Christina Lockhart on Elevating Drupal: The Essential Role of Women in Tech
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Can you Imagine a world of technology without women's contributions? It’s hard to imagine, isn't it? Women drive change and technological innovation, bringing fresh perspectives and creative solutions. Their role is crucial, and their impact is undeniable.
In the Drupal community, women have been instrumental in elevating the platform to new heights. Drupal, an open-source content management system, has thrived thanks to the hard work and dedication of women who serve as developers, contributors, and leaders. Their efforts have been tremendous and essential.
One such remarkable woman is Christina Lockhart. Christina is a Digital Marketing Manager with the Drupal Association and is key in supporting and growing the Drupal community. She has a rich background in content management and digital media and is skilled in social media management, digital content creation, copywriting, marketing strategy, and arts management.
Kazima Abbas, sub-editor of The Drop Times, had the chance to connect with Christina. During the conversation, we learned more about how Christina manages social media accounts and blogs, creates email newsletters, writes press releases, and handles various tasks on Drupal.org. For DrupalCon North America, Christina oversees all digital marketing, including social media accounts, online ads, blogs, press releases, and marketing campaigns. She leads the DrupalCon marketing committee and collaborates with Promote Drupal.
What Christina enjoys most about her role is the writing and content creation. She loves engaging with the community through the marketing committee and various collaborations. Her passion and dedication shine through her work, making her a pivotal figure in the Drupal community. Christina shares insights into the vital role of women in the Drupal community, emphasizing their contributions and the importance of empowering women in technology.
Now, let's delve into Christina's insights and learn more about her journey and the impact of women in Drupal.
TDT [1]: Can you describe your role as the Digital Marketing Manager at Drupal Association? What are your main responsibilities in this position?
Christina Lockhart: As the Digital Marketing Manager, I handle communications. I run our social media accounts and blog for the Drupal Association, create emails, including the monthly newsletter, write press releases, manage campaigns, and perform various tasks on Drupal.org. For DrupalCon North America, I handle all digital marketing, including the DrupalCon social media accounts, online ads, blogs, press releases, managing the DrupalCon marketing committee, marketing campaign, and more. My role involves a lot of writing and creating content, which is the part I enjoy most! Working directly with and engaging with the community through the marketing committee and collaborating with Promote Drupal has also been great.
TDT [2]: With your background in content management and digital media, how do you leverage your skills in social media and digital content management to promote Drupal and its associated events?
Christina Lockhart: I have developed digital marketing skills from working in this field for a while now, especially from my prior role at Brave Wilderness, an online content community with over 20 million combined subscribers across its social media platforms. From that role, I learned how to craft an effective social media post for thousands of followers and honed my writing skills to promote events, webinars, livestreams, etc.
I have a BA degree in communications and an MA in arts management, and my dissertation focused on utilising social media to promote arts organizations. Before working at the Drupal Association, I worked freelance for a marketing agency, writing various business blogs and press releases. At the DA, I combine these skills to get the word out about all things Drupal! A main part of my role is promoting DrupalCon, and I combine all of my experience to get the word out about the event.
TDT [3]: Women in Drupal play a vital role in the community. What initiatives do you envision implementing to support and empower women within the Drupal ecosystem moving forward?
Christina Lockhart: Women play a vital role in the health of the Drupal ecosystem, and while women Drupalists are increasing in number, in general, women face quite a few more barriers to entry and longevity at work. We aim to uplift and celebrate women throughout our content to break down the barriers that cause gender inequity. From interviewing women in Drupal to celebrating Women’s History Month to hosting events like the Women in Drupal luncheon at DrupalCon, it’s definitely at the forefront of our minds at the Drupal Association. It’s so important to empower women today and every day.
I envision us continuing to pave a pathway for women to achieve all their goals – and highlighting + celebrating these women through social media campaigns, interviews, and more.
Continuing to support women in leadership roles is crucial. One example in particular that I want to continue empowering women through is the Promote Drupal team—all subcommittee leads are women! I would love to continue this trend of encouraging women to take on leadership roles within the community. I envision us continuing to pave a pathway for women to achieve all their goals – and highlighting + celebrating these women through social media campaigns, interviews, and more.
TDT [4]: What steps do you think can be taken within the Drupal Association or the broader Drupal community to ensure that women have equal access to leadership roles and opportunities for professional growth?
Christina Lockhart: There are many things that not just the DA, but all organizations, can do to ensure that women have equal access to leadership roles and opportunities for growth. I think this applies to all communities, but here are some things that can be done:
- Flexible schedules.
- Remote opportunities.
- Regular DEI Training for existing leadership.
- Equal pay + pay transparency.
- Regularly recognizing achievements for all staff.
- Regular review of hiring processes.
TDT[5]: Looking ahead to 2024, what are your thoughts on the future of Drupal? Are there any emerging trends or developments that you anticipate will significantly impact Drupal?
Christina Lockhart: AI is an emerging trend that has the potential to affect all sectors. For example, if AI learns how to code, how would that affect developer roles in the future? This is definitely an interesting question for discussion.
Disclaimer: The information provided about the interviewee has been gathered from publicly available resources. The responsibility for the responses shared in the interview solely rests with the featured individual.
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