Nominations Open for Node.js Foundation Individual Membership Director

The Node.js Foundation is a member-supported organization backed by both corporate and individual members. Two seats on our Board of Directors are reserved for individual membership directors who are elected by Node.js Foundation individual members.

Currently, the Node.js Foundation is seeking nominations for an individual membership director. You will need to submit your nomination by January 15, 2017 here.

Individual members are current contributors to the Node.js project, including those participating in all working groups and sub-projects. If you fall into this category, you are eligible for free membership. You can also become an individual member of the Node.js Foundation by paying $100 annually (if you are a student, the cost is $25).

If you are new to the Node.js community or haven’t heard about our membership and nomination process, we want to take some time to answer some basic questions you might have. If you have additional questions, please ask on this GitHub thread.

What is the Node.js Foundation? What’s the Node.js Foundation individual membership?

Established in 2015, the Node.js Foundation is a project under The Linux Foundation that consists of a Board of Directors that handles the administrative aspects of the project and the Technical Steering Committee, which is focused on all the technical aspects of the project.

The general goals of the Node.js Foundation are to accelerate the use of Node.js and its related modules and support the community that makes this technology possible. The Node.js Foundation works with its corporate and individual members and the community to build projects and initiatives that will help accomplish these goals, from events to educational materials and resources for developers.

Node.js individual members provide a balance to the corporate sponsors of the project. They are awarded two positions on the Board and are able to be actively involved in the project and its administrative direction.

What’s required to become a Node.js Foundation individual member?

Current contributors to the Node.js project, including all working groups and sub-projects, are eligible for free membership. You can also become a member by paying $100 per year (if you are a student, the cost is $25). You are required to have a GitHub account to register.

Do you have vested interest in the Node.js community’s needs/wants?

If yes, then this might be right for you. The Board meets every month, so you need to also have the time to sit in on a monthly call. You will also be the eyes and the ears of the community for the Board, so it is always recommended that you attend community events, keep up-to-date on what’s happening within the overall ecosystem, and generally act as a sort of ombudsman of the community.

Who can run for the Node.js Foundation Individual membership director seat?

Any registered member can run for the individual membership director seat. Several Board meetings take place in-person, so the ability to travel a few times a year is beneficial. The Board covers cost for travel, lodging and registration (if needed) to attend any in-person meetings.

What does the Node.js Foundation Board of Directors do?

The Board meets every month to approve resolutions and discuss Node.js Foundation administrative matters. This includes legal considerations, budgeting and approving Foundation-led conferences and other initiatives. Technical governance is overseen by the TSC, not the Board of Directors, however they advise the TSC when it is requested.

A sampling of Foundation-led Initiatives from this last year include:

• Node.js Interactive Europe and North America: between the events in Amsterdam and Austin more than 1000+ attendees joined together.
• The Node.js Live series of worldwide events targeted at Node.js developers, architects and community members interested in fine-tuning their Node.js skills.
• The Node.js Foundation hired Tracy Hinds to be the Node.js Foundation education community manager. With Tracy’s efforts and that of the community, the Node.js project has begun to establish the building blocks for a certification program.

You can find all the meeting minutes from Board conversations here.

How long does an individual membership director sit on the Board?

The term is for two years. Individual members can continually apply to sit on the Board, so you are not beholden to serving only two years.

Who are the current individual membership directors? How long have they served?

Last year, the length of terms were a little bit different. The individual member who received the highest votes, Ashley Williams, is serving two years. Feross Aboukhadijeh, our other individual membership director, is completing his time as a Board member and only serving one year. We shortened the term length, so we can hold an election every year, and last year was the first time we were able to hold elections.

What specifically does the Node.js Foundation individual membership director do?

The Individual Membership Director is responsible for soliciting feedback and data that represents the wishes of other individual members and the community at large. They have been entrusted with the duty to make decisions based on the information they receive to best represent the community, and can gather input for proposals when relevant and granted permission to do so.

This includes participating and voting in Board meetings, introducing and driving forward initiatives to conclusion that capture the mission of the Node.js project, and representing the Board at speaking engagements (this is by no means a comprehensive list).

How has the role of Individual Membership Director changed since its inception last year, if at all?

The last elections were held when the Board was starting to get on its feet. This year, the Board has a year+ of experience under its belt. We have learned what has been helpful and what has not been helpful to the community at large. However, this is an ever-evolving community and technology. Even as goals are developed and established, there is always need for fresh perspective and understanding.

How do I submit?

First, you need to have a GitHub page and also be a member of the Node.js project (details on who qualifies as a member above).

In terms of the content to submit, people generally provide background on themselves, their experience with the community, issues that are most important to them, and goals that they would work on accomplishing as a Board member.

Here is an example of Ashley Williams and Feross Aboukhadijeh’s submissions last year. You can submit for yourself here.

Essentially, you are answering the question: why would you be a good candidate for this position?

When is the deadline to submit?

• Nominations are being solicited until January 15th.
• A ballot will be distributed on January 20th.
• The election will be completed by January 30th.

Who can vote for the Individual Board Membership Director?

Anyone who is an individual member of the Node.js Foundation can vote. See the answer to the first question above to get more details on this.

Please let us know if you have any additional questions about membership, running or voting for the individual membership director by asking directly on this GitHub thread.