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New Planet GNOME and GNOME Foundation’s New Executive Director
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Felipe Borges: It’s alive! Welcome to the new Planet GNOME!
A few months ago, I announced that I was working on a new implementation of Planet GNOME, powered by GitLab Pages. This work has reached a point where we’re ready to flip the switch and replace the old Planet website.
You can check it out at planet.gnome.org
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GNOME ☛ So long, and thanks for all the fish
I knew this day would come at some point. It is time for me to say farewell to the GNOME Foundation in my capacity as the Interim Executive Director.
Last summer, Rob McQueen messaged me in mid-June asking if I could come on and help GNOME out as the Interim Executive Director. I had applied for the position the year before, and so he was familiar with my work. Some of the other board members knew me well, too – Karen Sandler and Michael Downey had both crossed my paths many times through SustainOSS. Rob wanted me to start as soon as possible, and to fill in as much as I could.
I told him, in no uncertain tones, that this was flat-out impossible.
First, I was one week away from moving to New Zealand from Vermont. The international move had been planned for a couple of years, and was right in the middle of happening. I had signed on to do a PhD at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington. I already had a job as one of the co-organizers of CURIOSS and SustainOSS, where I also hosted a weekly podcast. And I had a job as a language consultant, making languages for novelists. I didn’t have a house lined up in Wellington. I would be arriving in winter.
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GNOME ☛ Introducing Myself
I’m incredibly excited to serve the GNOME Foundation as its new full-time Executive Director.
As Richard mentioned, I am receiving the baton from him, after his tenure as the GNOME Foundation’s interim Executive Director. Richard helped guide the Foundation through some rough terrain and, after all that, I’m especially grateful that Richard has been so generous with his time. All the best, Richard. Thank you for everything you do! It always feels good to make a new friend like Richard and I don’t think he’ll be a stranger to the GNOME community, even once he’s neck-deep in his PhD thesis.
It is precisely that community — that global network of friends — that has me so excited to work with the GNOME Foundation. The word “excited” really doesn’t do it justice. I have been involved in many free software, open design, and open docs efforts over the years. But none of those have the gargantuan history, community, and installed base of GNOME. It is a privilege to serve GNOME, and I’m grateful. That gratitude is the entire reason I’m here and I’d like to take the rest of this post to explain where that feeling comes from — and what I hope to do with it.
Update
More here:
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GNOME Foundation Has a New Executive Director! (And He's Not a Shaman!)
After years of chaos, financial uncertainty, and bizarre antics...
The Register:
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GNOME Foundation's new executive director is Canadian, a techie, and a GNOME user
The GNOME Foundation has hired a new executive director to lead the organization, acting as GNOME's public face and leading the non-profit's fundraising efforts.
In a post simply titled "Introducing Myself," new boss Steven Deobald does just that. He takes over a tough job from interim executive director Richard Littauer, who had the job for nearly a year. Littauer's valediction, pleasingly titled "So long, and thanks for all the fish," explains how he took on a job he didn't want at a difficult time.
Deobald indirectly takes over from GNOME's last full-time ED, Holly Million. As someone who practiced an unusual minority religion, Million received some nasty vitriol in some of the lower circles of FOSS, and left the role about nine months later. We can't blame her.
One more:
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GNOME Foundation Appoints a New Executive Director
The GNOME Foundation has appointed Steven Deobald as its new Executive Director, filling the position left open by Holly Million’s resignation last year.
The GNOME Foundation has faced numerous challenges of late, including funding issues, the mysterious and controversial ban of a key member and contributor, and the appointment of Million as the previous Executive Director. The foundation needs a steady hand and solid leadership at the moment, and its clearly hoped that Deobald will provide that.
Interestingly, while Deobald comes from a strong tech and open source background, he admits he’s a newcomer to the GNOME project itself.
LWN:
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GNOME Foundation announces new executive director
The GNOME Foundation has announced the hiring of Steven Deobald as its new executive director.