Governance
How the election works
Becoming a candidate on the Nomination Committee slate
Becoming a candidate on the Member Nomination slate
For all who want to be candidates
The Linux Professional Institute Board of Directors
The Linux Professional Institute (LPI) Board serves to drive the development of LPI in the furtherance of its mission: to promote use of open source by supporting the people who work with it. Directors provide strategic high-level direction and oversight over all facets of LPI’s certification, education, membership and other activities.
As one of the LPI’s Board of Directors, you will:
- Provide strategic direction and oversight for all aspects of LPI;
- Help develop and implement policies that support the global open source community.
- Attend scheduled LPI Board meetings, both virtually and physically at the Annual General Meeting (travel and expenses will be reimbursed).
- Gain valuable insight and experience developing and implementing policies that support the global open source community.
- Have an impact on the day-to-day lives of people working with open source by enhancing the quality of their employment and business opportunities.
- Approve LPI’s corporate plan and annual budget
Directors are elected to three-year terms. They are expected to serve on committees and attend board meetings regularly as well as the LPI Annual General Meeting in May/June of each year. Directors may be remunerated for their time and reimbursed for expenses.
Desired skills and experience
Each year the LPI Board of Directors submits a Board Competencies and Diversity Report that outlines the skills and experience the nomination committee should be looking for when reviewing applications.
We are seeking people who meet the “qualification” requirements defined in subsection 5.2 of LPI’s By-laws and ideally have a number of these qualities:
- A passion for the growth of open source software, and related employment and entrepreneurship;
- Previous board experience with solid understanding of board governance.
- The ability to understand risks, opportunities and implications both environmental and internal that may impact LPI.
- Experience in the fields of education, labour, small business, and information technology.
- Entrepreneurialism, experience managing multiple lines of business, or C-suite experience.
- An understanding of the areas of law related to LPI’s business, such as contract, labour, education, internet, IT, privacy, trademark, and patent;
- Leadership skills and the ability to listen and be open to others’ perspective;
- Good understanding and experience with policy and methods to manage and retain top talent in an inclusive and diverse workforce
- A willingness to serve a three-year term, with possibility of re-election to another three-year term, with the objective of helping LPI in its mandate to foster the growth of open source, open source employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
The Director Election Process
After 20 years of Directors being chosen by appointment, LPI changed its bylaws to implement a Membership program and to enable its Members to vote for its Directors thus determining the organization’s high-level direction. In 2020, LPI started its first-ever process for electing Directors, resulting in an election in the spring of 2021.
How the election works
Before each year’s Annual General Meeting of LPI, elections are held to fill vacancies on the Board. During the elections each LPI Member will be presented with two ballots:
- Choose one or more Directors from a slate of candidates produced by the Nomination Committee
- Choose one Director from the slate of Member-nominated candidates
The two-ballot process, successfully used in other nonprofits, serves three important objectives. It seeks out candidates to give LPI a diverse Board that serves its needs and addresses deficiencies, while enabling any LPI Member to run for Director even if not selected for the Nomination Committee’s slate. LPI is compliant with national laws and best practices regarding nonprofit governance.
Becoming a candidate on the Nomination Committee slate
Anyone who has both the interest to serve as a Director of LPI and skills helpful to the organization is invited to apply here. You do not need to be an LPI Member to apply to be a Director through the Nominating Committee.
Because it is discussing personal details and weighing applications against the needs of LPI and its own due diligence, meetings of the Nomination Committee are confidential.
The Nominating Committee will review the applications of all who have come forward, as well as others that the Committee has itself identified and invited to apply. At the end of this process the Committee will produce a slate from which Directors will be elected.
Rejection by this process does not necessarily mean that you are unsuitable. From year to year, LPI’s skills and diversity requirements will evolve, and in any particular year your skills may be great but they may not match our particular needs at that time.
Becoming a candidate on the Member Nomination slate
Any LPI Member who has an interest to serve as a Director is invited to nominate themselves to be on the Member Nomination slate by applying here. Such applications require nomination support from at least 5 other Members.
Such applications will not be vetted or reviewed by the Nomination Committee, all eligible Members who apply this way will appear on this slate. Note that only LPI Members in good standing may apply this way.
LPI Members who unsuccessfully apply to be candidates through the Nomination Committee may request to be automatically added to the Member Nomination slate providing they have collected the support of 5 other members.
For all who want to be Director candidates:
- Fully complete the online application on time: applications and resumes will be accepted through our online application system.
- Complete your declaration form: You will be asked to declare all real or potential conflicts of interest. Having limited conflicts does not prevent you from being a candidate, however failure to disclose may invalidate your candidacy or election.
- Deadlines:
- For applicants going through the Nomination Committee Process: All candidate deadlines and any other AGM dates can be found on the main election page.
- For applicants going through the Member-Nomination process: All candidate deadlines and any other AGM dates can be found on the main election page.
- Late applications will not be accepted
- Campaign: Once candidates have been selected to appear on either ballot, you can begin your campaign. You will be offered various tools through which to describe your background, qualifications and reasons for Members to vote for you. You will be expected to participate in (at least) a virtual Q&A.
Important dates and deadlines
- All candidate deadlines and any other AGM dates can be found on the main election page.