[Wikimedia-l] Community consultation + Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director selection process

[MZMcBride]

Hi.

Is there a community consultation period built in to the selection process
for a new Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director? If not, should there be?

In trying to figure out what the selection process may look like, I
re-reviewed some of the relevant FAQs and timelines:

* https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Special:Permalink/90968
* https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Special:Permalink/91132
* https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Permalink/7127367

As I understand the basic process, the Transition Team will ultimately
find a suitable candidate and will make a recommendation to the Wikimedia
Foundation Board of Trustees. (Please correct me if this description is
mistaken... this is largely unchartered territory for Wikimedia.)

When this recommendation is made and prior to the Board voting, should the
Wikimedia community have the opportunity to weigh in on the candidate
Selection prior to final approval? If so, in what way?

These questions are not meant to suggest that the Wikimedia community and
the Transition Team have not been working together already (e.g., in
creating a connectors list, drafting interview questions, etc.).

While nobody would reasonably argue that every Wikimedia Foundation
employee be vetted by the Wikimedia community, it seems to me that this
particular position is unique given its enormous influence in shaping
Wikimedia's course. As I understand it, the Wikimedia Foundation Board of
Trustees is (s)elected to ultimately make the choice of who oversees the
daily operations of the Wikimedia Foundation as Executive Director.
However, I believe that ensuring that the community is adequately
consulted is important.

Relatedly, I've asked the Executive Director Transition Team on-wiki about
the possibility of more regular status updates on its progress in some
form (mailing list posts, wiki page updates, etc.).

MZMcBride