Letter From The Con Chair
Thank you. Those are the words I keep coming back to. Those are the words I can’t say enough. For five years, I’ve been honored to be the Convention Chair of Furry Fiesta. It has been an incredible and terrifying and overwhelming experience. It is with a heavy heart that I now announce that I am stepping down as Chair.
Being a con chair of one of the largest and most incredible furry conventions is exhausting. There is an incredible amount of work that goes into planning events. I simply need a rest while others bring new ideas and a new energy to the convention and to the community.
Which means it is my pleasure to announce our new Chair of Furry Fiesta is Bittergrim. Bittergrim is an experienced conrunner with plenty of experience and ideas. The former president of Wild Nights, Bittergrim has been our Charity lead until recently. I am confident that their leadership will help TFF blossom into an even greater event.
I will forever cherish my time running TFF. I met so many wonderful people. I was honored to work with an incredible cadre of staff who dedicated themselves to the betterment of the furry fandom. Extremely experienced and scarily competent, they worked tirelessly. Most of the time, my most important job was to stay out of their way. Furry Fiesta would not exist without them. They deserve endless praise for volunteering their time to give the fandom a convention I could not be more proud of. To the staff of TFF, I say Thank You.
What a ride it’s been. I could wish my tenure had been a little less eventful. I was responsible for handling our convention through two different hotel transitions, the retirement of many founding staff, the start of the pandemic, George Floyd, having to convert to a virtual year, and trying to adapt to the changing landscape brought about by COVID. At each step, I tried very hard to make the best decision I could with the limited resources and information available.
Of course there was another event of a more personal nature. It was while I was chair that I realized that I was trans. The incredible amount of support I received from the community was humbling and uplifting. You made me feel welcome and more myself than I had ever felt. You truly showed that the furry fandom is one of the most incredible and precious achievements of humanity. I doubt I will ever be able to express just how much you and your support mean to me. But I will try by saying Thank you.
As for what’s next for me, I shall become Vice Chair for the 2023 cycle. I will still be helping run the event, this time helping to train and support Bittergrim. I will do everything in my power to ensure there’s a smooth transition. TFF means the world to me and I will continue to support the staff and attendees to the best of my abilities. After 2023, we shall see where the winds take me. But no matter what path I take, I know I will be forever thankful to everyone who helped make the convention so amazing, both staff and attendees. Thank you.
Thank you.
Squawk.
-Sable Gryphon
(former) TFF Convention Chair