Wikimedia Foundation Board noticeboard/December 2016 - Update regarding expiring Board terms

Message from Christophe Henner

This message, "Update regarding expiring Board terms", was sent by Christophe Henner on 23 December 2016.

Hi everyone,

Last week, at our December meeting, the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees made some decisions regarding the two Board terms expiring at the end of this year. Alice Wiegand sought and received reappointment for a term which will end at Wikimania 2018. Guy Kawasaki decided not to seek reappointment, and will complete his term at the end of December.

Alice joined the Board in 2012 when she was selected to serve in one of the two affiliate-selected board seats. She was subsequently appointed to fill one of the four appointed expert seats, and will be completing her first full term in that role this month. Alice lives in Germany, and has been involved with German Wikipedia since 2004 and Wikimedia Deutschland since 2008. Her unique background brings an important perspective on matters related to the Wikimedia communities, strategy development, organizational structuring, and executive accounting and assessment. Given her skills, experience in the movement, and working knowledge of recent Board history, we felt it was important to retain her presence for an additional term.

The Board appreciates Guy’s commitment to Wikimedia and the input he provided while serving on the Board. Guy joined the Board in 2015 when he was selected to fill one of the four appointed expert seats. A prominent figure in Silicon Valley, Guy has brought a unique perspective to the challenges and opportunities the Board has considered during his term. Even though we only worked together for a short time, I enjoyed his fresh point of view that forced us to step out of our comfort zone, and reconsider things we've done for years. In a time of evolution, the value from those questions was really high.

Alice's new appointment will last 1.5 years as opposed to 2 years. We have asked Alice to serve a term which ends at Wikimania 2018 (instead of in December 2018) to help consolidate Board transitions to the annual meeting at Wikimania, rather than spread throughout the year. Our hope is this shift will support a more effective onboarding process for new members.

We will provide more information in January on our plans for filling the vacancy now left by Guy's departure, as well as the other vacancies on the Board. Until then, I invite you to join me in congratulating Alice on her reappointment, and thanking Guy for his service to Wikimedia. Congratulations, Alice, and thank you, Guy!

As 2016 comes to an end, please allow me to take a moment and thank all of you, on behalf of the Board, for your support, efforts, and contributions this past year. We overcame many hurdles together and achieved many collaborative accomplishments. I am confident that we will make 2017 an amazing year. I am looking forward to continuing to work with all of you as we come together in service of the movement in new ways. There is still much to achieve and hurdles to overcome, but, together, we have what it takes.

On behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees,
Christophe Henner, Chair