Au revoir les enfants ...

The elections are almost over, and we will see the end of an era. Florence will soon step down from the Board and from her position as Chair. I have mixed feelings about this: on the one hand, I have been critical of Florence on many occasions, and feel that she stepped into a position that completely overwhelmed her; on the other hand, no one can question her commitment to the projects and their values, her devotion to the community, and her intense desire (if not always ability) to do the right thing in the face of adversity. In that sense, she is the exact opposite of Sue, the ruthless "professional," determined to build her media empire even at the expense of Wikipedia's values or the people behind the site's success. In this new constellation of power, the loss of Florence's integrity, even if coupled with her maddening naivete, is actually quite sad (Florence, before you get all huffy, this was meant as a compliment).

For those who do not remember, it is worth recalling how Florence first became Chair of the Board. It happened in Frankfurt, after a three-day seminar for the Board, staff, and chapter heads. Though Jimmy was the Chair back then, everybody realized that if you gave him an enema he would fit in a matchbox, so the Board set out to replace him. Tim Shell had just announced his planned resignation, Michael Davis was unwilling to do it, leaving either Florence or Erik--and after three days of Erik, everyone realized how inappropriate he was. That left Florence, the only person with the integrity and courage (or foolishness, depending on how you look at it) to assume the position (double entendre intended). I think even she will now admit that she did not realize what she was getting herself into. It was not an ideal choice or even the best choice; it was the only choice, and she rose to the challenge.

So who will take over after Florence is gone? Jimmy's integrity has not grown substantially since that meeting in Frankfurt. Jan-Bart is essentially an outsider, and already does quite a bit as the Deputy Chair. Likewise, Treasurer Guy is an outsider with little experience in the wiki world to date--and who would be treasurer if they pick him? Kat and Frieda are both lovely people, but they would first need to develop vocal chords to take on the role, while Michael Snow and Domas were appointed temporarily, and will soon be replaced by the Chapter appointees. So who is left?

There are, of course, some possibilities. For instance, Florence has resigned as an elected member of the Board, but that does not preclude her from serving as a Chapter-appointed representative. She knows the territory, is familiar with the routine, and knows what she is dealing with. And it resolves another issue: what is to happen to Florence once she resigns her Board seat. Angela, who was elected with her, was made Chair of the Advisory Board (snicker!), so there should be some post for Florence as well, honorary or otherwise.

Alternately, perhaps she could replace the crystal meth addict who currently dysfunctions as the Volunteer Coordinator. Perhaps she can even get a salary for it, and a title like "Deputy Director for Community." She certainly knows the various communities, and would work well with Delphine, the Chapters Coordinator. Furthermore, she certainly has contributed on par with Erik, and her commitment to "the children" is focused on her own brood. Of course, that leaves open the question of who will serve as Chair of the Board, but the way things are going, is the Board really doing much anyways?