Julie Mills

I was introduced to the Burning Man ethos in 2003 when my sister traveled to Black Rock City to marry her soul mate. Upon her return she invited me to join her at a small Decompression party in Central Florida called Gator Burn. The party was about 150 people, I knew then that I had found my home. Shortly after that, I attended Transformus in NC (2005). I was hooked. By 2008 I made my own pilgrimage to BRC for the year of ‘American Dream’.

Music and Painting are my artistic outlets and there is nowhere else I would rather work or play than at a Burn.

I consider Burningman Ethos and the 10 Principals as a way of life and carry that spirit of it with me every day, and guide my work,  home and family life in keeping with those lessons.

Nothing pleases me more than guiding people into the magical reality of the burns, whether it be through Gate volunteering, or gifting them an unforgettable theme camp experience.

My hope is to contribute experience and education to this burn, I believe that educating each other with what we have all learned through our individual experiences is the key to a successful and thriving community. No burner should ever pass through our gate without a good awareness of their environment and its challenges, what their civic responsibility should be to our community, and finding out that you only get what you Give, and sometimes you get it back 10 fold.

BURN IT!

Micah R. Spain

Micah Spain is a passionate advocate for social justice, minority rights, and community empowerment. With a background in Communications from Arizona State University, where they focused on advocacy, human behavior, and justice studies, Micah has developed expertise in conflict management, organizational structuring, and workshop facilitation.

While Micah’s first burn was 2014 ‘mudformus’, was life altering, it was just the beginning of a lifelong journey of finding where they feel they truly belong. From there Micah has attended many regionals across the country, the big burn in 2016, and many other burn related events in the span of a decade. Micah attended SERT 2015/2024, leading to further fostering their passion to help others. They did a profound presentation at SERT that planted a seed for the burn leadership to better understand diversity and inclusion topics. Burns helped pave the path for Micah to find their passions, including fire spinning, and meeting new people, all the way to getting their degree, and tie it all into a way to live their best life. 

Micah’s deep connection to the Burning Man community, where they serve as a board member for Florida en Fuego, has equipped them with valuable crisis management skills and a unique perspective on building temporary infrastructure in high-pressure situations. These experiences have positioned Micah as a key connector between local relief efforts in the aftermath of hurricane Helene and broader communities.

As the Executive Director for Appalachia Relief, Micah’s vision extends beyond immediate disaster response. They currently live on a bus, dedicated to using their advocacy skills to foster more resilient, connected communities that can better weather the challenges of climate change and systemic injustice. With a steadfast commitment to addressing the root causes of societal issues, Micah continues to work toward long-term solutions that promote healing, empowerment, sustainability culture and lasting change.

I love the 2 sayings:

The entire universe is a playground.

Nothing in life is permanent except for change, which is the only thing constant in permanence; change, flow, energy.

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:: standing ::

Hi, my name is Doug and I…. am a burner.
Been one for most of my life I guess… “came out” when I met the Colorado crew at the 2005 Apogaea. Since then my life hasn’t been the same. Now-a-days I crave community, art and collaboration. I expect things to be wonderful and ethical wherever I go…
But alas… I am often disappointed 🙁

Default world, they call it. “How can you reach for the sky if you are always looking at your feet?” I ask.

This brings me to why I do this and included in this group. As the south Florida Regional contact for the Burning Man organization I offer to our group/event my representation and responsibilities thereof. I will guide us in a direction that is in line with the BM ethos and standards while staying true to our local community. I will be your sponsor when it comes time to engage with BMHQ and request regional status. I will be your champion thru out the entire process.

Yes – I have drank the cool aide and see life in our TAZ thru rose colored glasses.

I am looking forward to working with our rock-star cast and create one amazing fucking event that will be talked about nationwide.
)’(

Now, fuck yer day and let’s get on with it!

:: steps off soapbox ::