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Nominee for 2020 Python Software Foundation Board Election

Shauna Gordon-McKeon

  • Previous Board Service: New board member
  • Employer: Self-employed
  • Other Affiliations: None
  • Nominee Statement:

      I have been a Python programmer and member of the Python community for the better part of a decade. In 2015 I designed and ran the first "Introduction to Sprinting" workshop at PyCon, which has since been developed into a conference mainstay and has increased sprint participation. In 2019, Jacqueline Kazil and I co-led the first Maintainers Summit as part of the hatchery program. I have worked with OpenHatch to get more people involved in open source through leading the Open Source Comes to Campus program, and have collaborated with many other organizations focused on openness in science, technology, education and government, including EdX, the Center for Open Science, the Sunlight Foundation, and OpenDataKit.

      Over the last several years, I have focused increasingly on the community infrastructure and governance structures that communities need to flourish. In 2019 I gave a talk on Python's new governance system which only increased my appreciation for the the PSF Board's leadership and service. It would be an honor to join the board.

      I have two primary goals if elected as a PSF Director. The first is to work with the community to develop a Sponsor Code of Conduct for PSF events like PyCon. I firmly believe that sponsors should have to meet minimum standards of behavior both at our events and outside of them, and that we should not partner with organizations who violate those standards. Given the potential impact of adopting such a policy, it is important that it be developed transparently and democratically, not by the Board itself but by the community with facilitation by the Board. I am eager to help lead this process.

      My second goal is to support Python package maintainers through community-building. The 2019 PyCon Maintainers Summit showed a deep need for spaces where maintainers can support each other and share best practices. In addition to community-building, I hope to support the next generation of Python maintainers by developing training materials that help people understand and acquire the skills and knowledge involved in maintainership.