As the PSF board election approaches, I am sure many of you are keen to get involved. It is a special chance for those of us who have been in the community for a while, and who love it, to help it be better. However, do you know what the Python Software Foundation, and particularly the PSF board members do? Have you ever wondered whether you should run for the board?
I had similar questions when I ran for the board two years ago. After serving on the PSF board for two years, I won’t say that I am an expert, however, I do have some answers for my past self to some of these questions. I’d like to share these to help those of you who may be considering running in this election, to save you finding things out the hard way.
Questions about the PSF board of directors and being one of the members#
Here are some common questions that I have asked or have seen folks asking regarding the PSF board.
Can I influence the future of Python if I become a board member of the PSF?#
The answer is yes and no. If you are expecting that the board members of the PSF can contribute to the development of the Python language or CPython, then you may be disappointed. Few to none of the discussions in the PSF board meetings are technical. The PSF board and the Python steering council, the leadership and governance of CPython, are two different bodies, and we do not directly interfere with each other’s work.
That being said, we cannot ignore the fact that Python the language cannot be separated from the Python community. In other words, the technical side of Python and the community side of Python are supporting each other, and one cannot succeed without the other.
For example, by securing sponsorship to hire core developers, we can accelerate the development of Python. So, by becoming a board member of the PSF and helping find sponsors, you can make a positive impact on the future of the language.
However, if you are most interested in making direct, high-impact contributions to the technical aspects of Python, you could aim for writing a PEP or becoming a core developer of CPython instead.
Am I the boss of the PSF staff if I become a member of the PSF board?#
Basically, no. Our lovely PSF staff are under the supervision of our executive director, Deb Nicholson. The PSF board is mostly taking the role of advising and making high-level decisions. As an elected board member we do not interfere with the day-to-day operations of the PSF staff directly. However, if you have concerns or suggestions, Deb will be happy to chat with you (I can testify that this is true).
Can I nominate someone who is not a PSF member? Or do I need to check with them if they are a member first?#
Good question! Although intuitively a board member should ideally be a PSF voting member, in the PSF by-laws as they are currently written, there are no restrictions on non-members running for election. However, personally, I always encourage folks who are contributing to the community to self-certify as a contributing member. That way those who are making a contribution to the community can vote in the election and can help choose the right leaders for the PSF.
How much time do I need to spend for PSF work if I become a board member?#
There’s little time required if you just do the bare minimum. There are monthly 2-hour long meetings and you’ll also need to be responding to async communication. However, this is not the time an A+ board member would spend. To get an A+ (or close to it), you may find yourself leading or engaging in workgroup activities, taking a seat in various committees, helping with PyCon US (the only PyCon that is organised by the PSF) and so on. So, my recommendation is that, if you have other community commitments, you may have to pause them during your term as a board member so you can focus on the PSF work.
What kind of person would be a good fit to be a PSF board member?#
The PSF board functions like C-suite executives in a non-profit organization. So the roles they participate in include: Strategic Decision-Making, Leadership, Fundraising and Collaboration. Someone who has experience working at that level or thinks they can take up roles like that would be ideal. If you are good at other administrative or specialised skills, for example, good at reading legal documents or accounting reports, these skills would also be helpful.
If this sounds boring to you, maybe it is. If you are expecting to do more hands-on work like organising events or activities, you may consider helping out at PyCon US or organising events for your local community instead.
Should we aim to have a diverse PSF board to better represent our global community?#
Let’s address the elephant in the room. Yes, diversity and representation are important, however, it is also important for the board members to be able to take up the role and do what they need to. Also, the PSF is a registered US non-profit, which means there are some restrictions on what it can and cannot do. For example, we cannot do anything that goes against US foreign policy. I think first and foremost it is important for the board to be able to lead the PSF and understand how a US non-profit functions. Diversity would be a nice to have on top of this.
As a board member who is not from or living in the US, I sometimes found it hard to understand why we had to do things in certain ways when I first started. But the more I talked with folks who are experienced in such things, the more I understood, and I have learnt much in the past 2 years. If you are like me, someone who is underrepresented and not from the US, it is great that you want to contribute, but you will have to be prepared to learn. Maybe consider joining one of the PSF workgroups first to learn more about the PSF work before running for the board.
For those who are ready to run for the election#
Think you are ready to run for the election? Awesome! Here are a few things I would recommend you to do:
- Check the schedule of the election and be mindful about the deadlines
- Encourage the members in your community to become a voting member and remind them to affirm their intention to vote to participate in this election.
- Prepare a nomination statement (more details below)
- Ask folks in the community to nominate you, you can also self-nominate but the nominations from others can add credits to your nomination.
- Join the board office hour to ask questions, if you have any
What is to be included in a nomination statement?#
The nomination statement is to let the voters know you and persuade them to vote for you. You can start by introducing yourself:
- What is your profession?
- Where are you based?
- Which community or communities do you belong to?
You should also include some information about you that is relevant to the role of a board member as mentioned above. For example:
- Experience in leadership and strategic decision making
- Legal, fundraising or accounting expertise
- Python community contributions in the past
You can also include the vision you have for the PSF, and what benefit you can bring to the PSF as a board member.
In addition to the nomination statement, are there other ways to campaign?#
In the past two years videos were made to introduce all the candidates to the voters. It was a success as it is good to put a face to the name, and seeing someone talking on camera can be more convincing than just a nomination statement. While we do not know if there will be coordinated work on it this year, you can start doing it yourself—all you need is to record yourself with a webcam or a phone.
I understand many folks do not have the privilege to travel to conferences and events like I do, but there are still a lot of different ways to connect with the community. Social media is a powerful tool these days to spread the word to the community. You can also tag the relevant community and the PSF while posting your election campaign posts.