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Kate Edwards has decided to step down from her position as executive director of IGDA, with Trent Oster coming in as an interim executive director until a new person has been found.
Edwards has been in the position for five years and has seen the International Game Developers Association grow internationally, opening new chapters in Bangladesh, Egypt and Estonia to name a few, as well as campaign for developers attempting to get US work visas.
She was also a huge campaigner against gun crime in her role, standing up against the NRA and also speaking out against the GamerGate movement.
It’s been a great honor to help game developers from all walks of life, all over the world, succeed in our industry,
said Edwards.
“I want to thank the IGDA board, staff and all its members whose advocacy has made a difference for our community, and I look forward to following the association’s continued success.”
Edwards also added more about her departure on her blog, saying: "To many people, this may seem like a sudden decision. But the reality is that when I began in 2012, I decisively told the IGDA’s board of directors that this would likely be a 3 to 5 year mission for me. When I reached the end of my third year, it was clear that more work was to be done, and so I persisted along with my remarkable staff. As we’re nearing that 5 year milestone, I’m following through on my original intention. There’s never a perfect stopping point for a dynamic job like this, but now with GDC and E3 behind us, this was just as good a time as ever to move on.
"We must all realize that in any job we do, we each have great strengths as well as vulnerabilities. In my term as Executive Director, I applied my strengths in leadership and advocacy and yet always strove to remain self aware of limitations. I feel that my unique skill sets and approach to the role were the right ones at the right time for the IGDA, but that time has concluded."
Trent Oster, currently CEO of Beamdog, will act as interim executive director in her stead until a replacement is found.
“Kate has been an important industry leader for the IGDA in this role, doing heroic work as an advocate for developers of all backgrounds," added Oster. "Her accomplishments have carried the IGDA through tough times and helped countless developers on their journeys. We look forward to seeing what Kate accomplishes in what is certain to continue to be a bright career.”
