This press release is also available on the Wikimedia Foundation’s press
room here:
https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Katherine_Maher_appoint…
And as an announcement on the Wikimedia blog:
https://blog.wikimedia.org/2016/03/16/board-welcomes-katherine-maher/
Katherine Maher appointed as interim executive director for the Wikimedia
Foundation
San Francisco, CA. March 17, 2016 -- Katherine Maher, the chief
communications officer of the Wikimedia Foundation, has been chosen as
interim executive director of the San Francisco-based nonprofit by its
board and leadership team. She replaces Lila Tretikov, who announced her
resignation on February 25, 2016. Katherine began serving in this role on
Monday, March 14.
In announcing this appointment, the board chair Patricio Lorente wrote:
"In choosing an interim executive director, the leadership team started by
identifying immediate priorities for the coming months, including building
trust, improving communications, and filling key leadership positions. They
felt, and we agree, that Katherine is the right person to lead the
organization while it addresses these and other important issues."
In accepting the appointment, Katherine Maher wrote:
"I want to thank the Board for this opportunity, and for their confidence
in the Foundation. I also want to thank community members and staff for
continuing to be such committed advocates for our future -- your passion
and belief in our movement and purpose have been tremendous things to
behold."
Katherine has been with the Foundation as Chief Communications Officer
since April 2014. During that time, she has developed a versatile and
effective team that serves the needs of the organization and movement,
collaborating closely with other departments and the community.
She has been a longtime advocate for global open communities, culture, and
technology. Prior to joining the Foundation, she led advocacy for the
international digital rights organization Access Now, where she worked on
freedom of expression, access to information, and privacy. She has
supported the efforts of citizens and governments around the world to
deepen transparency and participation in her work with the World Bank,
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, and UNICEF (where
her team built wikis for youth participation in major global issues). She
is a member of the advisory board of the Open Technology Fund.
As interim Executive Director, Katherine will report to the Board. Geoff
Brigham will continue serving as Board Secretary, and Jaime Villagomez as
Board Treasurer, reporting to the Board in those capacities.
The Board is currently planning, and will soon implement the search for a
permanent Executive Director. More information about that process and
future developments will be made available online:
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About the Wikimedia Foundation
The Wikimedia Foundation <http://wikimediafoundation.org/> is the
non-profit organization that supports and operates Wikipedia and its sister
projects. Wikipedia attracts more than 15 billion page views each month.
Every month, roughly 80,000 people edit Wikipedia and its sister projects,
collectively creating, improving, and maintaining its more than 36 million
articles across hundreds of languages -- this all makes Wikipedia one of
the most popular web properties in the world. Based in San Francisco,
California, the Wikimedia Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity that is funded
primarily through donations and grants.
About Wikipedia
Wikipedia is the world’s free knowledge resource. It is a collaborative
creation that has been added to and edited by millions of people from
around the globe since it was created in 2001: anyone can edit it, at any
time. Wikipedia is offered in hundreds of languages containing a total of
more than 36 million articles, and visited by nearly half a billion people
every month. Wikimedia and its sister projects are the largest collection
of free knowledge in human history.
Wikimedia Foundation Press Contact
Juliet Barbara
(415) 839-6885
press(a)wikimedia.org
--
*Samantha Lien*
Communications | Wikimedia Foundation
149 New Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
slien(a)wikimedia.org
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