The Board also announced that our current chair, Michael Snow, has been re-appointed to his post.  Both posts run until July 2010. More details from Jan-Bart’s note to the Foundation-l mailing list below.

In April 2008, the Wikimedia Foundation gave the chapters a role in the board member selection process, by asking them to select candidates to fill two of the Trustees seats.

The Wikimedia chapters have selected Arne Klempert as a new candidate. In agreement with the board, they have decided to propose Michael Snow as their second candidate, with the intent of confirming his position on the Board of Trustees as occupying one of the chapters selected Board seats. The chapters are glad that both candidates have accepted their selection and hope that the Board of Trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation will be able to formalize this as soon as possible. The selection of those candidates comes after many heated but fruitful discussions and represents the chapters’ will to introduce novelty and ensure continuity in the board of the Wikimedia Foundation.

Arne Klempert is Head of Digital Communications at IFOK, a German consulting firm. He is one of the founders of the German chapter. He was involved in the development of Wikimedia Deutschland first as vice-chair and then as Executive Director, until September 2008.

Michael Snow has served on the Board of the Wikimedia Foundation since December 2007, and was chosen in July 2008 to be its chair. Michael is a lawyer and has been involved in Wikimedia for many years as Head of the Wikimedia Communications Committee and creator of the Wikipedia Signpost, amongst other roles.

The chapters are confident that this selection brings quality, diversity and stability to the board of the Wikimedia Foundation, and that both candidates will capably handle the responsibilities of being Trustees. Both candidates are selected to fill a term that ends in July 2010.

Please join me in welcoming Arne to the board and congratulating Michael on his re-appointment. On behalf of the board I would like to thank all those involved in facilitating the process and making these appointments possible.

Jan-Bart de Vreede
Vice Chair Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees

Congratulations to both Arne and Michael, and to the chapters for putting forth their first Board appointments.

Jay Walsh, Head of Communications

In a press release sent out yesterday, Jan-Bart De Vreede, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees announced that fellow Board member Michael Snow will assume the role of Chair of the Board of Trustees.  Long-standing Board member Florence Devouard stepped down as Board Chair, however we are very pleased to announce that she will assume a seat on the Wikimedia Advisory Board.

The Board also took the opportunity to formally welcome new Board member Ting Chen, who was elected by the Wikimedia community during the recent Board seat election.

Welcome Ting Chen, and congratulations Michael!

Jay Walsh, Head of Communications<

Why are we having board elections?  The Wikimedia Foundation is a unique entity in the fact that our projects are managed by a great number of people around the world, volunteers who create and edit the content on the Wikipedia sites and our other projects like Wikinews and Wikimedia Commons.  The volunteers are members of related project communities from which members have agglomerated to form a meta-community of individuals interested in the Wikimedia Foundation and having a voice to participate in determining how Wikimedia fulfill its mission both short-term and in the years to come.

Who is eligible to vote?  The 2008 Board Election Committee has provided guidelines as to which members of the community are eligible to vote in the election.  It effectively covers anyone who is presently active on at least one Wikimedia project, has a history with some edit contributions.

Is Florence Devouard running again?  It saddens me to say that Florence has chosen to pursue other endeavors in lieu of returning to her position as Chairperson of the Wikimedia Foundation.  Florence has overseen the board during a period of rapid growth and maturity of the Wikimedia Foundation and left a legacy that will be difficult for subsequent board to follow.

Is the candidate running for board chairperson?  Although Florence is vacating the position, the election is only for a board seat.  The board then determines among them who they want to perform the duties of Chair.

Who is running for office?  Candidate presentations are located here.  Each candidate for board has provided personal details and a statement as to how they believe they can benefit the Wikimedia Foundation.  There is also a question and answer section where community members have asked candidates a number of questions pertaining to how they see their roles as board members.

Cary Bass
Volunteer Coordinator<

These changes stem from discussions that took place during the Board’s first meeting in our new San Francisco offices in April 2008. A Q&A, diagram, and the original announcement from Jan-Bart are available to help describe the changes.

Some of the significant elements of the restructure:

• there are now four ’specific expert’ seats
• a ‘community founder’ seat has been established
• the chapters can now select two seats as well.
• with the three community-elected, that brings the total to ten seats

I’m sure we’ll hear more in the coming months as the board gets closer to its full roster of seats. I suspect this was a pretty big task for the Board to bring about. We’ll be looking forward to seeing the results!

Jay Walsh, Head of Communications