[Foundation-l] [Announcement] Brad Patrick Resigns as General Counsel

[Brad Patrick]

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To the Wikimedia Community:

I am stepping down as General Counsel to the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.,
effective March 31, 2007.  I tendered my resignation to the Board some
weeks ago, which was accepted.  In the context of Danny Wool's
announcement earlier today that he has resigned, some will speculate the
two are related.  They are not.  The timing is just unfortunate.

Many people who decide to leave the projects do so by invoking the right
to disappear.  That isn't me.  I am very proud of my association with
WMF and will carry the distinction of having been a part of its growth
with me for the rest of my life.  I care deeply about the future of the
Foundation, and am more dedicated in my beliefs about the free culture
movement than ever before.  With respect to my relationship with the
Foundation and those of you whom I have come to know, I hope we are on
good terms.

This community understands implicitly that people of goodwill can (and
do) have strong differences of opinion about important matters.  Should
I choose to comment about these sorts of things at some point in the
future, it will be as a person who cares about the vitality and success
of the Foundation.  I intend any such criticism to be constructive and
based on a well-founded, good faith belief in making the Foundation
stronger.  I certainly wish for nothing but success for the
organization.  To the extent I, (like any person who has had anything to
do with the workings of the Foundation), have opinions about what I
think is good, bad, ugly, etc. about how the Foundation does things,
they are my own.

One of the last things I did before stepping aside as interim ED was
retain the firm of Phillips Oppenheim to conduct the ED search process
for WMF.  I hold them in the highest regard as professionals who are
exclusively in the business of non-profit executive search, and I have a
high degree of confidence that they are the right people to aid the
Foundation in its next steps.  They can make a difference.

It is my earnest hope that everyone who cares about the Foundation, but
has concerns about what is happening at the Foundation now, will say so.
This community is strongest when it is vocal, not silent.  If you have
questions you want answered, be bold, speak up, and ask them.  The Board
members -- the ones who are accountable, since it is they who are
running the Foundation -- deserve the support of the community when they
earn it.  But, since this is real life, {{SOFIXIT}} isn't as simple as
clicking on an article.  It's really hard work that takes a great deal
of time and energy.

So, I'm leaving as of March 31, 2007.  I am not going away or deleting
myself out of wikiexistence.  I'm just not going to be WMF's General
Counsel.

Brad

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:BradPatrick

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