Wikimedia Board of Trustees
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The Wikimedia Board of Trustees manage the nonprofit and supervise the disposition and solicitation of nonprofit donations. The Board of Trustees are the ultimate corporate authority in the Wikimedia Foundation Inc. (article IV, sec. 1 of the Wikimedia Foundation bylaws).
The Board has the power to direct the activities of the foundation. It also has the authority to amend the corporate bylaws (article VI).
The Board currently has five seats selected in some fashion by the Wikimedia community, plus one seat designated for Jimmy Wales. Together these trustees, with the help of a Nominating Committee, choose four other people (not always from within the community) to fill out the expertise needed on the Board. At full membership, the Board thus includes ten Trustees, although some seats may not be occupied at the moment.
Current board
The current Board, as of July 2008:
- Michael Snow, Chair, chapter selected seat
- Jimmy Wales, Chairman Emeritus (term until December 2009)
- Jan-Bart de Vreede, Vice-chair (term until December 2009)
- Arne Klempert, chapter selected seat
- Domas Mituzas, Executive Secretary
(to be held until chapters make their own appointment)current status unknown - Stu West, Treasurer (term until December 2009)
- Kat Walsh (term until July 2009)
Frieda Brioschi(resigned September 2008)- Ting Chen (term until July 2009)
Further information on each trustee may be found at Wikimedia:Board of Trustees.
History
Original board, sometime in 2003
The Foundation is created in 2003, with three trustees. It is planned that two members will be added to this list, members meant to represent the community.
- Jimbo Wales, Founder of Wikipedia and designated life member, chair
- Michael Davis, trustee
- Tim Shell, trustee
First board, June 2004 - June 2005
Two of the elected seats were filled via a project-wide vote in June 2004. This election was open to all active users who had made their first edit on any Wikimedia project at least 90 days before they voted. See Elections for the Board of Trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation, 2004 for more information.
The initial trustees (article IV, sec. 2.2.) included the following individuals, three Bomis partners and two (other) Wikipedians:
- Jimbo Wales, Founder of Wikipedia and designated life member, chair
- Michael Davis, trustee, treasurer
- Tim Shell, trustee
- Florence Nibart-Devouard, trustee , vice-chair
- Angela Beesley, trustee, secretary
Second board, July 2005 - Sep 2006
The first board of trustees changed the duration of the two elections position from one to two years. The notion of volunteer user representative and contributor user representative were dropped. This election was open to all active users who had made their first edit on any Wikimedia project at least 90 days before they voted. It took place directly on the website. See Elections for the Board of Trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation, 2005 for more information.
The second elections took place in June-July 2005 and resulted in the two members' representatives being re-elected. Positions within the board were changed as followed :
- Jimbo Wales, chair
- Michael Davis, treasurer
- Tim Shell, secretary
- Florence Nibart-Devouard, vice-chair
- Angela Beesley, vice-chair
In July 2006, Angela Beesley announced her resignation, to be effective in September 2006. In August 2006 Tim Shell also announced his plan to resign in the near future.
Third board - September - November 2006
The third board has a very short duration, and is characterized by a strong reorganization. Erik Möller was elected as Angela Beesley's replacement and joined the Board on September 26, 2006. [1] His term was set up to expire on July 18, 2007, as he was simply completing Angela's term. The changed board was as follows:
- Jimbo Wales, chair
- Michael Davis, treasurer
- Tim Shell, secretary
- Florence Nibart-Devouard, vice-chair
- Erik Möller, vice-chair
On 28th October 2006, the Board was reorganized. A major change was the replacement of Jimbo Wales by Florence Nibart-Devouard as chair. Positions within the board were changed as below:
- Florence Nibart-Devouard, Chair
- Jimbo Wales, Chairman Emeritus
- Tim Shell, Vice-Chair
- Michael Davis, Treasurer
- Erik Möller, Executive Secretary
This board also decided on the expansion on the board, replacement of Tim Shell, change of term duration of elected members, removal of life long term for Jimmy Wales. To limit the risk of a huge trusteeship turnover in June 2007 (where Florence, Erik, and the future two additional trustees term is due), it is decided that Florence will be appointed from June 07 till June 08.
Fourth board - December 2006 till July 2007
The Board is being expanded according to the Resolution:Board expansion. Consequently three new members were appointed on December 8: one as replacement of Tim Shell who stepped down (effective December 15, 2006) and two as the result of expansion. After this expansion, four trustees are effectively elected, whilst three are "appointed". Terms of appointed are now 1 year, elected, 2 years. The two appointed trustees, Kat and Oscar, made it numbers 2 and 3 at the September 2006 board elections. So, whilst appointed, they represent fairly well the choices made by the community.
Members are:
- Florence Nibart-Devouard, Chair
- Jimmy Wales, Chairman Emeritus
- Jan-Bart de Vreede, Vice Chair
- Michael Davis, Treasurer
- Erik Möller, Executive Secretary
- Kat Walsh
- Oscar van Dillen
Terms of members end
- in June 2007 for Kat Walsh and Oscar van Dillen
- in December 2007 for Jimmy Wales and Jan-Bart de Vreede
- in June 2008 for Florence Devouard
Board#5 - July 2007 till February 2008
New elections occur in June 2007, at the term of which Erik Moeller and Kat Walsh are re-elected and will be on Board till the 2009 Elections. Oscar's seat is taken by Frieda Brioschi. In October 2007, Devouard (chair); De-Vreede (vice chair); Möller (secretary) are reconfirmed in their positions.
Members are:
- Florence Nibart-Devouard, Chair
- Jimmy Wales
- Jan-Bart de Vreede, Vice Chair
- Michael Davis, Treasurer
- Erik Möller, Executive Secretary
- Kat Walsh
- Frieda Brioschi
Board#6 February - June 2008
Erik Möller and Michael Davis resign from their positions. Michael Snow and Domas Mituzas join the board (Mituzas becomes secretary). Stu West was appointed the Treasurer on April 21.
Board#7 July 2008 -
After the 2008 Board Elections, a new trustee, Ting Chen was elected to replace Florence Nibart-Devouard whose term as the chairperson had expired and Michael Snow was appointed the new Board chairman during the 2008 Wikimania, and he will remain Chair till the Wikimedia Chapters appoint their own trustees. Frieda Brioschi resigned from the board in September
Board#8 May 2009 -
After the 2008 board restructuring in May 2009 WMF chapters have selected and the board has approved the appointment of Michael Snow and Arne Klempert.
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