Re: Minor change to Board practice

[Dave Neary <bolsh gnome org>]

Hi,

Jeff Waugh wrote:
> We'd like the officers of the GNOME Foundation to reflect the current state
> and practice of the Board, and recommend this as best practice for future
> Boards, so here is what we're going to do:
> 
>  1. Request a letter of resignation from Miguel (as that is the only way for
>     the office of President to become vacant)
> 
>  2. Appoint the Chairman (Quim) and Vice-Chairman (Anne) as President and
>     Vice-President
> 
>  3. Recommend that future Boards appoint the President and Vice-President
>     from elected directors annually (instead of Chairman and Vice-Chairman)

I think there's value in having a figurehead president divorced from the
day-to-day running of things - a symbolic figure who is a patron of the
foundation (like, say, the Irish president who doesn't run the country,
or the Queen in Australia).

There is an advantage too - you get to choose your president from
outside of the community, and have it be someone with major weight in
higher orbits - a Jonathan Schwarz or Michael Tiemann (or, indeed,
Miguel de Icaza, in spite of him still being firmly in the community).

If you're doing away with the symbolic president, then it probably makes
sense to throw in a second procedural change, and have that person
elected to the position, rather than nominated from within the board.

Cheers,
Dave.

-- 
Dave Neary
GNOME Foundation member
bolsh gnome org