Poof! Shaman Holly Million, Gnome’s Executive Director Disappears on July 31
Quoting: Poof! Shaman Holly Million, Gnome's Executive Director Disappears on July 31 - FOSS Force —
That was quick! Less than nine months after taking the reins as the Gnome Foundation’s executive director, Holly Million announced that she’s leaving the organization that’s behind one of the Linux operating system’s two most used desktop environments.
From the beginning there has been a bit of controversy about Million’s role at Gnome, mostly centering around her extracurricular activities as a self-ordained shaman-for-hire.
Update
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GNOME Foundation Announces Transition of Executive Director
The GNOME Foundation has announced that executive director Holly Million is stepping down at the end of July, and will be replaced by Richard Littauer as interim executive director:
On behalf of the whole GNOME community, the Board of Directors would like to give our utmost thanks to Holly for her achievements during the past 10 months, including drafting a bold five-year strategic plan for the Foundation, securing two important fiscal sponsorship agreements with GIMP and Black Python Devs, writing our first funding proposal that will now enable the Foundation to apply for more grants, vastly improving our financial operations, and implementing a break-even budget to preserve our financial reserves.
The Foundation's Interim Executive Director, Richard Littauer, brings years of open source leadership as part of his work as an organizer of SustainOSS and CURIOSS, as a sustainability coordinator at the Open Source Initiative, and as a community development manager at Open Source Collective, and through open source contributions to many projects, such as Node.js and IPFS. The Board appointed Richard in June and is confident in his ability to guide the Foundation during this transitional period.
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GNOME Foundation Executive Director Departing After Less Than One Year
It was just announced at the end of last year that Holly Million was named as the GNOME Foundation Executive Director. After a little more than a half-year, this previous outsider to GNOME announced she will be stepping down from her post.
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GNOME Foundation News: GNOME Foundation Announces Transition of Executive Director
Today, the GNOME Foundation announces that Holly Million will be departing from her role as Executive Director of the GNOME Foundation. An Interim Executive Director, Richard Littauer, has joined the Foundation this week. This arrangement ensures a smooth transition and continuity as we prepare for a new Executive Director search. Holly’s last day will be July 31, and she and Richard will be able to coordinate their efforts during this period.
“I’m very proud of what I have accomplished in my time with GNOME,” Holly said, “and I am dedicated to working with Richard through a transition to ensure that everything I have been working on is handed off smoothly. I will be pursuing a PhD in Psychology and dedicating myself to my own private practice. I want to thank all the wonderful people I have had the pleasure of connecting with here at GNOME, including the staff, board, advisors, founders, and volunteers. You have created something of real value in the world, and I look forward to seeing what you do next.”
Also see: Difficult Times in GNOME Foundation
Linuxiac:
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Holly Million Steps Down as GNOME Foundation Executive Director
Barely nine months after her inauguration, the GNOME Foundation revealed that Holly Million will be stepping down as Executive Director, effective July 31, 2024. Richard Littauer, a veteran in the open-source community, has been appointed as the Interim Executive Director to ensure a seamless transition.
Holly Million’s tenure, though brief, was marked by substantial contributions, including the drafting of a comprehensive five-year strategic plan and securing pivotal fiscal sponsorship agreements with GIMP and Black Python Devs.
Additionally, her efforts in financial management culminated in a break-even budget that fortified the Foundation’s financial reserves. Holly thanked the community as she prepared to depart and shared her aspirations: “I’m very proud of what I have accomplished… I will be pursuing a PhD in Psychology and dedicating myself to my own private practice.“
Lunduke:
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GNOME's Shaman Departs as Executive Director after 9 Months on the Job
Whoever the new Executive Director ends up being, that person will inherit a foundation in dire financial circumstances, with no viable plan to return to profitability. And, even though GNOME may be a "non-profit" foundation... losing money regularly is simply not sustainable.
Did the GNOME Foundation learn a lesson from the folly of the outgoing Executive Director? Will they select a new Director who will be better equipped to return the GNOME Foundation to profitability and sustainability?