It’s election season at OpenStreetMap US! Nominations for the OpenStreetMap US Board of Directors will open on Saturday, January 25, 2025, and we hope that you consider running. As a member of the OpenStreetMap US board, you can help shape the strategy and future of OpenStreetMap US at an exciting time of growth for the organization. The benefits and responsibilities of the board include:
- Supporting the Executive Director & staff team
- Supporting the mapping community through Slack, email, mailing lists and chat rooms
- Facilitating interactions with other organizations, academics, government, and private companies and supporting fundraising efforts
As a reminder, board members now serve staggered, two-year terms. There are three board seats subject to this election. The board members who have terms expiring are Diane Fritz, Priyanka Miller and Matthew Whilden. Matt and Priyanka are eligible to run this cycle, but Diane must wait 1 year before running again. Board members who will continue to serve through 2026 are Harrison Devine and Levente Juhász. A big thank you to the outgoing board members for their service and dedication to OSM US!
What Makes a Great Board Member?
What makes a difference is being passionate about supporting the OpenStreetMap community in the United States and the mission of OSM US. Legal, fundraising, or financial management experience (particularly in nonprofit and open source spaces) is optional but highly beneficial to supporting the growth of our organization. Overall, a great board member prioritizes guiding staff and fellow board members in achieving organizational priorities and aligning these with the needs of our community. Any active, paid member of OpenStreetMap US is eligible to become a board member.
The OpenStreetMap US Board of Directors is a governance-style nonprofit board with volunteer board members focusing on overall mission, strategy, oversight, and accountability. This free short course from Nonprofit Ready provides an overview of nonprofit board service and effective board leadership (completing the course is not required for running).
Curious about board service? Join our information session with existing board members on January 24th at Mapping USA. Hear from existing board members to learn more and ask questions about board roles and activities. Mapping USA is a free virtual conference that is open to all, including non-members. Register here!
Requirements & Expectations
To be eligible for nomination:
- Be passionate about OpenStreetMap and its community, and interested in shaping strategy and helping with governance.
- Be a current member of OpenStreetMap US by February 10, 2025. Join today!
As an elected board member, you will be expected to:
- Attend regular (usually monthly) one-hour, virtual board meetings.
- Read materials provided by the Executive Director before board meetings.
- Communicate with the board and staff team regularly.
- Represent community and organizational interests over personal interests.
- Contribute 1-5 hours per month to community engagement activities such as hosting a Mappy Hour, participating in a Working Group, actively supporting the community through communication channels, or writing a blog post.
Nomination Instructions
Nominations will be open from Saturday, January 25, 2025, through Sunday, February 9, 2025. To nominate yourself, please go to the election wiki page, and add yourself to the list. You can also see more information about the schedule and process there.
Nominees are encouraged (but not required) to provide position statements upon nomination via links on the election wiki page or a statement embedded in the table. In place of position statements on the wiki, nominees will have the opportunity to state their positions and answer questions during the virtual Nominee Town Hall.
Town Hall
There will be one virtual Town Hall with candidates the week of February 10, 2025, before voting begins. During the Town Hall, you will have a chance to ask questions and hear from the candidates. More information, including time and registration link, will be posted to the wiki closer to the date.
Election
To vote in the OpenStreetMap US board elections, you must be a paid & active voting member of OpenStreetMap US AND have selected Opt-In for your voting status. You must meet these requirements by Sunday, February 23, 2025, at 11:59 pm EST to receive a ballot and vote in this year’s election.
If you are an active member but have not indicated your voting status, you must do so by the date and time listed above. Questions about your membership or voting status? Please log into your Neon account to confirm. Not a member? Register here!
Voting will start on Monday, February 24th at noon EST and end on Sunday, March 2nd at 11:59 pm EST. We will announce the new board members on March 3rd.
A Note on Systems & Processes
The OpenStreetMap US Governance Committee will oversee the voting process. We will continue to use Ranked Choice Voting. Results will be confirmed by a member of the Governance Committee.
Best of luck to all the nominees! And thanks for voting!
