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. Pursuant to the adoption of the 2011 governance proposal, the existing council-selected board will be enhanced with dedicated volunteer-representative seats and seats representing different skills, stakeholder populations, and mission-related interests.
At the council meeting in April, an ad hoc transition committee was formed to plan the changeover to this model.
Active projects
- Working toward a stable and healthy Free Geek
- Bringing in a temporary consultant to help with this process
- Clarifying policies, past and present, and making them findable
- Pursuing transparency throughout the organization
- 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 monthly; meetings are on the second Wednesday of the month, preceded by the council meeting (the council is now an advisory body to the board). The meeting starts at 6:15. The October meeting is the annual meeting as required in the bylaws. Board meetings are open, though occasionally the final segment of the meeting will be closed as an "executive session," wherein the board may discuss legally sensitive items.
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. Agenda items may not be added within a week of the board meeting, so that the board may be properly prepared.
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.
- first term, started October 2006
- 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.
- first term, started 2008
- 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.
- first term, started October 2007
- second term, ends October 2011
- Sayer Jones, Treasurer
- (bio needed)
- first term, started April 2009
- 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
- Shannon Beutel, October 2009 - October 2010
- 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:
Director job descriptions
- Responsibilities of directors
- Board officers:
- Other seats:
Useful links
- Bylaws
- Oregon Sec of State nonprofit services page
- 2011 governance proposal -- accepted by board and council in April 2011. In the process of being implemented.
- Board email list
- Minutes list for keeping track of other stuff in the operation