Many years ago, Maggie, James and I were on the team when Stephen was
hired, and it was obvious then that he had incredible leadership potential.
I remember Geoff commenting on it as well. It’s great to see a movement
insider step into this role now. Stephen has absolutely earned this and I
am very happy for him (as I’m sure so many of the “old timers” are.)
Congrats on a role well deserved, Stephen, and Amanda, thank you for your
incredible service to the movement. I can tell you from experience that
you’re about to want to sleep for a month….
Philippe
(Former staff….. a LONG time ago!)
On Wed, Jan 11, 2023 at 11:36 AM Nataliia Tymkiv <ntymkiv(a)wikimedia.org>
wrote:
Dear Amanda,
Throughout these past few years, I had a pleasure of working with you more
closely than is “a normal usual” for the Board’s Vice-Chair or Chair, and I
am sure your next chapter will be quite interesting and wish you all the
best with all of your undertakings!
I would like to thank you for all your hard work at the Wikimedia
Foundation on behalf of the Board of Trustees – you had an impressive
learning curve, and found yourself playing multiple roles in the
organisation during your tenure – ranging from General Counsel, Head of
the Legal Department, Board Secretary and staff liaison to board
committees, and one of three members of the Transition Team. In all your
roles you were supporting the Foundation’s work, and though some phases
were more demanding than others – we appreciate you supporting the
Foundation with us on this journey.
The Legal Department under your leadership was one of the most consistent,
reliable and professional departments in the Foundation, and it helped us
navigate through difficult times, especially now that Foundation is under
increasing pressure from undemocratic governments and disinformation
campaigns.
One of the traits of a strong and thoughtful leader is building a
succession plan from Day One, and I wanted to stress how the Board values
your intentionality in this – that you recognised, mentored and elevated
Stephen LaPorte (whom a lot of community members know as a member of the
Wiki Loves Monuments International Team) as your next in line, and that you
will remain available to help ensure a smooth transition.
The Board is confident that Stephen will support the Foundation’s work on
the mission going forward, and thanks you for setting a good example to
follow on how succession and transition plans should be handled.
With thanks and best wishes,
antanana / Nataliia Tymkiv
Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
*NOTICE: You may have received this message outside of your normal working
hours/days, as I usually can work more as a volunteer during weekend. You
should not feel obligated to answer it during your days off. Thank you in
advance!*
On Wed, Jan 11, 2023 at 6:33 PM Amanda Keton <aketon(a)wikimedia.org> wrote:
Dear fellow Wikimedians,
I came to Wikimedia 3.5 years ago to build our global advocacy profile,
transform our legal team to further support the Foundation’s global
ambitions, partner with the Board to reform its Governance practices, and
ensure that the Foundation was ready to meet regulatory requirements
arising across the world. I am very proud of how much of this has been
accomplished, even in the midst of significant organizational change and
transition.
When Maryana joined in January, I began a long-term conversation with her
about how I could set her up for success as our new CEO, while also
identifying a capable successor for the General Counsel role. We have been
working on this plan together for the past year so that I could oversee a
robust succession plan while also planning ahead for more time to begin
exploring my next adventure. As you know, we appointed Stephen LaPorte as
Deputy General Counsel in July. He will succeed me as the Foundation’s
next General Counsel on February 1, 2023.
I am so excited about the chapter ahead for all of us, and for the role
that Wikimedia has to play in advancing the mission of free knowledge and
open access across the world. When I reflect back on my time at the
Foundation, I am proud of so many things:
- In late 2020, I was asked by the Board of Trustees to provide
leadership at a critical time for the organization and to help us navigate
our path forward. This period for the transition team was rewarding and
challenging, but it certainly took its toll!
- Growing our global advocacy team from a mention in the medium-term
plan into a small and very mighty team.
- We commissioned the first Human rights impact assessment, developed
a Human Rights policy & responded to several situations with real-world
implications.
- Numerous Litigation fights and victories.
- Supporting the board of trustees in their own journey to optimize
their governance of the Foundation.
It has been an honor to serve and lead our amazing Legal team. Though my
role will shift, I will continue to be a Wikimedian, cheering the movement
on toward future success because the world needs us now more than ever!
In solidarity,
Amanda (she/they)
General Counsel, Wikimedia Foundation
--
Amanda Keton (she/they)
General Counsel
Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>
*NOTICE: This message may be confidential or legally privileged. If you
have received it by accident, please delete it and let us know about the
mistake. As an attorney for the Wikimedia Foundation, for legal and ethical
reasons, I cannot give legal advice to, or serve as a lawyer for, community
members, volunteers, or staff members in their personal capacity. For more
on what this means, please see our legal disclaimer
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Legal_Disclaimer>.*
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