The Python Software Foundation
Minutes of Special Meeting of the Board of Directors

March 25, 2005

A special meeting of the Python Software Foundation (the "PSF") Board of Directors was held at George Washington University on March 25 at noon. Stephan Deibel presided. Jeremy Hylton recorded the minutes.

1. Attendance

A quorum was present. All board members and treasurer Neal Norwitz attended the meeting. David Ascher arrived late, because he was not informed of the meeting in advance.

2. Appointment of officers

The board appointed officers by unanimous vote. The officers are:

  • Stephan Deibel, chairman of the board
  • Guido van Rossum, president
  • Neal Norwitz, treasurer
  • Kurt Kaiser, assistant treasurer
  • Jeremy Hylton, secretary

The board asked Hylton to appoint an assistant secretary and to avoid taking on tasks unless he was sure he could complete them.

Norwitz reported that we would be taking a sabbatical later in the year and may not be able to serve as treasurer then. The board encouraged him to get Kaiser more involved in regular operations.

3. Project management committees

The board discussed the status of its existing committees. Several committees may be dissolved or re-chartered later in the year, including the conference committee, the public relations committee, and the grants committee. It decided to make decisions about those committees at its next meeting.

The board re-appointed Deibel as chair of the public support committee. It created a new committee, the infrastrucure project management committee, with Richard Jones, Andrew Kuchling, and Barry Warsaw as initial members. Kuchling was appointed chair of the committee and vice president for infrastructure. The board encourage the committee to make concrete plans for improving python.org infrastructure and to address technical infrastructure broadly.

4. Business items from members meeting

Stephan Deibel will respond to the legal concerns raised at the PSF meeting. Rob Page of Zope Corp. will send a list of specific questions about the current contributor agreement.

We will not have a member meeting at EuroPython, because Van Rossum is the only officer or director who is going to attend. We will arrange a social or informational event there.

Kuchling plans to improve the gender diversity of PyCon presenters and attendees for next year. Hylton will look at improving diversity in the broader Python / PSF community. Ascher will take the lead on developing a trademark policy for the PSF.

5. Resignation

Guido van Rossum resigned as a director, but will continue to serve as president.

6. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 1 p.m.