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

[Jeff V. Merkey]

I have very much enjoyed our interactions. You will be missed.

Jeff

Brad Patrick wrote:

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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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