WikiConference UK 2012/Elections/Statements
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AGM: Elections (Candidate statements · Candidate questions) — Resolutions — Minutes |
This page contains the statements of the candidates for the board of Wikimedia UK. Please submit questions for the candidates on the WikiConference UK 2012/Elections/Questions.
Statements
Each candidate's date of birth, occupation, former names and UK company directorships in the last five years is kept on file and will be made public only if they are elected.
Alison Fayers-Kerr
My agnatic grandmother was Ellen Murgatroyd Fayers-Kerr. A surname salvaged from obscurity the first time my father disowned me for non-conformity in the marriage game; passed on to my daughters in scenes worthy of Meryl Streep in Mamma Mia!.....In this Diamond Jubilee year they'll be scrabbling to open their laptops in search of cognatic or agnatic, if I have my way, especially if a Royal Heir is expected any time soon.
Wikipedia is not without flaws but is so inexorably unique and vital that I am definitely up for grabs in promoting the organisation which underpins the financial stability and future of its independent growth: Wikimedia UK.
The people and institutions in Britain should yearn to contribute and donate as we all gain and would all lose equally if any part of Wiki were undermined. It's the best we've got and the directors piloting Wikimedia and reaching out to enable the public to preserve this fountain of knowledge, have a mission worth fighting for.
Universal Pictures just off Hyde Park is where I first worked and where I lured in a penniless Mark Knopfler to make his first soundtrack; my boss turned him down, how dire and how foolish! My chance to go barefoot around the world, so off I went. I've been on the board since, opposite Brown's Hotel: dealing, with Sudan, Libya and Saudia Arabia (although they wouldn't let me in) exporting heavy plant, generators and high pressure steam valves. Not a likely beginning for a second-rate Hispanic scholar...which reminds me, I whopped the current President of Columbia, Juan Manuel Santos, at chess in Half Moon Street, and did likewise to Osama Daoud but in Khartoum. Nowadays I teach, I farm and hobnob with fusion physicists in Oxford! Heavens to Murgatroyd!
Ashley van Haeften
My 2011 top priority: become a charity. We did it! Now, a *sample* of everything else and the coming year...
My experience in governance and management has helped our organizational development. I interviewed 3 of our new permanent staff and led on governance from implications of our charity application to board functions and handling declarations of interest. I pressed for PQASSO (quality standard) and this has defined a path for improvement.
I had the privilege of negotiating the founding of our Association with 25 other chapters. With the Funds Dissemination Committee, this will be a means of establishing best practice and accountability while staying movement-driven, not Foundation-led. I would like Wikimedia UK to stay in the heart of these changes to help in establishing good governance globally regardless of national boundaries.
I helped the British Library to create a Wikimedia in Residence position, they also committed to hosting the global GLAMwiki2012 conference. Establishing the UK GLAM network has delivered a range of events, from the British Museum's Ice Age behind the scenes to The National Archive releasing new photographs of (sometimes shocking) British propaganda artworks from the Second World War. GLAMwiki2012 will be the culmination of several projects and in the position of trustee I would continue the style of collaborative "soft" leadership that is most effective for our diverse and creative community.
We can do more to engage with diverse groups. Steve and Martin have progressed with GirlGeeks and I have pushed for a black history month event and jointly founded the LGBT Outreach Project, that we hope to make part of Wikimania. As a mixed race and gay member of the board, I naturally bring alternative perspectives into our discussions.
Other stuff! GLAMsterdam, GLAM upload tool, trustee training, Parliament, the V&A and India, Scotland!; see more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Fae/events
Christopher Allen
Christopher Keating
It's been an immense task, and an immense privilege, to be on the Board over the past year. Wikimedia UK has achieved a huge amount, but there is much more to be done, and I woudl love to continue as a Trustee.
When I stood for election last year, I said my main role as a director would be to make sure Wikimedia UK connects with its members and the community, and that every voluntary organisation depends on its ability to inspire people to take part. I've done my best to push this forward this year (and looking at the blog and the mailing list archives I think made progress). But doing this becomes even more important as we professionalise and recruit more staff.
I've spent my career to date working in organisations that depend on volunteers taking action, and over the last year I've been surprised by the number of times I've seen situations I've experienced from those organisations recur in the Wikimedia movement, particularly in the discussions we've had with the Wikimedia Foundation and other chapters.
Professionally, I am a fundraiser, and am very proud of my role in raising £1 million in the 2011 Wikimedia fundraiser. I'm keen to help shape our fundraising strategy for the future, and hope to continue my role as fundraising advocate on the Board.
On Wikipedia, I'm User:The Land - I've written or contributed substantially to four featured articles, and have been an adminsitrator since 2006. Nonetheless, I hope that this year members will elect some people to the Board who share our vision and bring useful skills and perspectives, even if they don't edit that much - it would be great to have a broader range of skills and experience on the Board.