I think that we're discussing two related but distinct themes in this thread. One of them is the organization of the consultation, and the other is the substance of the strategy.
I will be very interested to see how the consultation is structured with a communication professional in the ED role. I think that this might be a good thing. (:
I continue to think about the substance of the strategy. A large proportion of my Wikimedia time is currently invested in designing materials, primarily videos, for new users. As a part of my venturing into depth in the new user experience, I'm perceiving many opportunities to improve the new user experience that would require substantial human and financial resources. I believe that a significant decrease of the slope of the learning curve and an increase in the facilitation of guided interactions (both human-to-computer and human-to-human) would be worth exploring for possible increased investment. I hope that WMF will include significantly increased investment in UX research and design improvements in the scope of the new strategy.
Pine