Name: AD
Years in OA: 14
Brief account of your OA story: Joined January 2010 and asked for sponsor in my second week; she and her sponsor came to my home and took me through steps 1-3 and from that day I have neither binged or purged; I have eaten 3 meals a day – imperfectly and one day at a time since. I maintain over 100lbs weight loss from my heaviest weight; I have more weight I could lose in Gods time but I’m healthy by every measure today. The rest of my story in OA is found in my service history. I sponsor and I have given service at every level of OA.
Summary of your OA Service (including service beyond the Group level): 2010 – 2012 I served as group rep to the northwest England Intergroup, relocated to London and served as secretary to an Intergroup in another fellowship, returned to north wales in 2014 and rejoined northwest England Intergroup as group rep for Bangor and then served as vice chair on the Intergroup board. I was the region 9 representative for NWIG in 2017 to region 9 assembly in Reykjavik as a Green dot- I was elected Treasurer to region 9 Board and served for 3 years as treasurer then stepped up as Chair of Region 9 in 2020 and was chair for a further 3 years chairing 2 online assemblies and the first ever hybrid assembly in Llandudno in 2023. I attended 2 virtual WSBCs as Chair of the region. I oversaw the development of the new website and the development of the CIO legal entity. I remain on the board of trustees for the R9 CIO. As chair I sat on the region chairs committee. While on region 9 board I proposed to my local group we should establish a new Intergroup and we founded Red Dragon Intergroup in 2019. We were a v small Intergroup until we hosted the region 9 assembly in 2023 now it’s thriving and we hosted the OAGB National Assembly this year as well, I serve as acting treasurer for the Intergroup and after 6 years on region 9 board I stepped down and stood as wsbc delegate for the red dragon Intergroup. I attended WSBC in person in 2024 as red dragon delegate and after a couple of days stepped into acting Chair role as Loudovika was unwell. I joined the Unity with diversity committee in Albuquerque. I remain the wsbc delegate for the Intergroup so I will be going anyway but I do believe with my experiences and strengths I would represent Region 9 very well. And someone else from my Intergroup can also attend.
Business and/or professional skills or other experience/skills that you can bring to the Board: Degree in modern languages, post grad degree in business management and masters degree in international relations and peace studies. My professional background was policy development in public sector but today I am company director of 2 companies including a social enterprise. I travel internationally public speaking and teaching in my field (community care of the dying and bereaved) I am an ordained interfaith minister and lead ceremonies; these skills help me “read a room” and listen to all voices including what is not being said.
Why do you want to be a WSBC delegate?: To draw on my experiences in region 9 to speak up and represent region 9 at wsbc ; it feels like I would be better placed as region delegate than as Intergroup delegate – although I’m surrendered to whichever is my higher powers will for me.