Hello, everyone.

I'm writing with information about the Ombuds Commission (OC), the small group of volunteers who investigate complaints about violations of the privacy policy, and in particular concerning the use of CheckUser and Oversight tools, on any Wikimedia project for the Board of Trustees. I apologize for the length of the announcement. :)

The application period for new commissioners for 2022 recently closed. The Wikimedia Foundation is extremely grateful to the many experienced and insightful volunteers who offered to assist with this work.

This year’s OC will consist of eight members, with a two-member advisory team who will guide the new commission and also, if necessary, fill in in the event that the OC is unable to act due to incapacity or recusal.

I am pleased to announce the composition of the 2022 OC:

Regular membersÉrico https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:%C3%89rico < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:%C3%89rico%3E

Érico has been editing Wikimedia projects since 2010. He edits primarily on Portuguese Wikipedia, where he is a bureaucrat, checkuser, and administrator, and Commons, where he is an administrator. He has, in the past, also served as an oversighter and a global sysop. He has created about 1,700 new articles and has made over 270,000 edits in several projects. Érico can communicate in Portuguese and English. 2022 is Érico's first year on the Ombuds Commission.

Faendalimas https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Faendalimas < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Faendalimas%3E

Scott Thomson, user:Faendalimas, has been editing Wikimedia projects since 2006. Based in Brazil, he is a taxonomist and evolutionary biologist and his main editing interest is reptiles and amphibians. He is most active on WikiSpecies, where he is a bureaucrat, Checkuser, and administrator. Faendalimas speaks Portuguese and English. He has served on the Ombuds Commission since 2021.

Galahad https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Galahad < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Galahad%3E

Carlos, currently editing as user:Galahad, has been contributing to Wikimedia Projects since 2009. He is a member of Wikimedia Venezuela and a founding member of Wikimedia Small Projects User Group. He primarily contributes to Spanish-language projects including Spanish Wikipedia and Spanish Wikivoyage. He has been an administrator and bureaucrat of Spanish Wikivoyage since 2013. He speaks Spanish and English. He has served on the Ombuds Commission since 2019.

Infinite0694 https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Infinite0694 < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Infinite0694%3E

Infinite0694 has been contributing to Wikimedia projects since 2011. She edits primarily on Japanese Wikipedia, where she is a bureaucrat, administrator, Oversighter, and Checkuser, as well as on Meta, where she is an administrator. Infinite0694 speaks Japanese, English, and German. This is Infinite0694's first year on the Ombuds Commission.

Mykola7 https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Mykola7 < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Mykola7%3E

Mykola7 has been contributing to Wikimedia projects since 2018. He is primarily active on Ukranian Wikipedia, where he is an administrator and Checkuser. He speaks Ukranian, Russian, and English. This is Mykola7's first year on the Ombuds Commission.

Olugold https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Olugold < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Olugold%3E

Olugold has been contributing to Wikimedia projects since 2020. She is a librarian and a member of the Igbo Wikimedia User Group. She edits primarily on English Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Igbo Wikipedia. She speaks English, Hausa, Igbo, and Nigerian Pidgin English. This is Olugold's first year on the Ombuds Commission.

Udehb https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Udehb < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Udehb%3E

Udehb has been contributing to Wikimedia projects since 2018. He edits primarily on Wikidata and is also active in the movement, including organizing Wikidata Justice Nigeria https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikidata_Justice_Nigeria. He is a member of the Igbo Wikimedians User Group and serves as the IG-WIKIDATA-HUB coordinator, of which he is the founder. Udehb speaks Igbo and English. 2022 is Udehb's first year on the Ombuds Commission.

Zabe https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Zabe < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Zabe%3E

Zabe has been contributing to Wikimedia projects since 2018. They primarily edit Wikidata and Mediawiki, where they are an administrator. In addition, Zabe works on the Mediawiki software. Zabe speaks German and English. 2022 is Zabe's first year on the Ombuds Commission.

Advisory membersAmeisenigel https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Ameisenigel < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Ameisenigel%3E

Ameisenigel has been editing Wikimedia projects since 2015. He is primarily active on German Wikipedia, where he serves as an Arbitrator, and on Wikidata, where he is an administrator. He is also active as a translation admin in several projects. Ameisenigel speaks German and English. He has been on the Ombuds Commission since 2021.

JJMC89 https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:JJMC89 < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:JJMC89%3E

JJMC89 has been contributing to Wikimedia projects since 2015. He is primarily active on the English Wikipedia, where he has more than 300,000 edits and is an administrator and bot operator, and Commons. He also serves as a tool administrator on UTRS. He speaks English. He has been on the Ombuds Commission since 2021.

Their willingness to remain, to bring their familiarity with processes and their experience to the new arrivals, is greatly appreciated!

Please join me in thanking the following volunteers who are leaving OC, who have given substantially of their time to serve the commission:

Acagastya https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Acagastya < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Acagastya%3E

Agastya has been editing Wikimedia projects since 2014, and is primarily active on English Wikinews serving as an administrator and has been accredited reporter since 2017. Agastya is also active on Commons, and speaks English, Hindi and Gujarati. AGK https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:AGK< https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:AGK%3E

AGK has been editing Wikimedia projects since 2008. He is primarily active on English Wikipedia, where he is an administrator, Checkuser, and Oversighter and has served as an Arbitrator. AGK has been a member of the Ombuds Commission since 2020.

Ajraddatz https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Ajraddatz < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Ajraddatz%3E

Ajraddatz has been an active user on Wikimedia since 2010, and has served in various roles of community trust in that time, including as a Wikidata Oversighter since 2013, a steward between 2014 and 2020, and a Meta CheckUser since 2015.

Emufarmers https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Emufarmers < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Emufarmers%3E

Emufarmers has been editing Wikimedia projects since 2005. He is a Metapedian who primarily edits the English Wikipedia; he is also a bureaucrat and sysop on MediaWiki.org, and has provided software support to many third-party, non-Wikimedia wikis over the years. He has served as an VRTS administrator since 2015. He has served on the Ombuds Commission since 2019.

Moheen https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Moheen < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Moheen%3E

Moheen Reeyad, user:Moheen, has been contributing to Wikimedia projects since 2010. He is active on Commons, Bengali Wikipedia, Wikidata, and English Wikipedia and is an administrator on Commons and Bengali Wikipedia. He is currently a Board member of Wikimedia Bangladesh and lives in Chattogram. Moheen speaks Bengali and English. He has served as an OC member since 2021.

MrJaroslavik https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:MrJaroslavik < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:MrJaroslavik%3E

MrJaroslavik has been editing Wikimedia projects since 2017. He is primarily active on Czech Wikipedia and Meta. MrJaroslavik speaks Czech and English. He has served on the Ombuds Commission since 2021.

ProtoplasmaKid https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:ProtoplasmaKid < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:ProtoplasmaKid%3E

Ivan has been editing Wikimedia projects since 2006. He is primarily active on Spanish Wikipedia and Spanish Wikinews and as an administrator on both of those projects. He helped found Wikimedia Mexico in 2011 and was the Wikimania 2015 Chief Coordinator. He has participated in a number of movement committees, including Grant Advisory Committee. He speaks English, Portuguese, and Spanish. He has served on the Ombuds Commission since 2021.

Superpes15 https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Superpes15 < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Superpes15%3E

Superpes15 has been contributing to Wikimedia projects since 2010. He is primarily active on Italian Wikipedia and is a member of the Small Wiki Monitoring Team. He is an administrator on Italian Wikipedia and serves as a global renamer. He speaks Italian and English. He has been an OC member since 2021.

-Karen