Board succession planning

= Composition =

The Fedora Project Board has nine (9) seats, occupied by five (5) elected members and four (4) appointed members. All seats are occupied by Fedora community members. The Board has a Chairman, and that person is the Red Hat-appointed Fedora Project Leader.

= Definitions =

OPEN SEAT: A seat is open when it is subject to the current election process.

TERM: Board members are elected for a term of two (2) major releases of Fedora. However, a Board member may resign his/her seat at any time.

CONTINUITY: It is the Board's desire to "roll over" about half of the seats with each term expiration.

ELIGIBLE VOTER: Any person in the Fedora Account System who has completed the Contributor License Agreement.

= Elections =

SCHEDULE: Elections for those seats subject thereto on the Board are held no more than 30 days after each major release of Fedora.

CHAIR: The Fedora Project Leader is appointed and not subject to elections.

APPOINTED SEATS: The people in these seats are appointed rather than community elected. Red Hat's continued interest in the success of Fedora ensures that qualified, motivated, and appropriately experienced individuals occupy these seats. Ultimately, the Fedora Project Leader has final say over who are in the appointed seats, and may choose to fill any of these seats with any members of the Fedora community.

ELECTED SEATS: The remaining seats are subject to a general election of nominees from within the Fedora Project community. Any members of the Fedora community may run for election.

NOMINATIONS: Nominations may be made by and of any eligible voter. Sitting Board members are not restricted from nomination or re-election to open seats.

BALLOTING: Elections are held by a ballot of eligible voters, using the election system in place for other Fedora subproject steering committee elections. The Fedora Project Board ensures that this system provides a fair, equitable, and open means for elections.

ORDER OF OPERATIONS: All appointed seats with the exception of one (1) will be announced prior to the elected seats being determined. The final appointment is held back to allow the FPL to look at the entire incoming Board composition and use the last appointed seat to make sure that the breadth of skills represented is suitable.

INSUFFICIENT NOMINATIONS: If there are fewer nominees for elected Board seats than required to fill all seats, then the FPL will appoint individuals to fill any empty seats for a full term. At the expiry of the term, the seats in question revert to elected seats.

REMOVAL: In the event of repeated absence without contact, or other serious misconduct or negligence, a Board member may be subject to removal. Before any other process occurs, the Board member in question will be personally contacted by the FPL to try to resolve the situation. If this contact does not successfully resolve the situation, the Board member in question may be removed by unanimous vote of the other members of the Board. Any resulting open seat will be filled through an interim appointment by the FPL, following consultation with the Board. The term of the interim appointment will be the remainder of the original term for that seat.

AMENDMENT: Changes to this process may be made by a 2/3 vote of the Fedora Project Board and the approval of the Chairman.