2020 Annual General Meeting/Candidate Statements
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AGM: Elections — Candidate Statements · Candidate Questions · Resolutions |
This page contains the statements of the candidates for the 2020 elections to the board of Wikimedia UK. Please submit questions for the candidates at 2020 Annual General Meeting/Candidate Questions.
Kelly Foster
Proposed by Martin Poulter and seconded by Jason Evans
I’ve been an active contributor to Wikipedia since 2012 when I was introduced to editing at a Wikimedia UK supported training session led by long-term volunteers. Since then I’ve been involved in projects both online and in-person. I am an accredited trainer with Wikimedia UK and have delivered training for a variety of organisations from the national museums and libraries to local community groups. Since 2018 I've been the UK lead for AfroCROWD, an initiative to increase the numbers of African-descended people contributing to Wikimedia and other open knowledge projects and to improve the content about the African Diaspora. I’m also involved in supporting Wikimedia communities in the Caribbean region and the diaspora, and currently serve on the Wikimedia Foundation’s Project Grant committee.
I am standing for election to support WMUK to strengthen relationships with volunteers across Wikimedia projects, meaningfully contribute to the movement's goals of building knowledge equity, and facilitate innovative approaches in working with partners.
I'm the lead for Creative Commons UK and active in the open knowledge networks around the African diaspora. I've served on Creative Commons Summit's program advisory committee and I'm an active member of the Open GLAM platform.
Currently, I'm the Wikimedian-in-Residence on the University of Sussex's Making African Connections, working with museums in England, Sudan and Botswana. Outside of Wikimedia, I'm a London Blue Badge Guide and public historian specialising in Black, working-class and women’s histories of London. I frequently work with museums, universities and heritage projects. In addition, I have over 15 years of experience in the archives sector and I am a founding member of TRANSMISSION, a collective of archivists and historians of African descent. I hope to bring these experiences and insights into a potential role on the board.
Nick Poole
Proposed by Sangeet Bhullar, seconded Andrea Chandler.
I have been proud to serve on the Board of Trustees of Wikimedia UK since 2015, including becoming Chair in 2020, and am pleased to submit my candidacy for re-election.
During my term of office, I have been pleased to draw on my experience as a charity-sector Chief Executive and experienced Chair to help establish Wikimedia UK as a sustainable, well-governed organisation and a powerful champion for the Open Knowledge movement. Working with the previous Chair Josie Fraser and CEO Lucy Crompton-Reid, we have been able to develop an effective programme of work aligned both to the needs of the UK wiki community and the ambitions of the global movement.
I am particularly proud to have been able to support Wikimedia UK as a force for positive change, social justice, equality, inclusion and diversity. If re-elected, this would continue to be my primary focus – helping to cement our role as the UK chapter in driving the global ambition for more equitable access to knowledge through Wikipedia and the wiki projects.
I have over 20 years leadership experience in the Charity and Public sector, having been CEO or Chair of 7 national organisations. I bring an in-depth and practical knowledge of Charity governance, fundraising and programme development alongside sector expertise in libraries, museums and the digital agenda. I am regularly called on to advise Government departments and agencies on matters relating to cultural policy, copyright and related legislation and funding.
Looking ahead, the open knowledge movement faces significant challenges – a global economy under severe pressure, the rise of populism and the threat of fake news, misinformation and disinformation. Wikipedia UK and the wiki movement have a central role to play in making the case for a better world built on open access to knowledge. I very much hope you will re-elect me to continue this important work.
Doug Taylor
Proposed by Rod Ward, seconded by Marnie Woodward.
I've been a keen editor of Wikipedia and other sister projects since I registered my account in 2008. I've written featured content (both article and list) and have worked to improve accessibility particularly for visually-impaired visitors. I'm the principal author of the Wikidata modules used to import information from Wikidata into Wikipedia. I'm also involved in WikiProject Medicine and currently chair the Board of Wikimedia Medicine, a Thematic Organisation, affiliated to the Wikimedia Foundation.
I taught in 11-18 schools for 25 years, before starting an IT career 20 years ago, where I taught FE and HE as well as adults. I was a member of examining boards for 30 years, including 6 years as Chair of The West Midlands Examination Board, a registered charity, and Vice-Chair of the OCR committee that deals with malpractice. For over ten years I was Chair of the board of Job Change, a registered charity dedicated to helping the unemployed back into work. My hobby is scuba diving, and I've been a National Instructor for over 25 years. I've served on many committees in different roles, from Secretary of a local teacher's trades union to Chair of Governors of both primary and secondary schools.
I was a Trustee of Wikimedia UK from 2012-13 and was heavily involved in the setting up of Board sub-committees. I am currently a director of Cultural Outreach Limited, the subsidiary of Wikimedia UK that looks after QRpedia. I am now retired, and am devoting my time and skills to helping Wikimedia UK. I am a Lead Trainer for Wikimedia UK and over the last few years, I've organised and participated in many outreach events across the country. I estimate I've trained over 1,000 new editors from around the world either in person or by video. Most recently, I delivered initial training for the March International Women's Day Wikipedia Edit-a-thon at Christ's College, Oxford, and in April was due to deliver Lua training for the Wikimedia Foundation in São Paulo before its postponement.