AAA Announcement – Vice President of Operations – Amateur Astronomers Association

I am thrilled to inform you all that, pursuant to our governing by-laws and NYS nonprofit corporation law, Alfredo has nominated and the board has voted by unanimous consent to the appointment of Jen Sipila as our next VP of Operations, effective Jan 1, 2025.

Thank you, Jen, for stepping up to the critical role of VP of Operations at this inflection point for AAA as we seek to inspire the next generation of stargazers and expand our reach in connecting more of the public to the wonders of the universe! As I mentioned, we are reviewing and revising our by-laws with the advice of pro bono counsel and intend to lessen these responsibilities by creating a VP of Marketing and Membership in lieu of the EVP, but in the meantime, do not hesitate to call upon any of us to assist you.

And, a huge thank you to Kat, our outgoing VP of Operations, who has done a herculean job of managing operations and everything else AAA has needed when no one else was available these last 3 years! You have been extraordinary, and we’ll all have an opportunity to show you our deep appreciation at the AAA membership social on January 23rd. And, thank you for providing us sufficient notice to identify, appoint, and start training Jen, our next VP of operations; remain as co-chair of observing and Starfest, and take the lead —as only Kat could!— to plan our party in January.

Bryanne Hamill
Chairperson
Amateur Astronomers Association, Inc.

About Jen Sipila:

Jen Sipila is a senior software engineer at The Knot Worldwide with a diverse background in science/technology and visual arts. She is a graduate of the University of Washington and Seattle University, with additional studies at NYU. She first joined the AAA in 2016 after meeting members by chance at an observing event at Lincoln Center and has been attending classes and events since then. She has also been a member of the classes committee since 2021. She is thrilled to continue to contribute to the success of the AAA in a whole new way as VP of Operations.