I believe the role of the board of directors should be:
To set up a decisionmaking structure rather than to make individual decisions itself
To review financial, legal, and personnel matters on an ongoing basis
To respect the independence of each project and language
To refrain from major changes that could jeopardize the success we have already achieved
To advise officers, paid staff, and volunteers working for the Foundation
I believe the role of the foundation should be:
To provide a financial and legal framework for the operation of Wikipedia and its sister projects
To serve as a single voice to the public in matters such as press and donor relations where unity is important
To support and empower appropriate leadership within each project while maintaining our community-driven traditions
If elected, the first things I would advocate as a board member would be:
Identification of one or more "foundation contacts" for each project in each language
More extensive and more organized use of volunteers to deal with the daily work of the Foundation
Increased focus on accurate and timely internal communications
With regard to non-English projects, I believe that:
Most such projects should ultimately become independent of the U.S.-based foundation (in 5-10 years)
Trusted leadership in each language should be cultivatived, that shares the core values of freely redistributable content, NPOV, and openness
The background I bring to the board includes:
Three years of participation in the English Wikipedia including an ongoing interest in policy and governance
Prior participation in the board of directors of the Wesleyan Broadcast Association, Inc., a non-profit corporation that operated radio station WESU-FM
Prior paid employment as a corporate officer in a U.S. business which gave me a degree of familiarity with the legal, financial, tax, and corporate structure issues that face the Foundation
Some prior international travel, mainly in Spain and Mexico since I speak some Spanish
Technical background in software development and IT
Some things I wish I could bring to the board but can't:
I respect the international nature of the Foundation and wish I could speak fluently in languages other than English
I dislike travel and live in an out-of-the-way place. Though I am prepared to engage in some travel if elected, I may not be able to attend all board-related events in person
As important as Wikipedia is to me, I cannot let it become my full time job.
