increasing the visibility and impact of OPF and growth of the community.
It was an honor to be a founding member of the OPF and to guide it through some of its formative years – and now a great pleasure to see how it has become a sustainable organization that so well serves the digital preservation community. – Ross King
Barbara Sierman
Barbara is a leader in digital preservation policy development and has a long-standing personal commitment to collaboration and knowledge-sharing in the field. During her tenure on the OPF board of directors between 2015-2020 (and as chair from 2017-2020), she offered invaluable guidance and support, providing vital leadership for the foundation through a period of growth and development.
I’m very honoured with the award, and grateful to have contributed in making OPF an important player in the field of digital preservation. OPF is in a strong position to support an enthusiast community in sharing knowledge, developing tools and bringing the profession of digital preservation forward. I wish OPF a prosperous future. – Barbara Sierman
Becky Wilson
As OPF’s first staff member, Becky served the Foundation as Community Manager from 2010 until 2022. During that time, she was a cornerstone of OPF and an invaluable member of the digital preservation community, building a welcoming and inclusive community for digital preservation practitioners all around the world.
As the first member of staff at OPF, I’ve had the privilege to help grow the OPF community and work with enthusiastic and innovative people from around the world. I’m happy to have the opportunity to maintain that connection through this award and I’m excited to see how OPF evolves in its second decade. – Becky Wilson
Criteria
We invite nominations for individuals who are long-standing supporters of the Foundation and have helped advance OPF’s mission, vision and values. The criteria for nominees is broad, and individuals may have:
- Shown strategic leadership
- Made notable technical or documentation contributions to our products
- Demonstrated a commitment to disseminating knowledge and best practices through OPF channels such as our blogs and webinars
- Championed the Foundation and our work
Nominations
Nominations are open throughout the year and the awards will be presented at the OPF annual general meeting. All nominations will be reviewed by the board of directors, who will vote on the recipients ahead of the presentation.
Nominations should highlight the most important achievements of the candidate and make clear their contribution to the Open Preservation Foundation community. Nominations should be submitted by email to info@openpreservation.org with the subject line ‘nomination for the OPF personal lifetime membership award’.
Benefits and recognition
Lifetime personal members will:
- Be eligible to join the members mailing list
- Receive member access to the OPF website
- Be invited as an observer to the AGM and other member meetings
- Receive priority registration for OPF webinars and events
- Be included on the OPF website as an award winner
- Benefit from opportunities to consult on selected projects
We encourage lifetime members to act as ambassadors for OPF by disseminating information about the Foundation and our work throughout the community. They will be invited to share their insights and experience on the OPF blog and through our webinars. On occasion, recipients may be invited to speak at our events or contribute to OPF initiatives in an advisory role.
The award
All recipients of the OPF lifetime personal membership awards will receive:
- A certificate
- A limited-edition OPF pin badge
- A personalised plaque
- An online celebration of their contributions