diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 494e73d..68f1f0c 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ setup(
     packages=['ttadmin'],
     install_requires = ['Django==1.10.2',
                         'sshpubkeys==2.2.0',
-                        'psycopg2==2.6.2',],
+                        'psycopg2==2.6.2',
+                        'requests==2.12.5'],
     include_package_data = True,
 )
diff --git a/ttadmin/common/mailing.py b/ttadmin/common/mailing.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e76a218
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ttadmin/common/mailing.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import logging
+
+import requests
+
+from django.conf import settings
+
+logger = logging.getLogger()
+
+FROM='root@tilde.town'
+
+def send_email(to, body, subject='a message from tilde.town', frum=FROM,):
+    """Sends an email using mailgun. Logs on failure."""
+    response =  requests.post(
+        settings.MAILGUN_URL,
+        auth=('api', settings.MAILGUN_KEY),
+        data={
+            'from': frum,
+            'to': to,
+            'subject': subject,
+            'text': body
+        }
+    )
+
+    success = response.status_code == 200
+
+    if not success:
+        logger.error('{}: failed to send email "{}" to {}'.format(
+            response.status_code,
+            subject,
+            to))
+
+    return success
diff --git a/ttadmin/settings.py b/ttadmin/settings.py
index 2212071..205312b 100644
--- a/ttadmin/settings.py
+++ b/ttadmin/settings.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ To run this For Real, you'll want to:
  * set a different SECRET_KEY
  * change the password for the database or delete the password and use ident
  * change DEBUG to False
+ * set mailgun api info
 """
 import os
 
@@ -99,3 +100,6 @@ STATIC_URL = '/static/'
 
 # Not used during local development, but used in staging+live environments
 STATIC_ROOT = 'static'
+
+MAILGUN_URL = "OVERWRITE THIS"
+MAILGUN_KEY = "OVERWRITE THIS"
diff --git a/ttadmin/users/admin.py b/ttadmin/users/admin.py
index 3212471..2ff3ce9 100644
--- a/ttadmin/users/admin.py
+++ b/ttadmin/users/admin.py
@@ -9,9 +9,20 @@ admin.site.unregister(Group)
 
 class PubkeyInline(admin.TabularInline):
     model = Pubkey
+    extra = 1
+
+def bulk_review(madmin, req, qs):
+    for townie in qs:
+        townie.reviewed = True
+        townie.save()
+
+bulk_review.short_description = 'mark selected townies as reviewed'
 
 @admin.register(Townie)
 class TownieAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
     inlines = [PubkeyInline]
-    list_display = ('reviewed', 'username', 'email')
+    list_display = ('username', 'reviewed', 'email')
     ordering = ('reviewed',)
+    exclude = ('first_name', 'last_name', 'password', 'groups', 'user_permissions', 'last_login')
+    actions = (bulk_review,)
+    search_fields = ('username', 'email', 'displayname')
diff --git a/ttadmin/users/models.py b/ttadmin/users/models.py
index 3bf5aeb..af1b6cc 100644
--- a/ttadmin/users/models.py
+++ b/ttadmin/users/models.py
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 import re
 
 from django.db.models import Model
-from django.db.models.signals import post_save
+from django.db.models.signals import pre_save
 from django.dispatch import receiver
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.db.models import TextField, BooleanField, CharField, ForeignKey
+from django.template.loader import get_template
 
+from common.mailing import send_email
+from help.models import Ticket
 
 SSH_TYPE_CHOICES = (
     ('ssh-rsa', 'ssh-rsa',),
@@ -24,14 +27,22 @@ class Townie(User):
     reasons = TextField(blank=True, null=False, default='')
     displayname = CharField(max_length=100, blank=False, null=False)
 
-    # TODO consider a generic ensure method that syncs this model with the
-    # system. there will likely be things besides shell that we want to keep
-    # track of in the DB.
-    def ensure_shell(self):
-        """Runs chsh for the user to set their shell to whatever self.shell
-        is."""
-        raise NotImplementedError()
-
+    def send_welcome_email(self, admin_name='vilmibm'):
+        welcome_tmpl = get_template('users/welcome_email.txt')
+        context = {
+            'username': self.username,
+            'admin_name': admin_name,
+        }
+        text = welcome_tmpl.render(context)
+        from_address = '{}@tilde.town'.format(admin_name)
+        success = send_email(self.email, text, subject='tilde.town!', frum=from_address)
+        if not success:
+            Ticket.objects.create(name='system',
+                                  email='root@tilde.town',
+                                  issue_type='other',
+                                  issue_text='was not able to send welcome email to {} ({})'.format(
+                                      self.username,
+                                  self.email))
 
 class Pubkey(Model):
     key_type = CharField(max_length=50,
@@ -43,11 +54,11 @@ class Pubkey(Model):
     townie = ForeignKey(Townie)
 
 
-@receiver(post_save, sender=Townie)
-def sync_system_state(sender, instance, created, **kwargs):
-    if created:
-        print('TODO would create new user on system')
-    else:
-        print('TODO would update existing user on system')
+@receiver(pre_save, sender=Townie)
+def on_townie_pre_save(sender, instance, **kwargs):
+    existing = Townie.objects.filter(username=instance.username)
+    if not existing: # we're making a new user
+        return
 
-    return
+    if not existing[0].reviewed and instance.reviewed == True:
+        instance.send_welcome_email()
diff --git a/ttadmin/users/templates/users/welcome_email.txt b/ttadmin/users/templates/users/welcome_email.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b782a20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ttadmin/users/templates/users/welcome_email.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+Welcome to tilde.town, ~{{username}}!
+
+Please take a moment to review our code of conduct: https://tilde.town/~wiki/conduct.html
+
+and login with:
+
+ssh -i /path/to/private/key {{username}}@tilde.town
+
+File a help ticket if you have problems logging in (or other issues): https://cgi.tilde.town/help/tickets
+
+See you on the server!!
+
+~{{admin_name}}