Karen Sandler Steps Down as GNOME Foundation Executive Director

Karen Sandler has been serving as GNOME Foundation Executive Director since June 2011. Today she announced that she will be leaving the post, to take up the position of Executive Director at the Software Freedom Conservancy.

Announcing her departure, Karen said: “Working as the GNOME Foundation Executive Director has been one of the highlights of my career.” She also spoke of the achievements during her time as Executive Director: “I’ve helped to recruit two new advisory board members… and we have run the last three years in the black. We’ve held some successful funding campaigns, particularly around privacy. We have a mind-blowingly fantastic Board of Directors, and the Engagement team is doing amazing work. The GNOME.Asia team is strong, and we’ve got an influx of people, more so than I’ve seen in some time.”

“With all these achievements, I think it’s time for me to hand the reins over to someone new, who can bring their own personal strengths to the role.”

Though Karen will no longer be the GNOME Foundation Executive Director, she will still be a part of the GNOME project. She has announced her intention to run for the Board of Directors, and wrote “I will stay on as pro bono counsel, and of course I’ll continue volunteering in other ways.”

Thanks and good wishes from the GNOME community have already started to pour in. Emmanuele Bassi, a Foundation Board member, said “I’d like to thank you for your great, indispensable work over the past few years. Your enthusiasm and involvement in GNOME have been incredible and inspiring.”

Meanwhile, the GNOME Foundation Board has already started to consider potential candidates for a new Executive Director, and interested parties should email board@gnome.org. Arrangements have also been made to ensure that the Foundation continues to run smoothly.