Our nominee to join The Perl Foundation’s Board of Directors as Treasurer is Pete Krawczyk. Prior to making a final decision, our standard policy includes a public comment period. The community is invited to post public feedback or ask questions of Pete on this blog post. We will wait a minimum of two weeks prior to making a decision. If any member of the community would like to express concerns privately, they may do so by contacting any member of the Board of Directors.

TPF Bylaws define the following responsibilities for the Treasurer:

5.09 Treasurer. The treasurer shall (a) have charge and custody over corporate funds and securities; (b) keep accurate books and records of corporate receipts and disbursements; (c) deposit all moneys and securities received by the corporation at such depositories in the corporation's name that may be designated by the board; (d) complete all required corporate filings; and (e) perform all duties incident to the office and other duties assigned by the president or the board.

Pete Krawczyk is a US-based software developer currently working for ZipRecruiter. Pete began learning Perl in 1996 at a local ISP and has been involved in the Perl community since 2004 when he joined Chicago.pm. Pete and Josh McAdams organized the 2006 and 2008 YAPC::NA conferences in Chicago, IL. Pete has been a contributor to CPAN since 2005 and has given several talks at user group meetings and conferences in the past fifteen years.

Outside of Perl, Pete has been a Financial Secretary for his local Knights of Columbus council, and is a trainer for the Illinois State Council of the Knights, training others Financial Secretaries on financial matters. He has also been an officer and treasurer for two different bowling leagues for the past six years. He is currently pursuing a BBA, and eventually an MBA, from the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.

Below are the questions that we asked Pete along with his responses:

Why do you want to be a member of the TPF Board?

I have been programming in Perl for 23 years; without Perl, my development career would not have been the same. I am excited for the opportunity to take what I've learned in other areas and use my skills to help Perl continue to thrive. I look forward to the chance to leave my mark on the language I love.

What existing TPF initiative(s) are most important to you and why?

I have found over the years that community is the most important part of Perl. People, modules, features all come and go, but the community - and the values we've developed - sustain us through the worst of times and drive us in the best of times. The hallway track at each conference is more valuable than any single talk, and while attending TPCiP 20, I was able to speak with a number of people I haven't spoken with in years. I think the best use of TPF is to encourage this community and do whatever possible to help it grow.

What goals would you like to see TPF pursue in the future?

1. Securing the legacy of Perl - TPF has done a great job in making sure Perl stays Perl and isn't co-opted by other interests. Things like getting the name TPC back for YAPC, to securing trademarks, and working with local PM groups to help the community prosper, has made Perl as a brand stronger. I'd like to see this continue and expand.

2. Greater participation - While it's important to have a strong board and good committees, it's equally important that people believe they have a voice in the future of Perl. To do that, people need to understand what it is that TPF does on a broader scale, and how they can help. I think documenting our legacy, diversifying our processes and developing leadership from within should all be priorities of TPF.

3. Encourage newcomers - Perl may be the Swiss Army Chainsaw, but to the average person who is entering the field, Perl is overwhelming. TIMTOWTDI is a blessing and a curse, and TPF should lead the way in helping folks discover how to do simple stuff simply before introducing ten other ways to do it. Perl is one of the most accessible languages in the world; let's help people understand how it can help them and encourage them to join the community in a virtuous feedback loop.