Wikimedia Foundation elections/FDC elections/2015/Candidates
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The election ended 31 May 2015. No more votes will be accepted. The results were announced on 5 June 2015. Please consider submitting any feedback regarding the 2015 election on the election's post mortem page. |
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This page contains candidates for the 2015 Wikimedia Foundation FDC elections. Members of the 2015 Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee, or the Wikimedia Foundation staff, will verify wiki based candidate requirements. Wikimedia Foundation staff will verify identification and later verify offline candidate requirements. Verification of wiki based requirements and identification will be identified on this page. Offline candidate requirements will be verified at a later stage.
Candidates who are not eligible to run in this election will be archived on a subpage.
The five individuals elected will join these members of the Funds Dissemination Committee:
| Name | Languages | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Anne Clin (Risker) | en-5, fr-2 | Canada |
| Matanya Moses (Matanya) | en-N, he-N | Israel |
| Osmar Valdebenito (B1mbo) | es-N, en-3 | Santiago, Chile |
| Dumisani Ndubane (Thuvack) | ts-N, en-5 | South Africa |
Snezhana Shtrkovska (Violetova)
Violetova (talk • meta edits • global user summary • CA • AE)
| Candidate details | _007.JPG)
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| Statement | "Shared knowledge is the only wealth and freedom we need. Everything else will come along." | |
| Compulsory questions | 1. What experiences of yours do you think will enhance the work and recommendation process of the FDC?
As part of Shared Knowledge, I am familiar with annual plan and the process of creating, directing and evaluating.
I create, take a part as organizer and evaluate several grants, two of them were photo contests, and the last one which is still ongoing and trying to dissolve gender gap, is named Wiki women in Macedonia.
2. How does your history with Wikimedia make you suited for the FDC? I am WIkimedian from 2010, as a member and latter a Chair of the Board of WMMK. Since WMMK is not active more then two years, me and my colleagues who wanted to share knowledge and continue with Wkimedia activities, decided to establish an user group as NGO, named Shared Knowledge. I am founder and Board Chair of Shared Knowledge, coordinator for GLAM in my country, member of GAC, and member of Inspire Committee for Gender gap.
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| Verification | Identity verification performed by Wikimedia Foundation staff and eligibility verification performed by the Elections Committee | |
Eligibility:  VerifiedVerified by: Ruslik (talk) 13:20, 22 April 2015 (UTC) |
Identification: Verified Verified by: Jalexander--WMF 08:17, 30 April 2015 (UTC) | |
| Notes from the elections committee | Additional username: mk:User:Виолетова | |
Tanweer Morshed (Tanweer Morshed)
Tanweer Morshed (talk • meta edits • global user summary • CA • AE)
| Candidate details | 
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| Statement | In my opinion, the key responsibility of the FDC is to make a transparent and rational allocation of donors' money for the Wikimedia affiliates, therefore sustaining the Wikimedia movement around the world. Strengthening the movement through all the affiliates by proper allocation of funds and overcoming the burning bureaucratic issues while adhering to the mission goals of the movement are the challenges for FDC. As a member of the FDC, I intend to work on the following issues:
I am a founding board member of Wikimedia Bangladesh and I have been involved in managing and organizing programs since its beginning. I've gained experience relating to organizational effectiveness and I would like to bring these experiences to the FDC. | |
| Compulsory questions | 1. What experiences of yours do you think will enhance the work and recommendation process of the FDC?
I was involved in the formation of Wikimedia Bangladesh (WMBD) and since then, as a board member, I've been working on organizing and managing programs throughout the country. Most of these programs were in partnerships with educational or commercial organizations. I have been involved in decision making issues of the chapter and has worked on allocating resources, including money from sponsorship, to materialize programs. So far I've been mostly involved in implementing programs, sometimes within resource constraints.
I have experience as a grantee of the WMF. I have created this grant.
2. How does your history with Wikimedia make you suited for the FDC? I am a Wikimedian since 2009 and I have helped form the chapter WMBD in 2011. Among the Wikimedia projects, I have mostly contributed to the Bengali Wikipedia and I was appointed a sysop there in early 2015. As a board member, I have been involved in implementing and organizing most of the programs by the chapter. Currently I am also serving as Director of Outreach of WMBD's Operations Committee as well as a member of the Membership Subcommittee to manage issues related to recruiting members for the chapter. With a view to expanding the Wikimedia community in Bangladesh, I had the chance to conduct workshops in different parts of the country. I participated the Wikimedia Conference 2014 on behalf of WMBD. Currently I am serving as a member of the Programme Team for the Wikimedia Conference 2015 to be held in Berlin. I am also working as a member of the organizing committee of ongoing 10th Anniversary Programs of Bengali Wikipedia. In order to enhance the collaboration between the Wikimedia community of India and Bangladesh, I participated in the international conference in Kolkata. From my experiences, I believe I've gained a fair insight into the growth of Wikimedia movement in Bangladesh and an overall understanding of the state of the movement through engaging in discussions over mailing lists, events or wikis.
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| Verification | Identity verification performed by Wikimedia Foundation staff and eligibility verification performed by the Elections Committee | |
| Eligibility: Verified Verified by: Varnent (talk)(COI) 03:07, 23 April 2015 (UTC) |
Identification: Verified Verified by: Jalexander--WMF 21:08, 28 April 2015 (UTC) | |
Shawn Chen (Chsh)
Chsh (talk • meta edits • global user summary • CA • AE)
| Candidate details |
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| Statement | Greetings! I’ve been a longtime user of the Wikimedia platform and wholeheartedly support the foundation’s mission and vision. I believe volunteering my time as a member of the WDC would be the best application of my skills and expertise to help Wikimedia carry out its strategic plan. In addition, I represent not only the NA region, but also a diverse background being part Chinese and part Persian (with English, French, and Spanish running through the family as well).
The Foundation has a tremendous opportunity to create a meaningful, world-wide impact by providing grants, but it relies on the Wikimedia community and the FDC to ensure funds are appropriated effectively. I will engage the community and hold to the following action points:
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| Compulsory questions | 1. What experiences of yours do you think will enhance the work and recommendation process of the FDC?
I graduated from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with concentrations in Management and Operations (specialized in Business Analytics). During the day I work as a private-sector consultant, and by night I provide strategy consulting to nonprofits.
In my free time, I work on a number of projects including starting a nationwide nonprofit organization related to the arts, an internet startup in the consulting domain, and I, slowly, write nonfiction. I have extensive experience in creating mission and vision statements, analyzing business processes, writing annual reports, and reviewing program effectiveness. I have both led nonprofit organizations with 5 figure revenues and provided consulting work for multi-million dollar organizations. I believe these skills align with what the WDC is looking for and would greatly aid in analyzing the overall return of projects applying to the WDC.
I have prior experience as a grant writer for a couple nonprofits I have volunteered for. In that process, I have been involved in researching successful past grant awards, creating programs that would best meet the requirements of grant programs, and writing requests for proposals.
2. How does your history with Wikimedia make you suited for the FDC? I’ve supported Wikimedia since I began using Wikipedia over 10 years ago both publicly and practically. Publicly, I’m a strong supporter of what Wikimedia stands for and getting its projects accepted by the educators. Practically, I try to make a meaningful impact within my current area of interest on en-wiki whenever I get a chance. Otherwise, I believe I would be able to provide an objective, impartial perspective and voice for the Wikimedia community. In addition, I will make the WDC my priority and commit the time needed to stand by the Foundation.
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| Verification | Identity verification performed by Wikimedia Foundation staff and eligibility verification performed by the Elections Committee | |
| Eligibility: Verified Verified by: Varnent (talk)(COI) 01:24, 27 April 2015 (UTC) |
Identification: Verified Verified by: Jalexander--WMF 21:14, 26 April 2015 (UTC) | |
Itzik Edri (Itzike)
Itzike (talk • meta edits • global user summary • CA • AE)
| Candidate details | .JPG){kind=spacer}
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| Statement | The FDC is the executive arm of the movement. Their decisions are crucial for the organizations development and for the whole movement.
I have been one of the great supporters for this kind of community committee. The movement was built and is run by volunteers, who are the best suited to lead the movement. As the WMIL chairperson, I took part in the process from the first step, highly involved as a grantee but when necessary, also as critic. I'm pleased that over the years many of my proposals have been implemented, making him better for everyone. One of them is the need to provide the grantees detailed feedback about the decisions. This should be the one of the committee’s major goals - not only to reach decisions regarding grant amounts, but also to share knowledge and best practice with the affiliations in order to teach them. We are not like others foundations – our grantees are part of our movement. Our decisions should be professional, but also effective and supportive for them. We will must aim to see more and diverse grantees, working in an effective and transparent way – together, as a movement – not as individuals. It is a terrible waste of money when one organization is spending money to develop the same infrastructure that another organization is also developing. We have brighter future by making the knowledge in the world more accessible and free, and we should and can do this together. | |
| Compulsory questions | 1. What experiences of yours do you think will enhance the work and recommendation process of the FDC?
In my professional life - as VP Government Affairs at one of Israel’s leading digital companies, I'm in charge of our major clients, among them the President of Israel, politicians and ministries - and I helping them plan and execute projects worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Previously, I held several executive positions, including deputy operations officer at the IDF’s Central Computing System Unit– where I was in charge of many software and infrastructure projects totaling millions of dollars. Since the establishment of Wikimedia Israel, and as its current Chairperson, I'm very involved in the Wikimedia movement – growing the chapter’s budget from a $10,000 to $250,000, and serving as co-producer of Wikimania, 2011 held in Haifa.
I served as a GAC member, and I have a strong knowledge and experience writing WMIL grant requests, and through reading and studying other affiliations and external organizations grants requests.
2. How does your history with Wikimedia make you suited for the FDC? As a member of the movement for almost a decade, I have taken part in many of the changes the movement has experienced. On one hand, I support and believe in the need for financial and resource support for the organizations within the movement, but at the same time – the need to distribute the resources in an equal and efficient way while ensuring the intelligent use of the donors’ money. I believe my views on the subject are well known, i.e.- It is very important to work as an international movement but at the same time, not to become a "Wikimedia travel agency". Every dollar spent should be considered as if it was our own money. And that applies both to the foundation, chapters and other affiliations.
I lead WMIL to cooperate with many organizations and ministries and I believe the strength of chapters around the world is their ability not only to execute the program locally, but also to serve as the representatives of the movement, allowing to it to expand and to work and make an impact by cooperating with others. I believe my many years of experience with movement’s projects (both successful and less successful), my familiarity with the organizations, administrations and budget management will be useful for the FDC decision-making process. | |
| Verification | Identity verification performed by Wikimedia Foundation staff and eligibility verification performed by the Elections Committee | |
| Eligibility: Verified Verified by: Ruslik (talk) 18:26, 28 April 2015 (UTC) |
Identification: Verified Verified by: Jalexander--WMF 21:11, 28 April 2015 (UTC) | |
Mike Peel (Mike Peel)
Mike Peel (talk • meta edits • global user summary • CA • AE)
| Candidate details | 
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| Statement | The FDC has an important role in ensuring that the largest organisations within our movement effectively and responsibly spend the money donated to the Wikimedia movement in ways that will make measurable and significant differences. As an FDC member, my aims would be to:
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask them! | |
| Compulsory questions | 1. What experiences of yours do you think will enhance the work and recommendation process of the FDC?
Iserved as a Wikimedia UK board member for 5 years, which gave me experience with managing budgets from £500 to £500,000+. This included helping put together the first activities of the chapter; hiring part-time employees for the first time for the organisation, and later hiring a chief executive; and establishing an office with a wide range of ongoing activities in a large number of different areas. I organised the first-ever Wikimedia editathon (at least, under that name) at the British Library in 2011, and I assisted with the creation of the first Wikimedian in Residence position and the second GLAM-WIKI conference, both at the British Museum. I believe that I have a good understanding of what is possible for an organisation to do at various stages of development, although I also think that the Wikimedia organisations need be doing a lot more than they are currently doing to support the Wikimedia community and to effectively further Wikimedia's goals.
I have experience of grantmaking within Wikimedia: I led the WMUK microgrants program for several years, and I served on the FDC for two years. In addition, my day job (as a postdoctoral researcher in radio astronomy) is funded by grants, so I have a reasonable (albeit second-hand) understanding of the process of applying for funds, the decision-making process, and the importance for making timely and logical decisions.
2. How does your history with Wikimedia make you suited for the FDC? I have been part of the Wikimedia movement for over a decade. I've made over 58,000 edits to the Wikimedia wikis so far. I was a founding board member of Wikimedia UK in 2008, and I served on its board for 5 years as its Membership Secretary (2008-09), Chair (09-10) and Secretary (10-13), giving me experience of leading a Wikimedia organisation, as well as understanding all of the elements of the work that the Wikimedia organisations do. I also served on the FDC as an ordinary member (2013-14) and as its Secretary (13-14). I aim to be as transparent as I can be (which is not always easy/possible!). With regards to my previous involvement with the FDC, you can see my 2013 pledge and COI statement and a record of my compensation for expenses from Wikimedia. I also publicly posted some thoughts on the FDC process in 2014.
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| Verification | Identity verification performed by Wikimedia Foundation staff and eligibility verification performed by the Elections Committee | |
| Eligibility: Verified Verified by: KTC (talk) 20:30, 29 April 2015 (UTC) |
Identification: Verified Verified by: Jalexander--WMF 20:59, 29 April 2015 (UTC) | |
Peter Ekman (Smallbones)
Smallbones (talk • meta edits • global user summary • CA • AE)
| Candidate details |
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| Statement | The FDC's job is to
My priorities as an FDC member would be to:
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| Compulsory questions | 1. What experiences of yours do you think will enhance the work and recommendation process of the FDC?
I earned a Ph.D. in finance and taught finance for many years mainly in MBA programs, including long periods in Moscow, Russia, and Budapest, Hungary, before retiring This experience has made me very familiar with methods of making financial decisions, as well as exposed me to different cultures, and different people. I was part of the planning of the FDC itself in 2012 as part of the FDC advisory committee, and of its two-year evaluation last year, so I'm familiar with the basic process.
In academia there are always different programs and committees that require input or direction. For example, in Moscow I was Acting Dean for a year and for three years ran a Chartered Financial Analyst exam review program. In Budapest I was the equivalent of a Department Head.
The grant making process runs throughout academia. My favorite experience with grants was being part of a committee for 2 years that advised the US Embassy in Moscow on awarding Fulbright Scholarships to Russian scholars who wished to study and conduct research in America.
2. How does your history with Wikimedia make you suited for the FDC? I've worked with many of the types or organizations that ask for funding. I was the US coordinator for Wiki Loves Monuments in its first year. I've worked, off-and-on, with GLAM projects since the start of Wikimedia's GLAM connection, e.g. with the Delaware Art Museum and a current project with the Presbyterian Historical Society. Though I live in Philadelphia, I've participated in many NYC and Washington DC chapter activities. I'm currently a member of Wikimedia DC.
Mostly though I like to take photos and write articles on Wikipedia on a broad range of topics, but mostly related to local history. For all the importance of chapters and organizations like GLAM, we always need to remember the folks who write and illustrate our encyclopedias and other projects.
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| Verification | Identity verification performed by Wikimedia Foundation staff and eligibility verification performed by the Elections Committee | |
| Eligibility: Verified Verified by: Varnent (talk)(COI) 03:27, 30 April 2015 (UTC) |
Identification: Verified Verified by: Jalexander--WMF 03:41, 30 April 2015 (UTC) | |
Felix Nartey (Flixtey)
Flixtey (talk • meta edits • global user summary • CA • AE)
| Candidate details | 
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| Statement | I am a young energetic individual who is enthused about the vision and goals of the Wikimedia Foundation. I am excited about the opportunities the work we do provides and will provide to the world in the near future.
It is a privilege to be part of this esteemed institution and to play a substantial role in our vision. I believe through the role of the FDC, we can ensure value for our money and to a large extent ensure efficient and judicious use of our resources towards achieving community purpose. The increase in the number of affiliation groups and institutions call for a more autonomous and well versed committee in the areas of grant appraisal, hence the Funds and Dissemination Committee. I am willing to use my skill sets and experience to compliment the activities of this committee and to ensure prudent and critical grant decision making and advisory services to the board. | |
| Compulsory questions | 1. What experiences of yours do you think will enhance the work and recommendation process of the FDC?
My knowledge in Finance acquired from my tertiary education compliments the roles of this position. My experiences from previous job roles have afforded me the opportunity to work closely on credit analysis, budget appraisal and acquired an appreciable knowledge in audits and processes. I currently occupy the role of the Finance Manager and a Business Development & Accounts Manager for the Ghana Volunteer Program and Cal Bank Limited respectively. I understand the crucial nature of budget appraisal and spending, I will be honored to use my knowledge and experience to streamline our grant system and ensure control mechanisms are put in place to avoid income leakages by ensuring proper checks and balances are rightly in place.
At my position as the Finance manager for the Ghana Volunteer Program, I manage the distribution of funds to support projects around our activities and to individuals organizing volunteer activities in Ghana. I am a grant recipient of the Wikimedia Foundation and many other affiliations, I have gained relevant experience in grant writing and perfectly understand the processes and requirements for a successful grant.
2. How does your history with Wikimedia make you suited for the FDC? In my past two and a half years with the foundation I have learned and risen through to the ranks of the community manager of the Ghanaian Wikimedian Community (Wikimedia Ghana Usergroup). I have yearned to contribute substantially to the foundation and ever since I joined have been earnestly working towards that. I have led my community to increase engagement and participation, held successful projects and participated in campaigns that will enhance the image of the foundation.
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| Verification | Identity verification performed by Wikimedia Foundation staff and eligibility verification performed by the Elections Committee | |
| Eligibility: Verified Verified by: KTC (talk) 12:51, 30 April 2015 (UTC) |
Identification: Verified Verified by: Jalexander--WMF 21:16, 30 April 2015 (UTC) | |
Liam Wyatt (Wittylama)
Wittylama (talk • meta edits • global user summary • CA • AE)
| Candidate details | 
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| Statement | The funds-dissemination process is a fundamental part of our movement’s operations, so for us to succeed in our mission we must proactively support the capacity development of affiliates and the FDC is a crucial component of this. It is vital for helping to build professionalism, reward effectiveness, ensure financial transparency and retain community oversight across our movement. In this next two-year period I would like the FDC to focus on ensuring that:
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| Compulsory questions | 1. What experiences of yours do you think will enhance the work and recommendation process of the FDC?
I have a strong track record of identifying and supporting innovative Wikimedia activities so that they are successful, scalable and replicable - most especially in the field of GLAM outreach and partnerships. Over the last several years the scale and proportion of Chapters’ investment in GLAM activities has grown significantly and I have frequently been asked to advise on planning or help with the implementation of these programs. One effect of this growth in partnership projects is a direct and positive correlation with the professionalism and organisational stability of the Chapters that operate them.
In my previous work with the National Library of Australia and Creative Commons Australia as well as my current work with Europeana, I have been involved in the complete lifecycle of annual-planning - from reviewing previous projects (successful, unsuccessful, incomplete) to building new strategy and determining operational goals, funding application (and revisions!) as well as implementation and ongoing reporting.
I have been involved in many aspects of the WMF grantmaking process for many years - both as adviser and as recipient. I was an inaugural member of the "Individual Engagement Grants" committee; I oversaw several events that received "Project & Event" grants; and I have successfully applied for two "Travel & Participation" grants.
2. How does your history with Wikimedia make you suited for the FDC? For almost a decade and have been deeply involved in movement-wide discussions on the nature of fundraising, funds dissemination, the role of affiliates and the WMF as well as the professionalisation of organisations. Over that time I have seen the processes change and evolve. I have worked for the WMF as a contractor; been an executive member of a Chapter; received and coordinated several grants at different levels; and worked closely with a dozen other affiliate organisations - from the biggest chapters to external non-profit organisations and small Wikimedia user-groups. This “institutional memory” will be very important in deliberating on individual proposals as well as helping to shape the recommendation principles of the committee.
I have been involved in many aspects of the community. I am most proud of being the founder of our GLAM project and being the first Wikipedian-in-Residence. I have helped organise or been involved with projects run by many chapters and community groups across the world, convened three Wikimedia outreach conferences and three international workshops. I have also been the WMF’s Cultural Partnerships Fellow; the vice-president of Wikimedia Australia; and co-host of the Wikipedia Weekly podcast. I live in Italy and work for Europeana as Wikimedia liaison. I and previously coordinated digital engagement at the National Library of Australia and Creative Commons Australia. My academic work includes a thesis on the Historiography of Wikipedia and I have a Masters degree in Intellectual Property Law. | |
| Verification | Identity verification performed by Wikimedia Foundation staff and eligibility verification performed by the Elections Committee | |
| Eligibility: Verified Verified by: Ruslik (talk) 22:18, 30 April 2015 (UTC) |
Identification: Verified Verified by: Jalexander--WMF 21:16, 30 April 2015 (UTC) | |
Ad Huikeshoven (Ad Huikeshoven)
Ad Huikeshoven (talk • meta edits • global user summary • CA • AE)
| Candidate details | 
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| Statement | The FDC is maturing and stabilizing its process, nonetheless sometimes FDC recommendations are unpredictable and have been challenged. FDC applicants experience an ever increasing set of standards to be met for proposals and reports. Accountabilitiy is necessary, though some requirements do not stimulate applicants to innovate. Some affiliates are doing great with impact on their environment without being recognised for their endeavours in the current system of metrics and evaluations. The FDC should stimulate emergence of new affiliates in the Global South rather than impeding growth of current Global North affiliates.
Chapters and other affiliate entities prefer to be evaluated and reviewed by peers. As a former treasurer and current board member of Wikimedia Nederland I’m one of the peers. | |
| Compulsory questions | 1. What experiences of yours do you think will enhance the work and recommendation process of the FDC?
Since 2012 I’m a board member of Wikimedia Nederland starting as treasurer. At that time WMNL didn’t have any employees. Now WMNL is a professional organization with six staff members and some contractors. I’ve been involved in developing annual plans and grant application for WMNL since 2012 four times including reporting and overseeing reporting.
In my daytime job I have had experience with coordinating evaluations of a several dozens grants in a program totalling several hundred million euro. For Wikimedia Nederland I have been involved in setting up and executing a micro grant program. Last year and this year I have developed and overseen a scholarship program for Wikimania.
2. How does your history with Wikimedia make you suited for the FDC? Prior to becoming a board member of WMNL I served on the Audit Committee of the Wikimedia Foundation in the period 2007 to 2012. I have visited the Wikimedia Conferences in Berlin and Milan several times. I have visited Wikimania Haifa, Hong Kong and London. I graduated in 1992 in Economics and Business Adminstration at Maastricht University.
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| Verification | Identity verification performed by Wikimedia Foundation staff and eligibility verification performed by the Elections Committee | |
| Eligibility: Verified Verified by: Varnent (talk)(COI) 22:35, 30 April 2015 (UTC) |
Identification: Verified Verified by: Jalexander--WMF 21:16, 30 April 2015 (UTC) | |
Lorenzo Losa (Laurentius)
Laurentius (talk • meta edits • global user summary • CA • AE)
| Candidate details | 
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| Statement | The FDC is a key part of our movement. It's not only grantmaking; it's participatory grantmaking. Funds are not the only issue at stake here. It essential to remember our key values, and among them:
To fulfill its role, and effectively allocate donors' money, I believe the FDC is facing a few challenges:
The FDC is more than a technical committee. It makes technical decisions, but in order to support our mission and according to our values. Those values are the reason why we have a committee. The Foundation could have hired nine technicians; but that wouldn't work. It wouldn't be as participative and transparent. It wouldn't be as tied in our movement. | |
| Compulsory questions | 1. What experiences of yours do you think will enhance the work and recommendation process of the FDC?
In nine years in Wikimedia Italia, I've took part / directed a number of programs, ranging from educational programs to partnerships with cultural institutions, organizing conferences and public events, and so on. More recently, I've worked on WMI's strategic plan.
Looking outside Wikimedia, one year ago I co-founded a startup company: business plans are now my daily job, also. And I'm a mathematician, so if we have to talk about metrics and measurable results, I'm not easily scared :-)
Regarding my experience in Wikimedia grants, I've been involved in both the requests made by Wikimedia Italy: the PEG for the Wikimedia Conference in 2013 and its first APG request (just now). Only two, because Wikimedia Italy for most of its life has managed (and had the luck) to get enough funds from other sources. This means that I've been exposed to various non-Wikimedia grants; among the ones I leaded, Crescere che avventura (2011-2013), from a private Italian foundation, to teach about Wikipedia in schools, and EAGLE, an ongoing three-million-euros three-years European grant where Wikimedia has a small (yes, we are not getting millions) but important role (by the way, this resulted in the first use of Wikibase outside Wikidata, and I'm quite proud of that).
2. How does your history with Wikimedia make you suited for the FDC? I've been a wikimedian for 11 years (I might be the oldest wikipedian in this election...); I started editing the Italian Wikipedia in 2004, and I've been elected administrator in 2006. In the same year I joined Wikimedia Italia, and I've been in its board from 2011 to 2014; now I'm Coordinator for relations with institutions.
In these years I've seen different parts of our movement, both the online editing, organizing programs, and managing the chapter.
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| Verification | Identity verification performed by Wikimedia Foundation staff and eligibility verification performed by the Elections Committee | |
| Eligibility: Verified Verified by: Varnent (talk)(COI) 23:49, 30 April 2015 (UTC) |
Identification: Verified Verified by: Jalexander--WMF 00:10, 1 May 2015 (UTC) | |
Michał Buczyński (Aegis Maelstrom)
Aegis Maelstrom (talk • meta edits • global user summary • CA • AE)
| Candidate details | 
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| Statement | FDC is the financial steward of Wikimedia. It is much more than a pesky evaluator when it helps to steer the Movement, serving as a platform for Volunteers, Affiliates, Staff and Board. FDC can be:
FDC can help to keep the Movement global and diverse, respecting and building on local circumstances while reaching higher standards and some bigger bang for every penny. If elected, I would take it as a service towards common goal and my efforts would include:
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| Compulsory questions | 1. What experiences of yours do you think will enhance the work and recommendation process of the FDC?
Firstly, I believe I could help in the reporting / numbers side as I see here field for improvement. Being an economist and finances professional, I have been working in the field of risk and reporting for 8+ years and I know good and bad sides of this process more than enough. Secondly, benchmarks and problem solving: I am a data cruncher, with a MBA visit at UCLA and unfinished PhD (wikis and job won). Thirdly, understanding and communication: I am a dated Wikimedian, coming from a mid-size, CEE chapter, somewhat bridging experiences of East and West, big and small budget, emerged and yet-to-emerge countries. Moreover, my additional background are professional 5yrs studies in psychology, about to complete in a few months (mind you, education in Poland can be still free and I am using it). Finally and perhaps foremost, I am a wiki and a chapter person, serving on the board for ca. 3 years. I hope it all lets me to serve my partners, esp. Board and Affiliates, better.
Thanks to the education, trainings and profession, I feel able to work on grantmaking utilizing a proper framework or developing new tools.
Judging from personal experiences, nowadays every PhD student can claim they received their grants lesson ;) but for me my chapter and global Movement were more important. Seeing my chapter rising from a loose pack of geeks and then service in a board, during cautious professionalization and capacity building, let me walk in the shoes of many affiliates. Then the meetings with fellow Wikimedians helped me to understand more. OTOH, Polish Board gave me an oversight perspective, as aside of evaluating projects and programmes, we delegate the majority of grants per se to empowered subcoms. Finally, my brief participation in GAC, till I needed to let me cross out due to temporary health issues, gave me great lessons of WMF's expectations, global grantmaking, working with diverse submitors and wiki initiatives. 2. How does your history with Wikimedia make you suited for the FDC? Having acted in numerous roles: editor, sysop, arbcom, speaker, trainer, evangelist and evaluator, I have learned a lot upon initiatives of my home chapter and others. GAC, meetings with WMF Staff and fellow Wikimedians, research on quantitative data of chapters gave me further global perspective. I believe combining the lessons locally learned with proper standards of the Movement and merging it with my general background would let me bring many useful things to the table. Finally, for the time being my home chapter remains self-funded and uninvolved in the FDC process, separating me from potential conflicts of interest.
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| Verification | Identity verification performed by Wikimedia Foundation staff and eligibility verification performed by the Elections Committee | |
| Eligibility: Verified Verified by: KTC (talk) 00:24, 1 May 2015 (UTC) |
Identification: Verified Verified by: Jalexander--WMF 00:07, 1 May 2015 (UTC) | |