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================================================
 Candidates for the 2013 PSF Board of Directors
================================================

The following people have been nominated as Directors of the Python Software Foundation for the term beginning in March 2013. Their
self-written summaries follow.

There are currently 11 seats on the Board of Directors (last changed in the 2012 PSF Members vote).

.. contents:: Nominees
   :depth: 1

.. topic:: Links

   * `Duties and Responsibilities of Directors <PythonSoftwareFoundation/DutiesAndResponsibilitiesOfDirectors>`__

   * `2012 Board Candidates <PythonSoftwareFoundation/BoardCandidates2012>`__

   * `2011 Board Candidates <PythonSoftwareFoundation/BoardCandidates2011>`__

   * `2010 Board Candidates <PythonSoftwareFoundation/BoardCandidates2010>`__

   * `2009 Board Candidates <PythonSoftwareFoundation/BoardCandidates2009>`__

   * `2008 Board Candidates <PythonSoftwareFoundation/BoardCandidates2008>`__

----

...Candidate entries go here...


Marc-Andre Lemburg
==================

*2012 Board Member.*

I've been board member in the years 2002-2004 and then again since 2010.

PSF things I've been working on last year:

* the Python brochure project (see http://brochure.getpython.info/)

* the PSF conference kits to market the PSF at Python conferences (see e.g. https://twitter.com/reingart/status/270590720790904832)
 
* creating giveaway marketing material for use a Python conferences and user groups (flyers, stickers)
 
* promoting the PSF and the HAM membership at conferences in Europe (EuroPython, PyCon UK, PyCon DE, FOSDEM)

* lead the team to recover the Python, Jython and PSF wikis (see http://wiki.python.org/moin/WikiAttack2013)

in addition to the usual PSF board and trademark committee work.

Things I'd like to initiate this year:

* create conference kits to promote Python for use at conferences that have a broarder scope such as OSCON and FOSDEM
 
* create more marketing material and setup a way for conferences and user groups to more easily request such material
 
* start work on creating a PSF network of national and regional Python associations to help market Python in more diverse ways

I'd like to continue with this work as director and look forward to another year serving on the board.

----

Jesse Noller
==================

*Current 2012/13 Board Member.*

I have served on the board since 2010.

Foundation work I have started/lead:

* Chaired PyCon US 2012/2013, served as PyCon Program Committee Chair the two years prior as well as leading sponsorship.

* Leading the Python.org redesign team/project: http://jessenoller.com/blog/2012/11/28/the-great-python-org-redesign

* Lead/Pushed for the Conference code of conduct motion: http://jessenoller.com/blog/2012/12/7/the-code-of-conduct

* Helped start the outreach an education committee: http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/outreach-and-education

* Helped start/found the sprints committee: http://pythonsprints.com/

* Helped source and push for the new OSU hosted PSF infrastructure/cluster

* Helped found the http://pythonmentors.com/ project

* Assisting in various infrastructure things (such as sourcing the new part time sysadmins, SSL certs)

* Assisted in working with various individuals, conferences and groups write and submit grants to the PSF board for funding.

* (trying) to work on a PSF FAQ: http://psf-docs.readthedocs.org/en/latest/_docs/faq.html

* (working on) a conference/community event book for the community: https://from-python-import-conference.readthedocs.org/en/latest/

* Assisted in various outreach efforts, communicating with the community on various topics, telling people and projects how the foundation can help them. General Public relations and community discussion work.

* (I'm probably forgetting things) in addition to the normal board work.

Things I'd like to continue to do / evolve:

* Revamp and rethink the PSF Sponsor member system; put together a strong recurring revenue stream for the foundation that can assist the community through grants.

* Continue to work with outreach and education groups on behalf of the foundation (such as PyLadies, etc)

* Finish the Python.org redesign

* Work on further evolution and modernization of the python.org and other services infrastructure and team

* Examine additional areas where the foundation can serve and assist the community as a whole

* Continue in assisting and advising PyCon US (in montreal) as a sponsorship coordinator / board liaison

* Continue to work and assist in finding ways of improving the general knowledge of, and general marketing of the foundation and how it can help the community in general.

* Continue finding areas to improve the general public relations other areas of the foundation.

* Examine how the foundation can get more involved in "future-proofing" the community - e.g. outreach and getting involved in education initiatives.

* And a lot more!

I would be honored to continue to serve on the board and working to make a more diverse (in all ways) board, membership and community.

----

David Mertz
==================

*Current 2012/13 Board Member.*

I have served on the PSF board for four years, would like to continue to do so, and would be honored if the membership elects me again to do so.

* Beginning prior to membership on the board, and on a continuing basis, I serve on the PSF Trademarks Committee, currently as its Chair. We resolve legal matters in the committee, enter into relationships of fiscal sponsorship with relevant projects to further protect our IP, and generally improve the relationships with broader Python communities through friendly and productive conversations about trademark rights.

  * Having a friendly demeanor and also a thorough concern with protection of PSF rights, when I send a "C&D" letter as TC chair, the reply I get is always "thank you."

  * Of late, I assisted moderately with PSF Chair Van Lindberg's spearheading of an opposition to a conflicting trademark claim in the EU over a logo incorporating the "Python" word mark.

* I created the voting procedure used by the PSF for the prior couple years (and the small software tools needed to make it work), assisted the PSF Secretary in its operation, and administered the last election. In response to some requests by members, I worked wtih PSF member (and Web2Py lead) Massimo Di Pierro to get his E-vote software concept to provide all the same wonderful cryptographic and security guarantees as the prior email-based system (and some more).

* As a Director I have participated in supervising, and reaching some difficult staffing decisions.

* I am chair of the Outreach and Education Committee, which was formed in 2011. The committee has funded numerous outreach efforts to user groups and educational efforts, and will continue to fund more in the future; acting as Board liaison is useful.

* I was very pleased to serve as PSF/Board representative to give one of the two keynotes at PyCon-India in 2012. As well as enjoying representing the PSF broadly, this tied in with the mission of the Outreach & Education to regionally/nationally diversify interest in and commitment to Python and to the PSF.

* By background, I am a recovering humanities academic, tempted away from post-structuralist political philosophy by the intrigue and wiles of algorithms and data structures (always best expressed in this language Guido gave us).

* I am the author of Addison Wesley's *Text Processing in Python*, of the IBM developerWorks' column *Charming Python* (since 2001), and of various other articles advancing and explaining the use of Python and its tools and libraries. I have created some moderately well-used FOSS Python tools (most collected in Gnosis Utilities); these have been poorly maintained in recent years, I confess, but I am delighted that several large pieces have recently been adopted for maintenance by other FLOSS developers.

* Often a speaker at PyCon and OSCON. I have been an advocate for use of Python by several public-interest software projects, including in the voting software developed by the Open Voting Consortium (I was CTO and board member of that organization). I also have been a consultant with a number of notable Python-using organizations, at the margins helping to expand that use.

----

Jessica McKellar
==================

*Current board member*

It has been an honor and pleasure to serve on the PSF Board this past year. I love this community, and I hope to have the opportunity to
continue to serve it as a Board member as it grows into new challenges and opportunities next year.

I bring several perspectives to the Board, as:

* a user group organizer, for the `Boston Python user group <http://bostonpython.com>`_ -- the largest Python user group in the world.

* someone who regularly interacts with beginners, new community members, and first-time open source contributors, through various initiatives including the `OpenHatch project <http://openhatch.org>`_, `Google Summer of Code <http://pyfound.blogspot.com/2013/03/get-ready-for-google-summer-of-code.html>`_, and as a `Twisted <https://twistedmatrix.com/trac/>`_ core developer.

* someone who regularly does programming outreach to underrepresented groups, through my work on the `Outreach and Education Committee <http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/outreach-and-education>`_, `Software Carpentry <http://software-carpentry.org/>`_, and as head organizer for the `Boston Python Workshop <http://bostonpythonworkshop.com/>`_.

This past year, as part of my Foundation work I:

* served on the PSF `Outreach and Education Committee <http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/outreach-and-education>`_, and in particular worked to promote the committee and help groups write and submit grant requests.

* was a `financial aid <https://us.pycon.org/2013/assistance/>`_ chair for PyCon US.

* regularly spoke and wrote about the PSF and encouraged community participation (e.g. PyCon Canada 2012 keynote, PyCon US 2013 keynote, PSF blog posts).

* am helping with Python's participation as an `umbrella organization <http://pyfound.blogspot.com/2013/03/get-ready-for-google-summer-of-code.html>`_ in Google Summer of Code.

* regularly reached out to individuals and initiatives about partnering with the PSF or applying for grants / getting community support to run Python events.

Next year, I'd like to:

* work on more efficient processing of grant requests by the various committees, followed by better publicity about the great results that come out of those grants.

* continue to work with the Outreach and Education Committee, in particular proactively identifying local advocates in communities and encouraging them to seek financial and other support from the PSF for local initiatives.

* work on more global community development, through the above bullet point as well as a "regional representatives" program that the Board has been discussing this year.

* work on, in an open and transparent way, structural changes (to the mailing lists, to what it means to be a member, etc.) to make online PSF member discussions more productive and less frustrating.

----

Lynn Root
=========

*New board member*

I am a Software Engineer/Python programmer for Red Hat in the Bay Area, but only have been programming since late 2011. I am active in the local Python, PyLadies, and Django communities, and lead PyLadies SF.

As a board member, I hope to help the PSF in continuing to foster its relationships with its many local, regional, and international communities. I also want to look for new opportunities for the PSF to develop and influence the Python community.

What I have accomplished in the past year:

* Member of the PyCon 2013 program committee.
* Lurker of the PSF Outreach & Education committee.
* Helped the PSF O&E committee start a new http://psf-outreach.org/ blog.
* http://www.meetup.com/pyladies-sf – Started in April 2012, now almost 700 members.
* Initiated the start of PyLadies in Atlanta, NYC, Portland, Seattle, Austin, Toronto, Brno, CZ.
* Led the first Python workshops for women in Brno, CZ and Zagreb, Croatia.
* Led the adoption of the http://www.pyladies.com/CodeOfConduct Code of Conduct for PyLadies as a whole.
* Helped/led http://rupy.eu RuPy, PyLadies @ http://djangocon.us DjangoCon US, and the https://www.djangoproject.com/foundation/ DSF scholarship programs.
* Held workshops for PyLadies & PyLaddies to craft PyCon talk submissions, and practice PyCon conference talks
* Maintainer of http://www.pyladies.com PyLadies website, and led the site's redesign.

What I wish to continue:

* Diversity outreach with speaking, holding events, and starting conversations.
* Help future PyCons in North America with program selection, and any other capacity that I can.
* Spread the word & love for Python & open source by holding intro workshops, sprints for OSS projects, writing http://github.com/econchick/new-coder tutorials, etc.
* Continue creating comfortable environments for Pythonistas and budding new coders to learn, develop, hack, speak, etc.

----



Naomi Ceder
==============

*New Board Member.*

I've been using, promoting and teaching Python on various levels since 2000, as a
teacher, author, developer, manager, and organizer.

* the author of The Quick Python Book, 2nd ed., which was Manning Publications' number 2 selling book in 2012
* giving various Python talks and tutorials,
* one of the organizers and main instructor of the Chicago Python Workshops
* active in ChiPy's North branch.
* Created the poster session at PyCon and coordinated it for 3 years
* This year I proposed and am coordinating the first education summit at PyCon, which will have about 90 attendees from all areas of Python education.

As IT director of a company that runs on Python I'm very interested in
the long term health and growth of Python and the Python community,
and my personal circumstances have given me some very personal
experience with diversity and inclusion from several different, and even contradictory, perspectives.

Finally, perhaps the best qualification I can offer is that once
committed to something like this, I'm excruciatingly reliable - I
absolutely hate to miss meetings or deadlines, and I make sure tasks I'm assigned "just get done."

My goal as a board member would be to do all that I can to help the
PSF achieve its mission in any way that I can. In particular, I'm interested in:

* furthering the adoption of Python 3,
* making sure that python.org has the resources it needs to serve the growing communitiy
* fostering the growth of that community through education and outreach
* ensuring that the Python community is as inclusive and welcoming as possible.

----

Brett Cannon
==============

*New Board Member (sort of).*

I was previously a board member from 2006 - 2010 until I needed to leave the board to focus on my Ph.D. I have been a member of both the PSF and the Python development team since April 2003 (nearly a decade).

I have two reasons for running for the board:

1. To make sure that there is board representation of python-dev by an actively contributing core developer
2. To improve the level of discourse on psf-members

Point 1 is to simply make sure that the needs of the development team which maintain the programming language we have all rallied around are met.

Point 2 is in reaction to sometimes abhorrent exchanges that have occurred on psf-members over the past year. I want to see change there, so I am deciding to be *that* change by running for the board to be in a position to do what I can to make psf-members a pleasant place to discuss any relevant topic.

----


Tarek Ziadé
===========

*New Board Member*

I am a Python developer at Mozilla, I have created the French Python user Group (Afpy), write some books in French & english about Python and tried to help in the packaging issues.


I want to be a board member to do the following:

1. create a website like https://reps.mozilla.org/people for the Python community - a place that lists community members & their actions
2. help in the ongoing effort of have a network of local PSF representatives

----

Brian Curtin
============

*Current Board Member*

I was elected to the board in 2012, and was elected to the membership in 2011.

I've been involved with the following efforts around the Python community:

* Communications. I'm currently the PSF's Communications Officer, and I'm the lead and basically sole member of the Communications Committee. In this capacity, I've written many blog posts for the PSF blog, have done several email campaigns to get news out, and have kept our followers connected on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. I also maintain the PSF sections of the website.

* PyCon. I've been involved with PyCon since 2010 on the program committee, but my primary contribution has been communications related. For PyCon 2011 I ran a series of interviews to drum up publicity, and for PyCon 2012 and 2013 I was/am the formal Publicity Coordinator. In this capacity I have publicized just about every aspect of the conference through a heavy blogging and email campaign, along with extensive use of Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. I've also gained experience and several contacts in the tech news scene, whom I hope to leverage when it comes to some of the more publicly interesting PSF actions.

* Sprints. I've been involved with the Sprints Committee since its inception, and became the leader of the committee. I've done some outreach to get groups interested in doing sprints, and through my previously mentioned communications work, I keep my ear low to the ground and try to chime in when I see sprints being organized (via the 100+ user group mailing lists I follow). Although the committee is mostly on "cruise control" a great deal of the time, I do some writing and also handle reimbursements.

* New Website. I've been involved somewhat in the early portions of the redesign project for proposal reviewing, but I've been more involved post-selection. I'm currently working with the team on sample content as they design certain parts, and I'll be involved in generating copy for the final site.

* CPython. This has become a smaller part of my time than I'd like, but I'm still close with the core team and contribute in bursts every few months. I tend to look after the Windows side of things - the installer, winreg, os module, etc.

As for my 2013 plans:

* Increase visibility both at the board level and the greater PSF level. The occasional news we put out is fine and well and it gets good uptake, but I'd like to turn it up. When it comes to public news generated by the PSF, I'd like to consider using formal press releases like we do for PyCon and leverage the press relationships I've started to build from that. When it comes to the board, I'd like to help keep the membership closer in tune to what's going on. When it comes to the committees, I'd like to make sure everyone knows who they are, what they're doing, and why they're doing it. Some of this work is website work, and some of it is just more frequent and detailed email reporting. The community and membership want and deserve more information.

* Extend our hands to the global community. The 2012 board had tossed around some ideas and I think it's time to get something going. I'd like to see us identify leaders in local communities around the globe and give them a direct pipeline into the PSF (via a committee of members, and at least one board member), perhaps calling them representatives (regional, country, etc). I want to make sure user groups are informed and connected to the PSF's news, funds, resources, and network so that not only we can help them, but they can help us.

* Get more people involved. This ties in with the visibility issue, but we have a lot of things that are ripe for contribution, and a lot of people not sure what they can do around here. We have a number of committees currently in operation, and we probably have more ideas than we know what to do with. I would like to present more information about what we have and try to spark some new committees so that there's more of a sense of accomplishment than the PSF being "just a mailing list". I've felt that way and a lot of people have - let's do something about it.

I was honored to have been elected in 2012, and would be honored to serve again in 2013.

----

Noah Kantrowitz
================

*New board member*

I am a web developer for Opscode, a server tools startup in Seattle, though I'm based in the San Francisco area. I have been a Python developer since 2005, initially working on the Trac bug tracker and then the broader Python web world. Since 2007 I have been involved with PyCon US as an organizer and reviewer. I am also currently the lead of the PSF infrastructure team. In my capacity as the infrastructure lead I have helped stabilize and secure many python.org services, most recently providing high-security SSL to PyPI. I have also worked with the PyPy team to migrate their services to PSF hardware, improving their reliability and accessibility.

I would like to see the PSF board continue to move forward in its support of the broader Python community. I want the PSF to be seen as the first place to go for help when improving Python as a language, an orgnaization, or a family.

Over the next year I would like to:

* Continue the migration and growth of the OSU OSL private cloud infrastructure.

* Work with the new part-time Operations team.

* Expand the PSF's interaction with other organizations such as the PyPy team and the evolving Community Sysadmin group.

* Improve and support the running of PyCon and other conferences.

* Evangelize the Python Mentors and SpeakUp projects to bring more people into the fold.

---

Tim Peters
==========

*2012 Board Member*

I've been on the PSF Board from its inception, the sole surviving member of the Institutional Memory Party. As the years go by, I do less on the Board - but still occasionally say something useful ;-) I'm happy to serve again, but since I seem to be switching to the Old And In The Way Party, would also be happy to see someone more engaged replace me.

----

Paul Everitt
============

*Newish Board Member*


I am a partner with Agendaless Consulting in Virginia. I started using Python in 1993 and attended the first workshop. Greg Stein and I served on the PSF bootstrapping board and I served on the first PSF board. Before that, I was involved in various capacities in the PSA and the original Python conferences. I was co-founder of Zope and also helped start the Plone Foundation, serving in various capacities (executive director, board member, president.)

My experience with the PSF though is outdated, a wrong that I'd like to right. I enjoy the non-technical aspects of organizing, the grungy work of organizing, and the puzzle that is humanity.

I want to serve on the PSF board for personal reasons: I miss all my old friendships and want to make new ones, but also, I owe so much to Python and am overdue on giving back. Specifically, I am interested in:

* As the now-junior person, doing the crummy administrative work that needs attention and re-earning credentials

* Supporting the existing board members' work on outreach, diversity, and regionalizing

* Helping the PSF renew or reinvent itself, reaching a point of joy and purpose

* Ensuring that the PSF, in current or new form, is an effective organization with clear, finite purpose and the resources to get stuff done

----

Alex Gaynor
===========

*New board member*

I am a software engineer working for Rdio, and living in San Francisco. I'm a core developer of PyPy, CPython, and Django as well as the creator of Topaz (a Ruby implementation in RPython). I currently serve on the board of the Django Software Foundation. I'm active in the PyCon program committee.

As a member of the DSF board I am involved in:

* Require codes of conduct for events the DSF sponsors.
* Guiding the selection of the site for future DjangoCons.
* Supporting conferences and individuals in the Django community.

My goals as a board member would be:

* Continuing to make the Python community bigger, more open, welcoming, and diverse.
* Improving the structure of the PSF to better allow members and the community to contribute to fulfilling our mission.
* Assist Noah and the infrastructure/operations teams in modernizing and improving the Python web presence.
* Assist PyCon and the community of international Python conferences in effectively promoting and representing the Python community.

----

Frank Wiles
==============

*New Board Member.*

Frank is well-known in the Django community as one of the two managing partners of Revolution Systems and for his leadership role. I have no hesitation in recommending him as a director for the Foundation. He will complete this biography himself. *Steve Holden*


Please use the following format::

 Candidate Name
 ==============

 *2012 Board Member.* or *New Board Member.*

 Description.

 ----
Hello, dear friend! My name is Kelsey. I am happy that I could unify to the entire world. I live in Great Britain, in the region. I dream to visit the different countries, to look for acquainted with fascinating individuals.<<BR>>
<<BR>>
Also visit my website - Mike Dillard (www.xing.com)

Hello, dear friend! My name is Kelsey. I am happy that I could unify to the entire world. I live in Great Britain, in the region. I dream to visit the different countries, to look for acquainted with fascinating individuals.

Also visit my website - Mike Dillard (www.xing.com)

PythonSoftwareFoundation/BoardCandidates2013 (last edited 2014-05-24 22:55:57 by DaleAthanasias)

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