The End of An Era

To all of the members of Bravo Fleet:

I won’t spend any time beating around the bush. About a month ago, Emily informed me that it was her intention to step down as Bravo Fleet Executive Officer in the coming weeks due to an anticipated extremely busy life schedule starting in the summer. 

For the past almost three years, Emily has been the best BFXO I, or Bravo Fleet, could’ve asked for or imagined. Everyone knows about the work Emily has put into BFMS, but there is a reason she was willing to put in that work to achieve the end goal. She has been someone who truly believed in changing the organization for the better, moving Bravo Fleet into the future, and was all in on helping to implement that plan. Emily not only embraced but also helped improve the vision and strategy. I can say, without any doubt, that if Emily hadn’t been BFXO over the past 3 years that not only would Bravo Fleet not come as far as it has, but it is also very likely that Bravo Fleet would not have survived the extremely fragile and tenuous position it was in when we took over in June of 2019. It was only my intention when I was named BFCO in June of 2019 to do so just long enough to stabilize the fleet, then disappear into the shadows. Emily helped me find my spark and drive again to want to really, really improve Bravo Fleet and I’m glad she has been along for this journey!

Over the past 3 years, Emily has not only been involved with BFMS stuff but every facet of Bravo Fleet. There is not a single thing that has been done without her having some involvement in it. Her insight into BF and our hobby have been invaluable and unique. She has perspectives and ideas that many of us in leadership, who have been steeped in this hobby for decades, don’t have. Her presence has done nothing but improve the product that we make available to you, our members of Bravo Fleet. 

Indeed, one of the things Emily is most known for within and outside of staff circles is her ability to serve as a constant voice of reason. As would be expected in an organization like ours, there are a lot of strong opinions, and she has been excellent at helping us find a middle ground when appropriate while also not being afraid to support new, innovative ideas. The move entirely away from Nova to a fully-integrated BFMS writing experience would not have happened either logistically or conceptually without her, and the fleet-wide Starbase Bravo sandbox is yet one more example of her realizing an idea to reshape the hobby formerly known as SIMMing™. 

At great peril to her own circadian rhythms and sleep schedule, Emily has repeatedly done so much work overnight on BFMS that I and the rest of the staff have woken up to entirely new features—the latest improvements to the biography system being the latest example. She cares passionately about this organization and the experience for our members, which is why she has devoted so much time to our conceptual and digital landscape. It’s one of the many reasons that I’m glad she has agreed to stick around as Bravo Fleet Internet Officer (BFIO), a role that neither I nor the rest of the senior staff could imagine giving to anyone else, though we are going to put our collective feet down on making sure she takes the time for herself and doesn’t continue to slave away adding new features! Her role as BFIO for the foreseeable future will be one of a broad manager who will be available for emergencies, not someone doing day-to-day feature improvements, creation, or upgrades.

Emily and I have been in complete lockstep from day one to the point that we would often joke that we have a bit of “brainsync” going on. Suffice it to say, she’s been irreplaceable for the past few years. But the time has come for exactly that to happen. Her resignation will take effect on March 25th at midnight EST. At the same time, a new BFXO will take her place. All of that has already been decided, and I will announce it as we get closer. But, for now, I want to use this space to just celebrate all the time Emily has given us as Bravo Fleet Executive Officer.

Truly, thank you for all that you have done as BFXO!