I just wanted to make that clear because it's broader than just these individual candidates.
On Wed, Oct 15, 2025, 5:50 p.m. Hannah Clover <[email protected]> wrote: > And some of this desire for change is for all of that to change. As I've > been saying, a lot of people have years long frustrations with how the > board has operated. > > On Wed, Oct 15, 2025, 5:28 p.m. Lorenzo <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Hi everyone, I'm writing on behalf of the Board of Trustees. >> >> Since the announcement >> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/October_2025_update> >> of >> the final ballot and further >> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/October_2025_update#More_answers_on_the_Board's_decision_on_the_2025_final_ballot> >> messages >> <https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]/message/OKNCCC4USJ2YGU3H4OXI3OYEIUUGDMLV/>, >> we have been closely following conversations over the past week. We agree >> with the sentiments that we do not have an ideal process for board >> selection, and as such, we are continuously reviewing it and attempting >> improvements. This ranges from the role of various stakeholders in the >> short-listing process, the timeline of the selection, to the steps required >> by the Board's own bylaws, and to the most effective way of communicating >> decisions to our movement. >> >> The change we implemented this year - vetting candidates before the vote, >> instead of after - was made in order to ensure that we don't ask the >> community to vote for people that we will not be able to seat. This might >> not have been the best choice, and we will rediscuss it for future >> selections. The checks themselves, however, haven't changed: they are the >> same I went through four years ago when I joined the board, including the >> background check, media check and the vetting interview. >> >> We understand that some of you disagree with the decision we have taken >> regarding individual candidates. Unfortunately, it is not something we are >> able to provide more information about. Part of our duty is to protect the >> users and the projects, and sometimes that means not sharing publicly >> information that may harm them or the movement, even when the community >> demands it, or some of the people affected demand it. In this case, we have >> discussed the reasons with the candidates, but it's not appropriate for us >> or them to bring them here. >> I realize this is frustrating - it is also for us. Even before the >> announcement, we knew that this decision would receive harsh criticism, and >> we knew that we could not fully respond to it. >> >> The Board's Governance Committee >> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Governance_Committee> >> (which >> is tasked with overseeing the selection process) welcomes specific >> proposals and ideas for reform here on this talk page >> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/October_2025_update>. >> We have time before the next selection cycle (scheduled for 2027) to make >> both incremental improvements and large-scale changes. The Governance >> Committee and the Board will carefully consider them. We commit to work on >> improvements of the selection process, and working with the communities and >> the affiliates, to make this process better for all stakeholders, including >> for the Board itself. >> >> Lorenzo Losa >> Chair-Elect, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- [email protected], guidelines >> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >> Public archives at >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]/message/JNCRLJEKFSRKCIMXHUIGJVTNOWTQNDN5/ >> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > >
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