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

[Florence Devouard]

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

Thank you for this email Brad.
Let me thank you for the past 12 months and the insights you provided.
I am happy to learn you will not go away and I wish you to stay in the 
future an important member of our community (who knows, you might even 
consider running for the board as Danny plans to do ;-)).

Wish you my best.

anthere