Wikimedia Foundation Board Governance Committee

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The Board Governance Committee (BGC) is responsible for ensuring the Board effectively fulfills its responsibilities. The BGC administers officer elections, Board committee appointments, Board needs (skills, experience) and trustee evaluations (via a 3rd party), trustee appointment process (for appointed trustees) and other activities relating to general Board effectiveness. For a full explanation of the WMF Board Governance Committee's responsibilities, please refer to its Board Governance Committee Charter. Please refer to the Board Handbook for more information on WMF's Board.

The committee can be contacted privately at bgc-lwikimedia.org or publicly on this talk page.

Background and founding

The committee was established on 17 April 2010 with an interim committee consisting of the WMF board members Matt Halprin (chair), Jan-Bart de Vreede and Ting Chen. The committee was briefly assisted by Sal Giambanco from the Omidyar Network. It submitted a report with initial recommendations to the WMF board, which were implemented. The Board established the BGC as an official sub-committee with a charter and defined tasks.

2021-2022

• Dariusz Jemielniak (Chair)
• Shani Evenstein Sigalov
• Nataliia Tymkiv
• Lorenzo Losa (Alternate)
• Lisa Lewin (Alternate)
• Amanda Keton (General Counsel; Staff Liaison)

2019-2021

• Lisa Lewin (Chair)
• Dariusz Jemielniak
• Maria Sefidari
• Esra'a Al Shafei (an alternate)

Non-voting advisory members:

• Gayle Karen Young
• Tim Moritz Hector
• Ido Ivri
• Kat Walsh

Staff liaisons:

• Chuck Roslof

2018-2019

• Nataliia Tymkiv (Chair)
• James Heilman
• Dariusz Jemielniak
• Raju Narisetti
• Maria Sefidari

Non-voting advisory members:

• Ira B. Matetsky
• Gayle Karen Young
• Tim Moritz Hector
• Ido Ivri
• Kat Walsh

Staff liaisons:

• Chuck Roslof

2017-2018

Since August 2017:

• Nataliia Tymkiv (Chair)
• James Heilman
• Christophe Henner
• Dariusz Jemielniak
• Jimmy Wales

Non-voting advisory members:

• Ira B. Matetsky
• Gayle Karen Young
• Tim Moritz Hector
• Ido Ivri
• Kat Walsh

2016-2017

Composition 2016-2017

Since June 2016, the BGC has been composed of:

• Nataliia Tymkiv (Chair)
• Kelly Battles
• Christophe Henner
• Dariusz Jemielniak (Liaison with the Election Committee)

Since August 2016, the BGC also includes non-voting members:

• Ira B. Matetsky
• Gayle Karen Young
• Tim Moritz Hector
• Ido Ivri
• Kat Walsh
• James Heilman

Minutes 2016-2017

• Minutes 07-08-2016
• Minutes 25-08-2016
• Minutes 20-10-2016
• Minutes 09-12-2016
• Minutes 13-04-2017
• Minutes 16-06-2017

Ongoing tasks

• Board recruitment for two vacant appointed seats

2015-2016

Composition 2015-2016

From March 2016 to June 2016 the BGC was composed of:

• Dariusz Jemielniak (Chair)
• Frieda Brioschi
• Alice Wiegand
• Guy Kawasaki

From July 2015 to March 2016 the BGC was composed of:

• Dariusz Jemielniak (Chair)
• Frieda Brioschi
• Alice Wiegand

Discussions

• Board member search (on board wiki)
• Affiliates selected seats (user groups role) (on board wiki)
• Ad-hoc-group backlog (on board wiki)

2014-2015

Composition 2014-2015

From August 2014 to July 2015 the BGC has been composed of:

• María Sefidari (chair)
• Phoebe Ayers
• Patricio Lorente

Meetings 2014-2015

This year, we are meeting at each in-person board meeting, and we have a standing weekly online meeting (First on Thursdays, then moved to Fridays at 10:00a PST, 19:00 CET, 14:00 ART).

• August 20, 2014 (hangout) notes (minutes on board wiki: [1])
• August 28, 2014 (hangout) notes -- includes agenda for this year for the BGC (minutes on board wiki: [2])
• September 5, 2014 (hangout) notes (minutes on board wiki: [3])
• September 12, 2014 (hangout)
• September 19, 2014 (hangout)
• September 26, 2014 (hangout)
• October 3, 2014 (hangout)
• October 10, 2014 (hangout)
• October 17, 2014 (hangout)
• October 24, 2014 (hangout)
• October 31, 2014 (hangout)
• November 14, 2014 (hangout)

2013-2014

Composition 2013-2014

Since October 2012 through the BGC has been composed of:

• Alice Wiegand (chair)
• Jan-Bart de Vreede
• Ana Toni
• María Sefidari

Agenda 2013-2014

There are several tasks the BGC wants to address in this term. You find topics, timeframes and more on Agenda 2013-2014.

Minutes 2013-2014

• Minutes 08-09-2013 (no minutes on Board wiki)
• Minutes 11-24-2013 (minutes on Board wiki: [4])
• April 25, 2014 (minutes on Board wiki: [5])

2012-2013

Composition 2012-2013

From October 2012 (Board Meeting in San Francisco) until August 2014, the BGC has been composed of:

• Alice Wiegand (chair)
• Kat Walsh
• Ting Chen

Agenda 2012-2013

There are several tasks the BGC wants to address in this term. You find topics, timeframes and more on Agenda 2012-2013.

Minutes 2012-2013

• Minutes 10-28-2012 (minutes on Board wiki: [6])
• Minutes 01-31-2013 (minutes on Board wiki: [7])
• Minutes 04-17-2013 (minutes on Board wiki: [8])
• Minutes 04-19-2013 (minutes on Board wiki: [9])

2011-2012

From August 2011 (Haifa) until October 2012 the BGC was composed of:

• Matt Halprin (chair)
• Arne Klempert
• Ting Chen

2010-2011

From inception in April 2010 until August 2011 (Haifa Board meeting) the BGC was composed of:

• Matt Halprin (chair)
• Jan-Bart de Vreede
• Ting Chen

See also

• Comments from BGC Chair Matt Halprin in February of 2012 on the Traits of a great WMF Trustee.
• Wikimedia Foundation Board Governance Committee Charter