Call for Candidates for the 2023 Carpentries Executive Council

Carpentries leaders are needed! Do you have:

A desire to join Carpentries leaders from around the world in shaping the future of The Carpentries and assuring our continued success?
A desire to expand your sense of contribution to The Carpentries by doing it at a global level?
A desire and willingness to advise and represent the entire organisation?
Knowledge and experience that will assist The Carpentries Executive Council in strategically leading and guiding the organisation?

If yes, then The Carpentries needs YOU!!

In the search for qualified candidates to serve on The Carpentries Executive Council, every member of The Carpentries community is encouraged to participate in the process, by nominating themselves or a qualified individual for one of the open Council seats.

The Executive Council is the governance body for The Carpentries, and is responsible for strategic and organisational planning. The members of the Executive Council serve two-year terms, and are elected by either the community or Executive Council.

Community-elected Members

The Carpentries community elects two members to the Executive Council each year. These candidates must self-nominate, and must already be voting members in The Carpentries. Any individuals who are not successful in the community election may be automatically considered for Council-elected positions. Nominate yourself for community-elected positions using this form. Your answers to this form will be published in a blog post announcing all candidates for the community election. You can view examples of nomination posts in this list of previous candidates. You will also have the opportunity to record a three-minute video to be shared with the community.

Council-elected Members

Council-elected positions are chosen by the Executive Council. Three council-elected positions are open for the 2023 Executive Council. Anyone may nominate someone for council-elected positions, and the nominee does not need to be previously affiliated with The Carpentries to serve in these positions. The Executive Council will contact candidates nominated for Council-elected positions to ensure they are prepared to serve if elected. Nominate someone for a Council-elected position using this form.

Open member positions and closing date for the nomination

The term of the following current Executive Council members ends:

Aleksandra Nenadic (community elected)
Sarah Stevens (community elected)
John Chodacki (council elected)
Michael Smith(council elected)
Masami Yamaguchi (council elected)

The following are the returning EC members in the last year for their term:

Konrad Förstner (community elected)
Yanina Bellini Saibene (community elected)
Annajiat Alim Rasel (council elected)

Nominations for both Community-elected and Council-elected positions close on Monday October 17, 2022, Anywhere on Earth (AoE).

Self-nominate for the two open Community-elected positions
Nominate others for the three Council-elected positions

Please review the FAQ below prior to submitting a nomination.

Carpentries Election FAQ

The Carpentries Executive Council’s election process is determined by The Carpentries Bylaws. Below are several frequently asked questions that will help you understand the process.

What does the Carpentries Executive Council do?
The Carpentries Executive Council is the governance body of The Carpentries organisation. It is responsible for strategic and organisational planning, selecting the Executive Director and evaluating their performance, financial oversight, identifying revenue streams and resource development, approving and monitoring The Carpentries programs and services, and enhancing The Carpentries’ public image. Members of the Council also serve as advocates and ambassadors for the organisation, leveraging their networks to benefit the organisation’s reputation and fundraising. The Executive Council executes these responsibilities through a combination of quarterly Executive Council meetings and regular correspondence and collaboration via email and online platforms.

More information about the Executive Council’s purpose and activities can be found in the Executive Council section of the handbook.

Additionally, read the blog posts The Structure of The Carpentries Executive Council, and On the Governance of The Carpentries.

What expertise does the Executive Council need?
In general, Executive Council members possess some of the following characteristics:
- Experience with strategic planning for a non-profit or other type of organisation
- Experience with non-profit finances and fundraising, especially with regards to sustainability
- Familiarity with non-profit and open source governance
- Membership in or previous experience working with diverse communities
- Understanding and passion for The Carpentries mission, vision, and values
- Time to participate fully in Executive Council and other Carpentries activities
- Previous experience at the Executive Council level
How long is the Executive Council term and when does it start?
The term for Council members is two (2) years, with new terms beginning on February 1st, following the election. Terms are staggered so that approximately half of the community-elected and half of the Council-elected members are elected each year.
How much time would I need to commit to serving on the Executive Council?
The full Executive Council meets online at least four times per year – usually once per quarter – for 90 minutes. Members are expected to attend at least 75% of these meetings. Additionally, monthly meetings of the standing committees take place to collaborate on the work of those committees. The Council participates in a retreat once per year, either in person or virtually. If in person, members need to make themselves available to travel to this event. Ad hoc groups may meet in addition to this, and individuals will all be responsible for taking on work between meetings. The Chair and Treasurer, which are elected from Council members, spend considerable additional time on Carpentries matters. See our yearly timeline for more details on our general activities and when they take place.
Are Executive Council members compensated?
Council members are not compensated for their contributions to The Carpentries, with the exception of administrative support, travel, and accommodation costs related to their duties on the Executive Council. This generally covers our one in-person meeting per year, but does not cover travel to CarpentryCon or other Carpentries-related events.
How do I know if I am a voting member?
Only voting members of The Carpentries can vote in the election and self-nominate for community-elected positions. To be a voting member, you must meet one of the following conditions:
- Every individual who has completed instructor or trainer certification in the past year (December 1, 2021 - November 30, 2022).
- Every individual who has completed their instructor certification in the last two years and has taught at least one workshop of The Carpentries (Library Carpentry, Data Carpentry, Software Carpentry) between December 1, 2020 and November 30, 2022.
- Every individual who is a certified instructor and has taught at least two workshops of The Carpentries in the past two years between December 1, 2020 and November 30, 2022
- Any individual who has participated on a committee, served as a mentor or maintainer, or otherwise made a significant contribution to any Lesson Program or The Carpentries organisation in the past year is also considered active in the community and is welcome to apply for Voting Membership by completing the application for voting membership.

Please note: we understand that several workshops have been postponed or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, we want to recognise the various ways community members contribute and expand voting eligibility to recognise those contributions. Therefore, we have extended the requirements for voting membership as follows:

Certified Instructors who have taught 2 times between 2019 and 2022
Trainers active between 2019 and 2022
Maintainers active between 2019 and 2022

The Executive Council voted to approve these eligibility conditions for the 2022-2023 elections cycle. We will continue to discuss expanding voting eligibility and make revisions to the bylaws accordingly.

What is the timeline for the elections?
- September 14, 2022: Nominations open
- October 17, 2022: Nominations close
- Early November: Blog posts and optional videos from candidates for community-elected positions are available to the community, confirmation emails for voting status sent
- November 20, 2022: Deadline to submit application for voting membership
- December 5-11, 2022: Voting is open for community-elected positions
- December 14, 2022: Executive Council votes on Council-elected candidates
- January, 2023: Executive Council announces 2023 Executive Council

Need Help?

If you’re not sure if you’re a voting-eligible member, log in to AMY and see if records show that you are eligible based on the criteria above.
If you need records updated, help logging into AMY or have any questions, please email team@carpentries.org.
If you have taught workshops that are not registered in AMY, please include a link to the workshop website(s) in your email to team@carpentries.org. We will also be sending out an email to each instructor with their status before voting opens.