> Begin forwarded message: > > From: Nataliia Tymkiv <[email protected]> > Subject: [All-affiliates] Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees Selection - > Candidate Ballot > Date: October 3, 2025 at 12:09:38 PM MDT > To: Wikimedia Mailing List <[email protected]> > Cc: Wikimedia Affiliates <[email protected]> > Reply-To: Wikimedia All-Affiliates <[email protected]> > > This message is being translated into other languages on Meta-wiki. العربية > • español • français • português • 中文. You can help with more languages. > <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/October_2025_update> > Dear all, > > I am writing to you from Kyiv to follow up on the announcement made by the > Elections Committee on 21 August, and to share the list of candidates for the > 2025 Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees election. The voting period will > be open from October 8 - October 23 and we hope that everyone who can vote > will do so: you can check your voter eligibility here > <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections/2025/Voter_eligibility_guidelines>. > > Based on the process outlined below, including mutual discussions with > candidates about their own wishes to advance further in the process, the > Board has unanimously decided that four candidates will be on the ballot for > the 2025 elections: Bobby Shabangu, James Alexander, Michał Buczyński, and > Wojciech Pędzich. > > We encourage all other 8 eligible candidates who submitted their candidacies > this year to consider participating in future Board elections or for other > leadership and governance positions in the movement. One goal of the Board is > to develop these leaders for our movement, including growing future Trustees, > by identifying opportunities for all volunteers who put their names forward > for this and prior board elections. > > The steps we took to improve our processes > <https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Board_of_Trustees_Candidate_Review_Process> > this year were based on more consistency and standardisation between how all > candidates are seated irrespective of their pathway to joining the board > (e.g., community-and-affiliate selected and board-selected). As in past > years, this included background checks, media checks, reference checks, and > an interview with members of the Board’s Governance Committee, but this year > this was all done before the voting. > > The interview for any candidate joining the Board is used to assess more > subjective criteria like a candidate’s judgment, discernment, discretion, and > ability to engage in the duties and requirements of being a Trustee, some of > which can be complex and difficult to measure. These conversations typically > cover topics like conflicts of interest, fiduciary obligations of Trustees, a > track record of commitment to Wikimedia’s core principles and values (e.g., > upholding NPOV, managing COIs, etc.), as well as a candidate’s understanding > of the Board’s Code of Conduct > <https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Code_of_Conduct_of_the_Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_of_Trustees> > and other governance policies, and what these policies require of Trustees. > > This is based on best practices and process improvements as well as the > increased stakes of achieving our mission now and into the future. Now more > than ever, the Foundation needs a strongly unified board committed to > collective decision-making responsibilities that can help steer the > organisation and our movement through difficult global headwinds, and also at > a time in which we will have leadership transitions in both the Board Chair > and CEO roles. > > This year, these steps were taken ahead of the community voting instead of > after. This change will ensure that all candidates on the ballot are ready > and able to be seated. It also helps avoid a situation where the Board is > unable to implement the outcome following the community vote. At the end of > the voting period on October 23, following the results and scrutiny of the > vote, the Board will vote to appoint the final two candidates at the December > 2025 Board meeting. > > The process steps here explain how we arrived at this decision, including > subjective assessments true for any selection process. Our decisions relate > entirely to the factors listed above. > > We invite your questions on the talk page > <https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/October_2025_update> > of this message on Meta, and are always available for conversations with > anyone who would like to speak with Foundation Trustees and executives > through the Let’s Talk initiative (sign up here on Meta > <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Community_Affairs_Committee/Let%27s_Talk>). > > > Best regards, > antanana / Nataliia Tymkiv > Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees > > NOTICE: You may have received this message outside of your normal working > hours/days, as I usually can work more as a volunteer during weekend. You > should not feel obligated to answer it during your days off. Thank you in > advance! > > _______________________________________________ > All-affiliates mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
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