Wikimedia Foundation elections/2017/Board of Trustees/Call for candidates

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Info The election ended 11 June 2017. No more votes will be accepted.
The results were announced on 19 June 2017. Please consider submitting any feedback regarding the 2017 election on the election's post mortem page.

Please help recruit candidates for community-selected Trustees

Dear all,

The upcoming community voting for the three candidates to serve on the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees (Board) is a perfect opportunity to make an effort at inclusivity, diversity, and expertise. We would like the Board members to be a diverse and competent representation of our communities and projects. The good news is: it absolutely depends on you. Please share, suggest, consider yourself.

We need your help to reach out into communities, in Wikimedia and beyond, to bring forward excellent potential candidates who have experience in serving different roles in the Wikimedia movement (including writers, editors, developers, researchers, WikiProject leaders, etc.), also:

  • Have high integrity, the ability to stand up for a point, to resist pressure, think independently and be able to reach consensus;
  • Have deep subject matter expertise in technology & product, strategy, finance, board governance or have some significant professional experience in the areas important for the Board's work;
  • Have reasonable management experience (teaching, people management, project management, larger non-profit board experience, especially those of international organizations, etc.);
  • Have experience from other boards or management positions, especially at non-profit or FLOSS organization​s;
  • Add to the diversity in some ways or have a proven track of activism in the area of diversity - including gender identity and expression, geography, sexual orientation, different cultural experience, different income experience, race, religion, family status, physical and mental abilities, etc).

All potential candidates must be able to communicate and discuss in English, since this is the language we use in all our board discussions. If you have a basic level of English, we will provide you with support and training as part of your onboarding. Effective trustees are also mission-driven, strategic, thoughtful, have high integrity, and are respectful and community-oriented. The candidates should be able to leave behind their personal favorite projects or “pet” issues to be solved.

Overall, the time commitment for standard service is roughly 75 hours per year (not including travel). Board members will additionally choose to dedicate time to one or more Board committees, supporting and providing counsel to the Executive Director and her team, or promoting the Wikimedia movement through speaking engagements and connecting with the Wikimedia communities. All Board positions are unpaid and provided in service of the movement.

We also encourage candidates from all of our projects and communities who are considering running for the Board to do so, and encourage all qualified voters to participate by asking thoughtful questions and voting. We need the full participation of the Wikimedia community to ensure that the Board is as strong and diverse as it can be going forward. Please help us find candidates who have perspectives and voices that are currently under-represented, but whose participation is crucial to the future of our projects.

To find more information, or to publish your self-nomination, please visit the election homepage.

Thank you for your support, The Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees