Serving on the Drupal Community Working Group has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my career in open source. Since 2013, I’ve had both the honor and the privilege to work alongside some of the most thoughtful, patient, and devoted members of our community to help develop processes and structures for community governance, resolve conflicts, and help make the Drupal project and community a more friendly and welcoming place for everyone. That work has at times been challenging, but it has also provided many opportunities for learning and growth.
All good things must come to an end, however, and as announced at DrupalCon Europe last month, I’ve been working with the other members of the CWG over the last year on a plan to step down from my current position on the Conflict Resolution Team and make way for fresh talent and leadership.
As our Code of Conduct states, “When somebody leaves or disengages from the project, in whole or in part, we ask that they do so in a way that minimizes disruption to the project. This means they should tell people they are leaving and take the proper steps to ensure that others can pick up where they left off.”
In my case, this means that while I will no longer be one of the people responsible for fielding incident reports or acting as a facilitator to help community members resolve conflicts, I will continue to be available to the current members of the team on an as-needed basis to help provide background and context for past issues. I will also continue to serve as a member of the CWG’s Community Health Team, working on projects to proactively improve community health, such as updating our Community Code of Conduct. I also plan to spend more time advocating within the broader open source community for improved community management structures and processes.
With this transition comes an opening within the Conflict Resolution Team, who is currently engaged in a search for new members, which is being led by Tara King (sparklingrobots). You can learn more about the kinds of folks we are looking for in our last call for members from 2018; additionally, all members are expected to abide by the CWG’s Code of Ethics.
As per the CWG's charter, new members of the CWG’s Conflict Resolution Team are appointed to up to two 3-year terms by the group’s Review Panel, which consists of the two community-elected Drupal Association board members, plus an independent representative appointed by the board as a whole.
If you are interested in being considered, please reach out to Tara or email drupal-cwg@drupal.org. In addition to the openings on the Conflict Resolution Team, we are looking to fill several roles on our Community Health Team for people looking to help make a positive difference in our community.
In closing, I want to thank all of my past colleagues on the CWG: Donna, Angie, Roel, Adam, Mike, Emma, Rachel, Jordana, and Alex, as well as the countless community members who have helped us out in various ways over the years. Drupal is better because of you and your contributions.