Brian Cameron - Stepping down from the board

[Brian Cameron <brian cameron oracle com>]

Friends in the GNOME community:

After serving 4 terms on The GNOME Foundation board of directors, I will
be stepping down at the end of this term.

I would like to thank everyone in the community who has supported me
and allowed me to represent them on this board.  It has been a
profoundly rewarding and truly inspirational experience to help The
GNOME Foundation and GNOME community to grow.

The years that I have served on the board have been exciting and
productive times.  I am proud to have served as president and secretary;
to have been involved with the development, release and celebration
surrounding the GNOME 3 release; and to have helped with the
development of successful GNOME programs like the Outreach Program for
Women.  In my time on the board, I have witnessed so much growth within
the community.  Since then, the GNOME Foundation has hired two executive
directors, started having successful annual summits in Asia, and has
more than doubled the number of hackfests held each year.  Just to
mention a few highlights.

My stepping down should not be viewed as me becoming less involved
with GNOME.  I plan to continue working on GNOME for Oracle and expect
that I will continue helping the GNOME Foundation and community in
many ways.  I mostly feel that it is just time for me to step down to
reclaim some of my life back.  4.5 years (including one 18-month term
in 2008-2009) is a long time to serve on The GNOME Foundation board of
directors.  I believe that only Jonathan Blandford served as a board
member for a longer period of time (5 years).

With the two most senior board members (Germán and myself) both
stepping down at the end of this term, it is especially important for
passionate people to serve the community.  So I again encourage people
who are considering to run for the board to step forward.  It is a great
way to increase one's involvement with GNOME and free software and to
help make sure that GNOME continues to rock.

Brian