Board of Directors Election Process Announced
As announced during the most recent Magento Association Connect event, the Magento Association is holding an election to bring three new members onto the Board of Directors.
The Magento Association Bylaws specify that elections are held via a slate method. Following this method, an Election Committee will meet and review applications from individuals interested in serving on the Board of Directors. The Election Committee then recommends a slate of candidates — for example, if there are three open positions, a slate of three candidates is recommended to the Board by the committee. The Board then has the ability to approve or reject these candidates. Once a full slate is approved, the members of the Magento Association vote to either approve or reject the entire slate.
The slate process is very common for not-for-profit organizations, community groups, and others. It allows an election committee to fill gaps around needed skill sets, geographies that might be under-represented, or any other under-represented group. It also helps to ensure that elections do not become popularity contests, but instead represent what will best move an organization forward.
Two paths to be elected to the Board
For the Magento Association, the Board feels strongly that the slate process outlined in our Bylaws is a fair and equitable way to elect leadership for the organization. At the same time, we understand that some community members may have expected or desired a direct election process. In balancing these concerns, the Board has decided to move forward with a hybrid approach for the early 2022 election. In this hybrid process, two of the three openings will be filled following a slate process, while the third will follow a direct process. The direct election will fill what is being called an "at-large" seat. The Board has consulted with other open-source communities and, based on their feedback, is confident that this is the best path forward for the upcoming election.
The Election Committee
We will be sharing more details of how each process will work, but part of filling in that process is seating an Election Committee. Election Committee responsibilities include:
- Finalize the Board’s draft election application for both the slate and direct (at-large) candidates
- Finalize the election process for the direct (at-large) seat
- Design the process by which the Election Committee will select candidates for the slate
- Interview candidates for the slate
- Recommend a final slate of two candidates to the Board and then the membership for approval
- Review any questions, concerns, or disputes concerning these election processes
- Review options for a paid membership model that may or may not be tied to some piece of the Board elections and/or tied to the eligibility of members to vote and provide feedback to the Membership Committee and the Board of Directors to allow the Board to determine the best course of action for the Magento Association and our community.
A call for volunteers for the Election Committee is now open. The Board is aiming to seat up to 10 individuals on the Election Committee, including up to two Board members. The ideal Election Committee member is:
- Impartial
- A logical thinker
- Understanding of the importance of diversity and representation
- Experienced with Magento and the Magento ecosystem
Additionally, to ensure impartiality, Election Committee members are not permitted to be a candidate for the at-large or slate elections in which they are involved in setting the policy and processes. Election Committee volunteers will be allowed to serve for up to a two year term. After the conclusion of the early 2022 elections, they will help evaluate the results of both the slate and at-large processes and then recommend a standard ongoing approach and cadence to the Board elections going forward.
How is the Election Committee seated?
After the call for volunteers closes, the Diversity & Inclusion Committee will review applicants who have expressed interest in serving on the Election Committee and will recommend 12–15 people for the Board’s consideration. The Board will then appoint up to 10 individuals to serve on the committee.
When do I apply to participate in the election?
Once the Election Committee is seated, the appointed members will finalize an application process for candidates for both the slate and direct (at-large) openings. The Magento Association will then announce all relevant dates related to applications for the election and other deadlines. We know how busy the end of this year is for everyone, so we will not begin accepting applications for the election before January 2022.
Stay tuned for more details! If you’re interested in serving on the Election Committee, please apply here by Friday, December 17.
If you have any questions about the election process, please contact info@magentoassociation.org.
