Board of Directors

Free Geek's 501(c)(3) status requires that we have a board of directors. And that carries with it certain implications, not the least that the BOD is responsible for seeing that decisions are responsible and in the best interest of the corporation, which also implies that the BOD would have the right/responsibility to last word on any decisions made by Council. There has been discussion on the purpose and makeup of the Board.

Goals and priorities

 * (10/2009): "The Board resolved that increasing staff compensation is our highest priority."

Active projects

 * Obtaining and preserving documentation from previous incarnations of the Board
 * Creating Board Orientation materials, including a New Director Agreement to detail the responsibilities of board members
 * Creating a more effective fundraising strategy, developing relationships in the community
 * Preparing Free Geek's processes and records for auditability

Board Meetings
The board meets quarterly; meetings are on the second Wednesday of the month in January, April, July, and October. The board meeting customarily starts at 6:30. The October meeting is the annual meeting as required in the bylaws.

''There is a Meeting Template that may be used when setting up a new Board Meeting. (Remember to copy commitments from the previous meeting's minutes.)'' Meeting minutes are posted to the directors email list and to the minutes list.

Occasionally the board will have to make decisions via email: our policy on that is outlined here.

Current Board Members
Board members are elected to two year terms, except where indicated. (When the board re-formed in October 2005, half of the positions were for one year terms to implement staggering of terms.)


 * Laurel Hoyt, Chair
 * Former Free Geek Education Coordinator; current volunteer.
 * Initially elected September 2005
 * Chairperson, October 2005 - October 2006, January 2010 - present
 * Secretary, October 2006 - January 2010
 * fourth term, ends October 2012


 * Jon Van Oast, Secretary
 * Current volunteer. Programmer, code-mercenary.
 * In order to avoid having to fix bugs in the DOS-based SMTP gateway he wrote for a Novell network, coupled with the fact that perl4 in DOS was frustrating him, Jon built his first linux box in 1992. It ran for 2 years hidden above the acoustic ceiling tiles in sub-basement level B of the university medical center where Jon worked.  It ran for 4 more years there after he left, until he   showed up in the middle of the night on a trip back home and took it with him back to Portland.  Now you know how he and linux fell in love.
 * third term, ends October 2012


 * Anne Glazer, Director
 * Intellectual Property Attorney
 * A geek about Free Geek. Crypto-hippie.  In her spare time, Anne likes to collect, sort, cut and fold used paper.
 * second term, ends October 2012


 * Curt Pederson, Director
 * (bio needed)
 * Curt Pederson comes to us from the OSU Open Source Labs and is the CIO for the Oregon University system.
 * second term, ends October 2011


 * Sayer Jones, Treasurer
 * (bio needed)
 * second term, ends October 2011
 * Selected to fill vacated term at Council Meeting on April 15, 2009.


 * Open seat

Past Board Members
this may not be a full list
 * Bob Griggs, October 2005 - March 2006
 * Joe Buckmaster, October 2005 - August 2006
 * Wren Ng Thornton, October 2005 - August 2007
 * Aaron Burt, October 2006 - October 2007
 * Tim Collier, ??? - October 2008
 * Oso Martin, August 2005 - February 2009, Free Geek founder, original incorporator of Free Geek.
 * Seamus Campbell, October 2005 - October 2009
 * Marie Deatherage, September 2005 - December 2009


 * Brent Campbell
 * Laura Berg
 * Jeff Finz
 * Kenneth McGair
 * Jim Deibele
 * John Telford
 * Michelle Brooks
 * Mark Neiman-Ross
 * Dennis Bridges
 * Lewis Barr

Board Committees
Established at board meeting on October 14, 2009.


 * Audit committee: aims to make Free Geek prepared for an audit
 * Chair: Sayer
 * Additional members:
 * Staff representative:


 * Propagation (Intergalactic, Trademark Licensing, etc.): merged with staff propagation committee, deals with issues surrounding other free geeks.
 * Chair: Anne
 * Additional members: Jon
 * Staff representative:


 * Board recruitment and development
 * Chair: Laurel
 * Additional members: Steve Forbush, Liliana Gaitan
 * Staff representative:


 * Relationship Development: developing free geek's social skills
 * Chair:
 * Additional members: Curt
 * Staff representative:

Useful links

 * Bylaws
 * Oregon Sec of State nonprofit services page
 * Board election checklist
 * Board email list
 * Minutes list for keeping track of other stuff in the operation
 * Meeting tips: Facilitator, Scribe
 * Board officers:
 * Board Secretary
 * Board Chair
 * Board Treasurer
 * What to do when officers change