Messages from leadership page (#1846)

* Adds new page for highlighting messages from leadership

- Adds a new page that shows the posts specifically from posts with the category leadership
- Adds this new page to the top navbar menu and news sidebar menu

* Adds post about the NCAR news and ED's current and previous yearly msgs

- Adds a post about the news announced at NCAR
- Adds previous and current messages from our executive director as posts with the appropriate tags and categories

Author: exoticDFT

_data/menus/news.yml

@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
       link: /news/
     - name: Newsletters
       link: /newsletters/
+    - name: Messages from Leadership
+      link: /news/leadership/
     - name: Archive
       link: /archive/
     - name: Search

_data/navigation.yml

@@ -101,6 +101,8 @@
       link: newsletters
     - name: News and Updates
       link: news
+    - name: Messages from Leadership
+      link: news/leadership
     - name: News Archive
       link: archive
 - name: Resources

_posts/2023-10-01-executive-director-statement.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: "Message from the Executive Director October 2023"
+category: leadership
+tags: [leadership, executive director]
+posted-by: Sandra Gesing - Executive Director
+---
+
+Dear US-RSE members and allies,
+ 
+I’m honored and thrilled to be appointed the inaugural Executive Director of US-RSE. My whole work life has been 
+immersed around software with me starting already at high-school with programming. I enjoyed working in industry as 
+an administrator, system developer and head of a systems programming group for over a decade and then I switched 
+from industry to research completing my PhD in a bioinformatics group. I have been an RSE, research faculty and 
+senior research scientist with a major focus on research software in the last 17 years. This moment is very special to me 
+because it is about a community I’m incredibly passionate about, and this community feels like home. Being a part 
+of it means having a space for discussions, a space for learning and support of a non-traditional career path. 
+With my resume, I often felt like a unicorn – not within US-RSE though.
+
+The last five years have shown how much we all can achieve together as a community, and we went from around 20 members 
+in 2018 to nearly 2000 in 2023. US-RSE is a vibrant community evident in the activities on Slack, working groups, 
+organized workshops, participation in community calls – to name just a few. Next week will be our first in-person 
+conference ever and I am so impressed by the energy of contributors, organization committee members, volunteers and 
+the sponsors. The conference is sold out and as a General Chair I am relieved and grateful for everyone’s patience as 
+we navigated these unchartered waters.
+
+We have more unchartered waters in front of us - with a lot of support that will kick-off our exciting journey. 
+Thanks to the Alfred Sloan Foundation, we have for the first time substantial funding for community activities, grants 
+and awards. Additionally, we can hire staff, which is a full-time soon-to-be-announced Community Manager and me as a 
+half-time Executive Director. I am convinced that our spectacular growth of membership and volunteer work needs this 
+support to keep the grass-root character of US-RSE without burning out volunteers and get measures in place that can 
+facilitate innovative ideas and activities – especially also assuring the sustainability of the organization.
+
+Much of my work will be focused on the sustainability of the organization and my vision is that we achieve financial 
+sustainability with different tiers of funding and contributions. Volunteer work will stay a cornerstone of US-RSE. 
+Together with the community manager I will contribute to this thriving community to address pain points and support 
+activities that the community would like to accomplish. We are not alone in this journey. The world-wide movement is 
+impressive with RSE associations in Africa, Australia/New Zealand, Belgium, Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, Nordic 
+countries and the UK. Though at times, we may feel like unicorns, we are part of an ever-expanding, diverse and extraordinary 
+community. 
+
+I’m looking forward to this journey with you and I’m grateful for any ideas and input! Please don’t hesitate to contact me.
+ 
+Sincerely,
+
+Sandra Gesing

_posts/2024-12-01-executive-director-statement.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: "Message from the Executive Director December 2024"
+category: leadership
+tags: [leadership, executive director]
+posted-by: Sandra Gesing - Executive Director
+---
+
+Dear US-RSE Members and Allies,
+
+As this year ends, I’m filled with gratitude and pride for the incredible progress our vibrant US-RSE community has made. With over 3,000 members and the success of our second in-person US-RSE conference, we have strengthened our space for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and mutual support. This event highlighted the power of a community where individuals from diverse career paths and backgrounds come together with a shared sense of purpose.
+
+This year brought many key milestones. Continued funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has been important in solidifying our operational foundation. The launch of our Organizational Membership Program is an exciting step toward financial sustainability, fostering deeper partnerships and expanding recognition for RSEs within the research ecosystem.
+
+Reflecting on the past year, the uncharted waters I faced as your Executive Director no longer feel so unknown, thanks to the incredible support of this community. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Steering Committee, whose dedication and hands-on contributions have been crucial to our growth and success. I’m equally thankful for the strong support of our members, my advisory board, and mentors, whose guidance and encouragement have made this journey possible.
+
+Looking ahead, advocacy, funding, and the sustainability of US-RSE remain focal points of my work. The Steering Committee and I are committed to advancing professional development, career recognition, and innovative programs for both current and future RSEs. Globally, US-RSE continues to strengthen ties with international RSE communities, reminding us that we are part of a worldwide movement to elevate the visibility and impact of RSEs. Together, we are stronger.
+
+As we enter the holiday season, I hope you find time to rest, recharge, and celebrate. Thank you for being part of this extraordinary journey—I’m always grateful for your ideas and input, so please don’t hesitate to reach out.
+
+Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a happy, healthy New Year!
+
+Warm regards,
+Sandra Gesing

_posts/2025-12-15-executive-director-statement.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: "Message from the Executive Director December 2025"
+category: leadership
+tags: [leadership, executive director]
+posted-by: Sandra Gesing - Executive Director
+---
+
+Dear US-RSE Members and Allies,
+
+As we reach the end of 2025, I am grateful for the strength, generosity, and momentum of the US-RSE community. Now numbering over 3,700 members, this community continues to show that progress is built through collaboration, care, and a shared commitment to improving research through better software. This year reminded many of us that progress can be challenging under uncertainty, and the community continued to show up for each other with practical help, thoughtful questions, and steady engagement.
+
+One of the key milestones this year has been the formation and engagement of our Organizational Founding Members. Your partnership is helping US-RSE grow from a strong grassroots network into a durable, long-term organization, while remaining firmly rooted in its community. This growth strengthens our ability to serve members, expand programming, and elevate research software engineering across institutions, disciplines, and career stages.
+
+We are also deeply grateful for the continued support of major funding partners, including the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Schmidt Sciences. Their sustained investment has been critical in enabling US-RSE to grow its capacity, strengthen its operations, and support the community in meaningful ways.
+
+Our sense of community was especially evident at the US-RSE conference in Philadelphia, which brought together more than 280 participants for conversations, knowledge sharing, and connections across institutions and career stages. The energy, openness, and generosity of that gathering reflected the best of what US-RSE stands for and continues to motivate our work throughout the year.
+
+I also want to express my sincere thanks to our Steering Committee. Your time, care, and leadership continue to shape US-RSE in ways that members can feel. This includes governance, strategic direction, and thoughtful decision-making, as well as providing stability and clarity when it is most needed. I am also grateful to the many volunteers and working group contributors whose time and expertise quietly power much of what US-RSE is able to do.
+
+Community building and education continue to be core parts of our work, among several areas of focus. One highlight this year was our webinar series with Reach The World, designed for K12 classrooms to introduce students to supercomputing, research software, and the future of AI. These sessions reached over 900 students across 46 classrooms, with continued engagement through more than 1,390 YouTube views. Seeing young learners connect with research software concepts reinforces why visibility, outreach, and clear pathways into our field matter so much.
+
+Looking ahead, we will continue focusing on career recognition, strengthening partnerships, and sustainable growth, while staying grounded in what this community needs most. This includes connection, practical resources, and a strong sense of belonging for RSEs wherever they are. I am excited about what we will build together in 2026 and deeply thankful to everyone who contributed time, ideas, encouragement, and energy this year. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I value your ideas, questions, and feedback, and I am always glad to hear from you.
+
+Wishing you a restful holiday season and a happy, healthy New Year.
+
+Warm regards,
+Sandra Gesing
+Executive Director, US-RSE

_posts/2025-12-19-dismantling-of-ncar.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: "Re: The Proposed Dismantling of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)"
+category: leadership
+tags: [leadership, steering committee, executive director]
+posted-by: Steering Committee and Executive Director
+---
+
+Dear Colleagues,
+
+The **United States Research Software Engineer Association (US-RSE)** is voicing our profound concern regarding the recent announcement regarding the intent to dismantle the **National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)**.
+The article published by USA Today[^1] on Dec 16th, discusses the announcement to break up NCAR, but it fails to convey the extensive, cross‑disciplinary repercussions such a move would entail for the scientific and research software community in the United States and more broadly[^2].
+
+Since its founding in 1960, NCAR has provided a central role in climate and weather science, as the nation’s premier hub for atmospheric and Earth‑system research.
+Its facilities—including the Mesa Laboratory, a fleet of research aircraft, and a world‑class supercomputing center in Wyoming—provide resources that no single university could sustain on its own.
+The center’s work underpins:
+
+- **Severe‑weather warning systems** that save lives and property by delivering timely forecasts of hurricanes, wildfires, and floods.
+- **Advances in radar and satellite data assimilation**, which improve short‑term weather predictions and long‑range climate projections.
+- **Community models**[^3] such as the **Community Earth System Model (CESM)** and **Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model**, freely distributed to researchers worldwide.
+
+These contributions are already recognized as essential infrastructure for the broader scientific enterprise.
+
+Furthermore, NCAR’s software and datasets have become integral to many fields outside traditional meteorology.
+This includes being on the forefront of developing and utilizing supercomputers for scientific research.
+NCAR has provided insights into effective economics and policy, use and understanding of hydrology and water resources, renewable energies, and even public health.
+The breadth of these applications demonstrates that NCAR is not merely an “atmospheric” or “climate” laboratory; it is a **foundational platform for interdisciplinary research** that fuels innovation across the entire U.S. scientific ecosystem.
+
+Many from our community build, maintain, and extend the very software stacks that NCAR develops and releases.
+The loss of NCAR would:
+- **Eliminate a major source of high‑performance scientific code** (e.g., the NCAR GeoCAT, data‑assimilation libraries) that many depend upon .
+- **Disrupt collaborative pipelines** that link university groups, national labs, and industry partners through shared model repositories.
+- **Reduce opportunities for training** the next generation of research software engineers, who currently gain hands-on experience with NCAR’s open‑source tools and supercomputing resources.
+
+In short, dismantling NCAR would create a **critical gap in the research software infrastructure** that underpins reproducible, scalable science.
+
+### Some Calls to Action:
+To mitigate this threat and preserve NCAR’s invaluable assets, we propose the following coordinated actions:
+
+1. **Reach out to your elected representatives.**
+    Tell your representatives that you do not support the dismantling of such an important institution within our country.
+    AGU provides an automated system to send emails and the phone numbers to reach your representatives.
+    <https://agu.quorum.us/campaign/151565/>
+1. **Share your concerns on social media.**
+    Many have already posted on various platforms over their concerns over this news.
+    Consider using hashtags such as #NCAR #SupportNCAR #SaveNCAR #SaveScience
+1. **Share your stories using NCAR-related data, models, or resources**
+    If you have worked with NCAR-related resources, please share your story with Leadership.
+    We hope to coordinate with our NCAR affiliates to share these stories.
+    Furthermore, you can share your stories with AGU, who are collecting stories from the community around federal policy impacts on your research throughout the year.
+    <https://agu.quorum.us/campaign/150385/>
+
+
+The proposed dismantling of NCAR threatens not only a cornerstone of climate science but also the **entire research software engineering fabric** that enables interdisciplinary discovery in the United States.
+As members of US-RSE, we have both the expertise and the responsibility to advocate for the preservation of this vital national asset.
+
+We stand ready to collaborate on the actions outlined above and welcome any additional ideas from the community.
+Together, we can help ensure that NCAR continues to empower scientists, engineers, and policymakers for generations to come.
+
+Respectfully,
+United States Research Software Engineer Association – Steering Committee and Executive Director
+
+
+#### References:
+
+[^1]: USA Today, [“Trump moves to dismantle National Center for Atmospheric Research lab,”](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/12/16/trump-dismantle-national-center-atmospheric-research-climate/87798771007/) Dec 16 2025.
+[^2]: Scientific America, [“Scientists Denounce Trump’s Plan to Kill Crucial Atmospheric Science Center,”](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-decry-trumps-plan-to-kill-crucial-atmospheric-science-center/) Dec 17 2025.
+[^3]: NCAR, [“Modeling + data assimilation,”](https://ncar.ucar.edu/what-we-offer/models)
+[^4]: NCBI PMC, [“Protocol for estimating the impact of climate change on economic growth and inequality under climate policies,”](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10477741/) 

pages/posts/leadership.md

@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+---
+layout: page
+title: Statements from Leadership
+description: Messages from the Steering Committee and Executive Director
+permalink: /news/leadership/
+menubar: news
+---
+
+{% include scrolltop.html %}
+{% assign leadership = site.posts | where: "category", "leadership" %}
+{% for post in leadership %}{% assign currentDate = post.date | date: "%Y" %}{% if currentDate != myDate %}{% unless forloop.first %}</ul>{% endunless %}
+<h1 style="margin-top:20px; margin-bottom:10px">{{ currentDate }}</h1>
+  <ul>{% assign myDate = currentDate %}{% endif %}
+   <li><a href="{{ site.baseurl }}{{ post.url }}"><span>{{ post.date | date: "%B %-d, %Y" }}</span> - {{ post.title }}</a></li>
+   {% if forloop.last %}</ul>{% endif %}
+{% endfor %}