Executive Blog

Spotlight On: Loreniel Killan, External Marketing Coordinator
by Anika Forsyn

TarValon.net has a ridiculously awesome group of volunteers and staff members. Each volunteer and staff member shares their talents and passions with everyone while helping to create such a unique online opportunity. Every once and a while, we come across a member who shares professional talents that normally bring in quite a salary. Instead, they share their talents freely for the benefit of all of our members. One such member is Loreniel Killian, External Marketing Coordinator.

Loreniel Sedai, a fun and extremely warm Green recently raised, has worked in the Online Marketing field in real life for three years, a job that will even take her across the pond to England! Loreniel Sedai works with the Department of Marketing in organizing all of the external marketing efforts. Anything from promoting the White Tower on search engines to creating fliers for conferences. She also works collaboratively with the rest of the Marketing Department to aid other marketing efforts and communications.

It can be a big job, upwards of five hours per week. Loreniel Sedai’s real life skills, nay, Skillz even, come into play in her daily efforts. Organization is a key to this job. Deadlines and details are imperative in keeping up with projects. Also, Loreniel Sedai uses her understanding of Analytics gained in real life to execute her job. The last key would be those Skillz in Project Management. It is crucial to keep data organized and complete as well as keeping those underlings in line!

But to Loreniel Sedai, it is worth it. She loves the collaboration with the marketing team. She admires working with those who have such brilliant ideas and strong minds. Those on the Marketing Department and everyone on the entire site are blessed to have such a hard working, knowledgeable team member sharing her talents.

Thank you Loreniel Sedai!!! The US of A is sad to lose her, and Andor, I mean England is lucky to gain her!

Members may have noticed that the Department of Marketing has recently gone through a number of staff changes. Things have settled down in that regard, at least for the moment (hopefully for a while yet!)...

I (Kytheria) came into the role of Director back in August 2011. Not too long after that, we welcomed many talented folks to the Graphics team: Alyssa, Badria, Darim, Hanajima, Sasha, Sikozu, and Venric -- who joined our existing team of Aloren, Arie, Azi, Jeffan, and Meilen (who has stayed on the Graphics team to help occasionally since she stepped down as Director).

Aldus stepped down from his role as the OAGC (Online Activities Graphics Coordinator), and after some discussion with representatives from Marketing, OA, and Exec, the OAGC position was reorganized: this position is now a direct part of the OA department rather than Marketing. Miya is the new OAGC, and I am very happy to work with her!

Arie, who has been the Product Manager for some time, recently became the new Gray Head of Ajah. As such, she cannot stay in the Product Manager position, since both are administrative roles. This position was updated to reflect the actual duties of the role and the needs of the department, and renamed Project Manager. Hanajima was selected to fill this role, and is currently training with Arie to take over the management of the Tar Valon.Net CafePress shop and the leadership of the Graphics team within Marketing. I'm delighted to work with Hana more closely as well!

Erin stepped down from her position as Editor of the Tar Valon Times at the end of 2011. She has done a fantastic job with the TVT during her time as Editor. Jeffan, someone whom I think most every member knows, is our highly-qualified new Editor. He's already delivered the first issue of the TVT and of this new year with the help of his newly-hired TVT staff:

• Anigrel Tavadon
• Ariana Sulan
• Chalisea Ridgedawn
• Erin al'Denael
• Giles Ru'Orden
• Imzadi Hopewind
• Jas'yn Al'Dragoran
• Kessa Toireann
• Lauraine Berryn
• Meirah Zaïde
• Mejjad Martnandi
• Miriama ti Casside
• Miridyth Al'Landerin
• Myralin al'Ser
• Stephen Lightheart
• Taelinn Dolivras
• Theolyn Maryash

So another welcome to all of the new Marketing staff, and thank you to all those staying with us! Loreniel continues to work on our SEO and promotional materials as the External Marketing Coordinator, and Loraella and Mhor bring you news via Twitter, Facebook, and site News posts as the Tower Voices. Mhor was another new hire VERY shortly after I joined the department, in fact, but she and Loraella have long since settled into a fantastic partnership as co-Voices.

Updates on some current Marketing projects coming your way soon!

Spotlight On: Loira al'Ramoidra
by Anika Forsyn

Many of you who log in to this site to post in the myriad of forums have probably noticed the exceptional quality of our members’ behaviors and posts. TarValon.net prides itself on its Code of Conduct and safety provided in its forums. Members feel safe expressing themselves and learning more about those who share the same core passion that is the Wheel of Time. To thank for these exemplary forums and opportunities, we have the Forum Moderators. One such moderator is Loira al’Ramoidra, a moderator of the Olde Warder and Hen Forums.

Loira Sedai, also a Sitter in the Hall for the White Ajah, keeps an eye on all of the threads in the Olde Warder and Hen forums to make sure everyone posting follows the Code of Conduct, as well as keeping everyone respectful. In her words, she makes sure everyone “plays nice”. Loira Sedai learned how to use and work with a phpbb forum to serve as a moderator. She works with a team of moderators to deal with any problems or arguments that may arise. It is thanks to moderators such as Loira Sedai that our forums are so welcoming and honest.

As our Whites know, Loira loves to be helpful in any way she can. She spends a lot of time online, so she enjoys moderating and reading through the different forums, especially a forum in which there are so many new people to meet. Moderating requires a bit of time every day reading her forums. But spending time every day moderating is a joy for Loira Sedai as she loves involvement, actively helping to shape this website.

Aside from Loira Sedai’s moderator duties, she is also a Sitter for the Hall. Loira Sedai works with the hall in matters such as Raising members to various positions and vote on the Robert Jordan Memorial Scholarship. Being a sitter requires quite a bit of confidentiality so sometimes Loira Sedai finds it hard to keep quiet on exciting raisings. It helps that Loira Sedai can keep a cool head and be objective, especially when arguing her claims. Loira Sedai loves her job, loves the involvement and representing her Ajah, just be ready for Loira’s determination to win any argument!

Thank you Loira Sedai for your involvement and time to help make TarValon.net the phenomenal organization it is today!

Spotlight On: Xylina Tyloredrid, Outreach Activities Coordinator
by Anika Forsyn

After the Admin Meeting in 2011, several departments came together to create a larger Community Outreach department. The former Online Events became the Outreach Activities Team to “better reflect its updated mission of promoting not only the Wheel of Time themed festivals but also holidays and philanthropic activities.” These themed festivals and holidays are well known and loved in the Tar Valon community. Members happily celebrate holidays and the four festivals: Bel Tine, Sunday, Shaoman, and the upcoming Festival of Lights. Each festival brings a week of fun, humor, and team building within the community. Alongside the festivals and holidays, the team also promote philanthropy activities such as raising money for disasters and cancer research. Planning, organizing, and bringing us these festivals and events is the Outreach Activities Team.

Many of TV.net’s members help make up the team but one coordinator runs the show: Xylina Tyloredrid. Xylina Sedai is known as a warm and extremely welcoming Green who takes time away from her busy work and family life to help bring us the festivals we have so much fun with. While she has worked with Outreach Activities since August of 2009, Xylina Sedai came on the scene as coordinator on June 8, 2011. Before that, Xylina was the previous coordinator’s assistant. On a daily basis, there’s lots of “srs bsns”. Keeping track of events, planning, and doing whatever needs to be done to bring the community these events makes up most of the work time for our Coordinator.

Xylina Sedai loves working with her staff and those working to bring you the online and philanthropy events. She says her team of folks are awesome and she has lots of fun working with them and getting to know them. Aside from working with her team, Xylina Sedai loves working with members of the community and watching the members have fun with each event they plan. Xylina Sedai admits that in this position, she has learned not to take things so seriously all the time. Life and work in the Philanthropy and Online Events are important, but there is always room for a little fun!

Now we know whom to thank for these online events. Thanks to Xylina Sedai and her team for bringing us so many opportunities to celebrate our community! If anyone has any ideas for future events or feedback on recent events, please feel free to email them to Xylina Sedai at outreachactivities@tarvalon.net!