[OSGeo-Conf] Standing down as Conference Committee Chair

[Steven Feldman]

Conference Committee

Now that the FOSS4G 2018 selection process is complete it is time for me to stand down as chair of the conference committee. I will remain a member of the committee and continue to contribute wherever I can for as long as I fulfil the eligibility criteria (whatever they may become in the future) for membership.

I took over from Eli when he needed to stand down and steered the 2017 selection to a conclusion. In the last 18 months we managed to formalise the basis for seed funding for FOSS4G’s by OSGeo and that has assisted Bonn and Boston, we have updated and redrafted the RfP process and documents to make it easier to use for future years and we have evaluated and awarded 2018 to Dar es Salaam.

I burnt a lot of energy (mine and yours) trying to introduce some committee membership eligibility criteria and formalising our voting processes. With hindsight that was probably misguided and I apologise to you for that.

I am not sure that the committee needs a chair. Our main task (if not our only task) is to run the process to select the team to host the global FOSS4G, we have a good process (recently updated) and a team of past chairs who know what to look for and are willing to commit time to diligently review LoI’s and proposals. A volunteer can put their hand up to steer the process when the time comes round to start the 2019 selection, until then I expect we will be pretty much in hibernation except for answering questions from the 2017 and 2018 teams (and we don’t need a chair for that). Of course, it is up to the committee members to decide whether they wish to elect a new chair.

Thanks to all of you for your contributions to the committee whilst I have been chair.

Best wishes to you and yours for the holiday season and may 2017 be filled with FOSS4G goodness


______
Steven