Global Resource Distribution Committee/Creation of the interim GRDC/Candidates/Peaceray
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Peaceray (this is my nickname; my legal name is Raymond F. Leonard Jr.) ([[User:User:Peaceray|User:Peaceray]])
edit| Preferred name | Peaceray (this is my nickname; my legal name is Raymond F. Leonard Jr.) | |
|---|---|---|
| Language capabilities (native or professional / advanced / basic) | English; I can read a bit of French, Italian, & Spanish. | |
| Region and country you identify with | North America / United States | |
| Interim GRDC seats you are running for and why (regional volunteer/thematic volunteer) | regional volunteer | |
| Do you have any topic or area of specialization within the Wikimedia movement? (max 1000 characters) | On enwiki, book citations, Wikignome, film, welcome committee, page patrol (largely based on my watchlist). I have a wide variety of interests. Wikidata has my second most edits, then Commons. See xtools.wmcloud.org/ec/en.wikipedia.org/Peaceray to get a quanitative assessment of where & what I edit. Also see commons:Category:Peaceray presentations. | |
| Have you ever held any role or position, either current or past, in the Wikimedia movement? (max 1000 characters) | Cascadia Wikimedia board member, enwiki administrator, WCNA organizer, Wikimedia Conference attendee 2016–2018 | |
| Why are you interested in the interim GRDC and what can you contribute? (max 1000 characters) | At the NARWHAL/February 2025 meeting, I learned no one from North America had applied yet. I wish to ensure our region is represented. I also want to broaden my contributions as a Wikimedian to the movement & to the spead of free knowledge & Wikiculture. | |
| Please share any volunteering or professional experience relevant for the interim GRDC (role, organization, years) (max 1000 characters) | I have served a year each on two different food cooperative boards. I have also been on the board of a few non-profits, the Northwest Intentional Communities Association (NICA), New Culture Northwest (defunct), & Cascadia Wikimedians (the latter still an affiliate, but no longer has non-profit status). I have also volunteered for the Seattle International Film Festival, the Port Townsend Film Festival, & this year's Sundance Film Festival. | |
| Describe your skills and experience relevant to the interim GRDC (max 1500 characters) | I had training in Project Management as a software developer in the mid-90s & mid-00s. I have an BA in English & Psychology & an MS in Library & Information Studies. I have worked a lot with MS Office & some with Libre Office for word processing, spreadsheets, & presentations, & a bit of experience with MS Project. For the first 15 years of my IT work, I worked within teams although I also did individual projects. My next 15 years I worked on IT support teams. In my roles as a food co-op board member, I did have exposure to balance sheets detailing assets & liabilities. I also received basic training in balance sheets as a Reference Librarian Intern at the Wharton School of Business's Lippincott Library ('89–'90). I am also familiar with consensus processes, having had a Movement for a New Society training & partaking in the Rainbow Gathering consensus process during the 12 consecutive years that I went. | |
| Describe your understanding of the Wikimedia Movement's current resource distribution process. (max 1500 characters) | I am most familiar about the current resource distribution process as a recipient of scholarships & as a commenter / endorser in the Grants namespace. However, heretofore this activity has only been for events in North America. | |
| How do you think the GRDC could improve the current situation and which priorities do you think it should have? (max 1500 characters) | For accountability, I think that we should develop a mentorship / tutorial process to assist recipient reporting. It may be that some recipients will alreday have this knowledge, but some may lack it. I am mindful of my elder son's volunteer work with Babson College in assisting with national high school business plan competitions in Ghana & Uganda. Clearly there was enough knowledge to get to the national competion, but having mentorship from a recogized business school helped. The more that we can standardize & provide templates or forms / spreadsheets to provide a uniform result, the better. | |
| By the end of the pilot in two years, what should the GRDC have accomplished and how should we measure its success? (max 1500 characters) | To regurgitate a bit, the GRDC is tasked to set regional, thematic and other funding allocations, including principles for distributing funds between regions and regular allocations to thematic and / or ad hoc funding envelopes to adapt & improve resource distribution structures, strategies, and standards, & to ensure mutual accountability for funds distribution.
To me this means:
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