Bob Bates to Pursue Dream Project
Steps Down as IGDA Co-Chair
Mt. Royal, New Jersey August 27, 2009 The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) today announced that Bob Bates has told the IGDA Board of Directors that he is stepping down from his responsibilities as the Co-Chair of the organization after more than six years on the board to pursue a project that he has considered for more than a decade. Bates responsibilities will be taken over by Co-Chair Tobi Saulnier, who took on the role of co-chair at the beginning of August, and is currently leading the Board as it makes plans for the upcoming IGDA Leadership Forum in November.
Bates served in multiple roles during his time on the board, including chair of several committees, secretary, vice-chairman and chairman (2005 & 2009). During his tenure the organization grew from 5,000 members to over 13,000. He initiated a complete overhaul of the associations technical infrastructure, and earlier this year oversaw the associations transition to a new executive director.
There are only a few times in life when the opportunity arises to work on ones dream project, said Bates. Such an opportunity is before me now, and pursuing it will mean I cannot give the IGDA the level of attention I feel is required of a board member or Chair. It has been an honor to serve the organization, but I know that with Executive Director Joshua Caulfield and Co-Chair Tobi Saulnier at the helm, and with the help of our countless volunteers, the IGDA will continue to deliver on our mission of improving the lives and careers of professional game developers everywhere. I have been planning on pursuing this project for some time now, but wanted to ensure that the right team was in place to take the association to the next level. With Tobi and Joshua working together with the rest of the board and volunteer leadership, I feel comfortable with the timing of my decision.
"Bob was a great leader for this organization, and we'll be sorry to see him take a seat on the sidelines," said Saulnier. "At the same time, we all know what it's like to have a chance to go for it!"
Bob has been a fantastic mentor during my time with the IGDA, said Joshua Caulfield, executive director of the IGDA. Its not often you can work with the guy who literally wrote the book on how the industry works. The good news is that I had the opportunity to know a great game developer and human being, and better yet, I still have his phone number."
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