Dear Wikimedians,

My name is Munazza Farooqui, and I am privileged to be an integral part of Deoband Community Wikimedia [1], a recognized user group affiliate of the Wikimedia Foundation. As someone deeply involved in our community's initiatives, I am delighted to share important updates about our evolving structure and leadership.

In November 2024, we conducted surveys and, based on the insights gathered, we decided to transition from a consensus-based operational model to an executive board governance structure. The newly formed board consists of five voting members and three non-voting advisory members.

Our first board elections [2] were successfully conducted in March 2025, and we are pleased to welcome Ariba Shoaib, Samiya Ahmed, Peerzada Ikhlas and Faiz Anjum as members of our inaugural executive board. Their term will span three years, with the exception of Faiz, who will serve as an observer member for one year.

As this marks our first-ever executive board, it will be chaired by Aafi, the founder of DCW, who holds the permanent founder seat on the DCW Board [3].

More details about our board members can be found in the official announcement [4] on our website. For any inquiries, our board can be reached at board@dcwwiki.org

Please join me in congratulating our board members as we look forward to a stronger DCW and a thriving movement!