Election 2025 Candidate Manifestos

A space for the candidates for election to the Board to share some information about themselves, their aspirations for OSGeo, what they would like to change, improve or introduce and what role they would like to play on the board.

You are welcome to follow the template, and add further relevant info as you need:

Vicky Vergara - Mexico (OSGeo profile)

About me

I haven't changed much from the last times I wrote a manifesto:

• On 2023 I wrote about my hobbies and what I like to do during a FOSS4G.
• On 2021 I wrote about what the 9 year old me thought about where I live and how it has changed.
• On 2019 I wrote about that my laziness make me do and redo things until I figure out how to do them efficient and fast, so the next time I do them I can be lazy.
• On 2017 I wrote about how I arrived to OSGeo

My conclusion re-reading the about me in those manifestos: I like to talk and write.

Some day I would like share with you the autographs I have gathered during the FOSS4G, that is I made people talk and write :-), in all languages, for example, this year I have in Nepali, Bengali, Japanese

This time I will leave my autograph in Spanish here:

Deseo que todo en su vida personal y profesional sea de lo mejor para todos. Vicky

(Translation: I hope that everything in your personal or professional life is the best for you all.)

My vision

Summary if my Vision of OSGeo:

• OSGeo Foundation is here to serve the Flora of the world.
• OSGeo Foundation is here to serve the Fauna of the world.
• OSGeo Foundation is here to serve the Climate of the world.
• OSGeo Foundation is here to serve the People of the world.
• OSGeo Foundation is here to serve the Countries of the world.
• All OSGeo community members are PSC (Propose, Suggest and Comment)

What you have done within the community in the past

Normal life in front of the computer:

• Developing any of the pgRouting software:
  • pgRouting
  • vrpRouting
  • osm2pgrouting
  • pgRouting workshop
• Work on OSGeoLive:
  • Documentation
  • Checking the installed software
• Member of committees:
  • Code of Conduct Committee
  • System Administration Committee
  • Board Member
• Other tasks
  • Google Summer of Code mentor
  • Read and answer mails

What your interests are in terms of the board

• The right to be the best one can be.
• Promote the development and use of Open Source Software.

Any things that you would like to change or introduce

Think about why things are not happening.

• Why "[abc] is NOT [xyz] OSGeo".
• Why do some projects do not start incubation?
• Why is there no local OSGeo chapter in X country?
• Why do we have mostly sponsors from North America and Europe?
• Why we only hear (and see) those, who raise their voice and shout out loud. But we miss to reach the silent majority?
• What causes the "inactivity"?
• Are we scalable?
• Why ....

What role you would wish to fulfill on the board (if any)

Vice president of the Latin America Area

Jeroen Ticheler - The Netherlands (OSGeo profile)

About me

I’m Jeroen Ticheler, director and owner of (GeoCat), founder of (GeoNetwork) and current member of the board of directors of OSGeo.

I’m obsessed with helping organising and publishing (geospatial) data using free and open source software in a sustainable way. I started my career at the United Nations supporting Early Warning Systems with satellite imagery and quickly moved to also support the management of geospatial data.

Now, 25 years onwards, the GeoNetwork software we develop runs at over 85% of national geoportals in Europe (find thousands of harmonized, authoritative datasets (here) ) and is in use at all levels in governments around the world.

A bit more background on me can be found in (my OSGeo profile) and in (the description) for the 2023 elections.

My vision

For the coming two years I want to focus on change in OSGeo. For this I have written (a vision document) that is currently up for comments by the community. My goal is to Get Things Done. More specifically those things described in the vision document that have traction within the community.

What you have done within the community in the past

Besides my involvement as PSC chair in the GeoNetwork opensource project, I have been involved as Charter member from 2006 onwards, served on the OSGeo Marketing and Conference Committees, as well as on the OSGeo Board (2007-2009 and 2023-now).

In the last 10+ years my involvement has also been in the form of a sponsor to OSGeo and FOSS4G (both global, regional and local) and by organising a yearly Code Sprint in Bolsena 2007-2023.

What your interests are in terms of the board

As a member of the board I can help to make OSGeo future proof. This requires several concrete actions and needs our community to step up to the tasks to make that happen. As a community member with a long history, I'm convinced I can bring ideas to the table and move them forward.

Any things that you would like to change or introduce

Yes, many. But the main ones would be:

1. Numbered list item to make OSGeo financially solid so it can support its mission: To foster global adoption of open geospatial technology by being an inclusive software foundation devoted to an open philosophy and participatory community driven development.
2. make sure there are new types of sponsor plans that are attractive for both the sponsor, OSGeo and the FOSS4G conference organisers.
3. make sure there is a European legal entity of OSGeo that can serve its European membership, Local Chapters and the global OSGeo mission.

Furthermore one of the things that absolutely has my attention is responsible entrepreneurship. OSGeo needs to be a well balanced community of people from all parts of society, including volunteers, students and scientists, public servants and businesses.

What role you would wish to fulfill on the board (if any)

The role of president or vice president.