Oceania Elections

2024 Election

• Seats & terms: There are nine board positions in total. Three directors are continuing: Elisa Puccioni, Renee Malacari (nee Manser) and Dorothy D. Pion. Retiring directors are Alex Leith, Ewen Hill, Jonah Sullivan, Alan Cheung and Rafael Kargren. John Bryant, who was continuing, resigned in September 2024. Therefore, six seats are up for election (current directors may stand for re-election). The election period for new directors is two years.

• Nominations: Any member may nominate a member (including themselves) to stand for election. Nominations should state the candidate's name, their usual place of residence (town/city/country), and a brief statement on why that person would make a good director. Please send nominations to elections@osgeo-oceania.org.

• DirectorIDs: It is an Australian Government legislative requirement that all nominees must be eligible to obtain a DirectorID with the Australian Government. This process is straightforward, however, it’s important for all incoming nominees to be aware the time it takes to obtain a DirectorID can be substantial and requesting a Director ID prior to the election is a requirement

• Candidate statements: Candidates will be invited to share some information about themselves, their aspirations for OSGeo Oceania, what they would like to change, improve, or introduce, and what role they would like to play on the board, in 150 words or less. This is designed to give members some insight into who they are voting for, and provides some accountability. Candidate names and their statements will be posted below.

• Voting: OSGeo Oceania members are eligible to vote. The election will be run electronically using an independent system (ElectionBuddy), and will run for one week. Members will be notified by email when voting is open, and provided with instructions on how to cast their ballot. Members' votes are secret - nobody can see who you vote for. At the end of the election, the winning candidates will be announced on the oceania mailing list. Vote tallies will be kept private.

Timeline

Date	Item
2024-11-02	open director nominations
2024-11-16	close director nominations
2024-11-21	deadline for candidate statements
2024-11-23	voting opens
2024-11-30	voting closes at 11:59:59pm AWST
2024-12-01	results posted on the oceania mailing list
2024-12-05	"Meeting to Elect Directors" (vote by membership to formally elect the directors chosen during the election)

Election Results

No election was required with six candidates for six vacancies. The successful candidates were

Ana Belgun

• Nomination Statement:

I would love to submit my statement in response to the nomination for the FOSS4G Oceania Board because I believe I can contribute to the OSGeo’s vision of empowering everyone with open source geospatial. My professional experience has been deeply rooted in geospatial technologies and open-source software, and I am passionate about advancing the role of open-source geospatial solutions across government and enterprise sectors. In recent years, I have focused on positioning open-source geospatial as a viable and robust choice for government bodies and enterprises, advocating for its integration into critical infrastructure and decision-making frameworks. My advocacy for FOSS4G Oceania would include: a) Developing FOSS4G Oceania as the go-to institutional stakeholder for organisations wanting to better understand OSS b) Strengthening Industry Partnerships: By fostering collaborations with government and enterprise sectors c) Showcasing Successful Case Studies: Demonstrating impactful use cases where open-source technologies have driven efficiencies d) Education and Outreach.

Dani Bramante

• Nomination Statement:

Dani is enthusiastic about joining the OSGeo Oceania Board of Directors to further contribute to the growth and sustainability of the open geospatial and OpenStreetMap communities in the Oceania region. Driven by a commitment to making open geospatial data accessible, collaborative, and impactful, Dani is passionate about supporting a diverse range of users who shape the mapping community. As an active member of the Geospatial Council of Australia and an experienced mentor, Dani has witnessed the tremendous potential of open-source tools and collaborative mapping efforts in enhancing environmental understanding and informing decision-making. With a strong background in strategic consulting, portfolio management, project delivery and technical marketing, Dani is well-equipped to provide effective oversight for OSGeo Oceania’s initiatives, including the FOSS4G & SotM Conference series. Having managed complex projects and budgets, Dani is prepared to help steward OSGeo Oceania’s resources transparently and responsibly in alignment with its constitution.

Nick Forbes-Smith

• Nomination Statement:

I attended my first FOSS4G in 2019 in Bucharest, and I knew immediately that this was the community I wanted to dedicate myself to. Since then, I’ve been building and using FOSS4G to address challenges like natural hazard modelling, federated open data discovery and visualisation, cloud-native geospatial data management, and the visualisation of scientific data such as climate and weather models to support better decision-making. As a Technical Leader and Software Engineer in open-source geospatial web development, I focus on making data more accessible and understandable to all. I firmly believe that while technology is powerful, it doesn’t solve problems alone. Real impact comes when communities work together, build shared understanding, and make tools accessible to everyone, regardless of background. This is why I’m committed to contributing beyond technical work—helping to increase FOSS4G’s accessibility and adoption across Oceania and globally. I was a core member of the FOSS4G Oceania SotM 2024 organising committee in Hobart, leading efforts for venues, events, sponsorship, and the website, and I look forward to supporting the organisation of FOSS4G International in Auckland next year.

Alex Leith

• Nomination Statement:

Alex Leith has been a part of the OSGeo Oceania Board since its inception in 2019, bringing leadership and dedication to the organisation. He has played at least a supporting role in each ofof OSGeo Oceania’s events, starting with the inaugural conference in 2018. From 2019 to 2023, Alex served as Treasurer, contributing to the financial stability of the organisation. In 2024, he chaired the highly successful FOSS4G SotM Oceania Conference in Hobart and is now co-chairing the global 2025 FOSS4G Conference in Auckland. As someone deeply invested in OSGeo Oceania's mission, Alex feels he has one more two-year term to contribute meaningfully. He aspires to support the Board as a senior member, sharing his experience and mentoring new Board members to ensure continuity and growth. While his role on the global FOSS4G organising committee will keep him busy, Alex values maintaining a strong connection with OSGeo Oceania and sees his Board membership as vital to fostering that link.

Ewen Hill

• Nomination Statement:

Dear members of OSGeo Oceania, It has been an absolute privilege to join the OSGeo Oceania board and see the organisation grow post the pandemic, culminating in successfully bidding for the global FOSS4G conference next year. As we continue to grow, I believe it is crucial to expand member engagement and create avenues for individuals to contribute at a level they feel comfortable with—without overwhelming them. OSGeo Oceania should foster a more inclusive and collaborative environment, and I propose we re-establish Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and working groups to support the board in a more dynamic, hub-and-spoke structure. As part of the membership working group, I am proud that we have 65 new members join us in the last year, a 25% increase in active members and the systems we have deployed including moving from Mailchimp to Mailjet and developing key metrics and automation. I hope that the way the Membership Working Group operates, is the blueprint for other SIG and working groups to follow. Another area that requires attention is our support for OpenStreetMap (OSM) and State of the Map. I am excited to have contributed to the reinvigoration of OSM within the region, alongside Graeme Fitzpatrick, who recently took on the role of head of the OSM SIG. Graeme and I have already identified key editors in the region, and we’re advocating for changes to the OpenStreetMap Foundation’s membership policy to better support smaller island nations that are currently not represented at all. Looking ahead to 2025, I am optimistic that we can significantly expand our efforts in this area and encourage anyone with an interest to join the OSM team. I am committed to continuing to serve and support the members of OSGeo Oceania. If elected, I will work diligently to strengthen our community and further the important work we’re doing together.

Jonah Sullivan

• Nomination Statement:

I have about 10 years of open geospatial experience, working mostly in Government with a bit of Non-Government. I started as a FOSS4G user processing geographic data and making scripted tools to process data, then moved into using open data for marine planning, as well as data exchange standards and policies to enable organisations to share data. I have a fair bit of experience: I've been a Director of OSGeo Oceania since 2020, where I've held the positions of Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer, as well as being the Chair FOSS4G SotM Oceania 2020 online, and 2022 in Fiji. I also organise the Canberra Python User Group. I am excited about the opportunity to continue serving as a Director of OSGeo Oceania and contribute to its continued success. I am confident that my combination of technical expertise, leadership experience, and dedication to open-source principles will help guide the organization in its mission to support the community of users of open geospatial data and software.

2023 Election

Process

• Seats & terms: There are nine board positions in total. Five directors are continuing: Alex Leith, Ewen Hill, Jonah Sullivan, Alan Cheung and Rafael Kargren. Retiring directors are Tishampati Dhar, To'oa Brown, Greg Lauer and Edoardo Neerhut. Therefore, four seats are up for election (current directors may stand for re-election). The election period for new directors is two years.
• Nominations: Any member may nominate a member (including themselves) to stand for election. Nominations should state the candidate's name, their usual place of residence (town/city/country), and a brief statement on why that person would make a good director. Please send nominations to elections@osgeo-oceania.org.
• Candidate statements: Candidates will be invited to share some information about themselves, their aspirations for OSGeo Oceania, what they would like to change, improve, or introduce, and what role they would like to play on the board, in 150 words or less. This is designed to give members some insight into who they are voting for, and provides some accountability. Candidate names and their statements will be posted below.
• Voting: OSGeo Oceania members are eligible to vote. The election will be run electronically using an independent system (ElectionBuddy), and will run for one week. Members will be notified by email when voting is open, and provided with instructions on how to cast their ballot. Members' votes are secret - nobody can see who you vote for. At the end of the election, the winning candidates will be announced on the oceania mailing list. Vote tallies will be kept private.

Timeline

Date	Item
2023-11-05	open director nominations
2023-11-19	close director nominations
2023-11-24	deadline for candidate statements
2023-11-26	voting opens
2023-12-03	voting closes at 11:59:59pm AWST
2023-12-04	results posted on the oceania mailing list
2023-12-08	"Meeting to Elect Directors" (vote by membership to formally elect the directors chosen during the election)

2023 Candidates

Dorothy D. Pion

(Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea)

• Candidate statement: I am Dorothy D. Pion, and I am honoured to stand as a candidate for the board, representing the unique perspectives of Papua New Guinea (PNG). With a profound passion for geospatial technology, I aim to foster collaboration and innovation within our community. PNG's cultural diversity and formidable challenges, from treacherous terrains to socio-economic issues, underscore the critical role of geospatial technologies. As a GIS professional from PNG, I am committed to leveraging these tools to address local concerns, promote sustainable development, and empower communities. Having conducted QGIS training sessions and raised awareness of OSGeo Oceania in Port Moresby, I am eager to contribute further in any way I can if elected to the board. I remain excited about the prospect of contributing to the growth and impact of OSGeo Oceania.
• Nomination statement:

Elisa Puccioni

(Wellington, New Zealand)

• Candidate statement: I have always been very passionate about enabling people to learn and use GIS, as I strongly believe that GIS should be available to all. This is the main reason why I became part of the OSGeo community in 2019, believing that free and open-source software should be the future of GIS. Since then, I have served 2 years in the OSGeo Oceania board, one as deputy chair, and I am currently the chair of the Grant committee, having a lot of fun and satisfaction in helping our various community groups with their awesome events and activities. I’m running again this year as I feel I have still more to give to the community and I'm eager to assist the other board members in tackling new challenges and reaching new goals in the next two years.
• Nomination statement: Elisa has been a highly active and enthusiastic volunteer in the last few years, including leading the very successful OSGeo Oceania grants program, helping community groups around the region access funds to run events and other initiatives. Having already done a 2 year term as a director, including a year as Deputy Chair, she'd hit the ground running. She truly has the best interests of the community at heart, her enthusiasm is infectious, and she'd be a great director of this organisation! (Nominated by John Bryant)

John Bryant

(Perth, Australia)

• Candidate statement: I dream of a thriving open geospatial community in Oceania, vibrant and connected. Over the last several years, I've worked on this dream by organising community-driven open geospatial groups and events in Perth, Melbourne, Wellington, and Fiji, and helping establish OSGeo Oceania in 2018. I believe in OSGeo Oceania's mission to support the Oceania open geospatial community and I want to help. As a past member of the OSGeo Oceania board, I worked hard to connect the organisation to the community it serves. I want to do this again, in part by opening more transparent channels of communication. As an ardent organiser of Geogeeks Perth, I believe I can help activate and support other local groups. Finally, I want to support other people in their ambitions to serve our incredible community.
• Nomination statement:

Renee Manser (nee Malacari)

(Perth, Australia)

• Candidate statement: I, Renee Manser, am a GIS Professional working for the Pilbara based Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation. I currently work from the Perth office and attend Geogeeks as often as possible. I’m a huge champion of free and open-source software as it allows access to GIS technology for those who otherwise cannot afford it – this is especially beneficial when working with indigenous people, generally living in remote communities, with limited internet connectivity. During my years living in Paraburdoo, I was a secretary (amongst other roles) for 3 different community groups. Throughout this period, I successfully updated 3 separate constitutions, in line with changes to Western Australian legislation, the Associations Incorporation Act 2015. Now that I have settled into Perth life, I’m ready to give back to the community. Despite my limited technical knowhow, I have governance experience and bucketloads of enthusiasm which will be a terrific addition to the OSGeo Oceania board.
• Nomination statement:

Stafford Smith

(Broome, Australia)

• Candidate statement: I am an active member of the open-source for Geospatial community, both as a user and a developer, for 17 years. I have been an avid user of QGIS since its first release as Quantum GIS and used it for my honours research in geospatial analysis for archaeology. These days I am a core contributor to the open-source TerriaJS geospatial visualisation framework. I also run my own company “Right Place Geo”, where I do open-source geospatial training and development jobs for Indigenous ranger groups, and other not-for-profit environmental orgs across Australia. This is the sector where I am most passionate about open-source geo – as tools that really democratise access to critical technology to make the world a better place, and I want to advocate for the sector and contribute my time. I am well connected with both the needs of end users, and the creators of the tools.
• Nomination statement:

2022 Election

Process

• Seats & terms: There are nine board positions in total. Four directors are continuing: To'oa Brown, Tishampati Dhar, Greg Lauer and Edoardo Neerhut. Retiring directors are Jonah Sullivan, Elisa Puccioni, Alex Leith, Ewen Hill and Carrol Chan. Therefore, five seats are up for election (current directors may stand for re-election). The election period for new directors is two years.
• Nominations: Any member may nominate a member (including themselves) to stand for election. Nominations should state the candidate's name, their usual place of residence (town/city/country), and a brief statement on why that person would make a good director. Please send nominations to elections@osgeo-oceania.org.
• Candidate statements: Candidates will be invited to share some information about themselves, their aspirations for OSGeo Oceania, what they would like to change, improve, or introduce, and what role they would like to play on the board, in 150 words or less. This is designed to give members some insight into who they are voting for, and provides some accountability. Candidate names and their statements will be posted below.
• Voting: OSGeo Oceania members are eligible to vote. The election will be run electronically using an independent system (ElectionBuddy), and will run for one week. Members will be notified by email when voting is open, and provided with instructions on how to cast their ballot. Members' votes are secret - nobody can see who you vote for. At the end of the election, the winning candidates will be announced on the oceania mailing list. Vote tallies will be kept private.

Timeline

Date	Item
2022-11-06	open director nominations
2022-11-20	close director nominations
2022-11-25	deadline for candidate statements
2022-11-27	voting opens
2022-12-04	voting closes at 11:59:59pm AWST
2022-12-05	results posted on the oceania mailing list
2022-12-08	"Meeting to Elect Directors" at AGM (vote by membership to formally elect the directors chosen during the election)

Election Results

No election was required with five candidates for five vacancies. The successful candidates were

Alex Leith

Australia

• Nomination Statement:

I've been volunteering with OSGeo Oceania since the beginning and I'm still excited about the work we do and how we are supporting our community. I've been treasurer for quite some time, and while I'd like to deputise someone new, I'm quite happy doing the work in the background too. With my experience, I'm very keen to support others to learn about how the Board works and to empower them to lead our organisation and our community. Looking forward, it will be great to continue holding events that people enjoy coming to and expanding our travel grant program, so that we can include folks who otherwise might not have been able to attend. And that is what I enjoy the most, myself: being exposed to the diverse Oceania open geospatial community!

Ewen Hill

Australia

• Nomination Statement:

The Osgeo Oceania board has been an amazing learning curve and I am happy to have fully automated the membership process so that more time can be concentrated on how to recruit rather than the approval process. Over my time, I have seen OSGeo Oceania grow since the virus years and I look forward to working with an amazing committed team.

Jonah Sullivan

Australia

• Nomination Statement:

I've found working with the OSGeo Oceania Board to be fulfilling, especially working with a great group of volunteers. I look forward to another term as a board member. Recently I've been spend less time doing geographic analysis and writing code than I would like, however I've found that I can contribute in other ways, including organisational nous and administrative affairs.

Alan Cheung

New Zealand

• Nomination Statement:

I have been promoting the usage of open source technology/software in the academia and government setting for more than a decade. On the way I was fortunate enough to work with likeminded people in organizing two FOSS4G related events in Auckland. It is my wish to offer my experience to work with this community of shared enthusiasm on all things geospatial.

Rafael Kargren

Global

• Nomination Statement:

I'm really excited to join OSGeo Oceania Board ! I have over 20 years of experience in implementing open source geospatial solutions for governments and commercial customers and long relationships with the Pacific Geospatial Community. In my daily job I work for Maxar Technologies and as an advisor to the Australian and New Zealand Government on Earth Observation strategies, and teach EO and data science at UC and Arizona State University.

In my new role at the board I would like to focus on expanding the international and local relationships, promote OSG community to new members, organize series of webinars and workshops and drive Special Interest Groups.

2021 Election

Process

• Seats & terms: There are 9 board positions in total. Five directors are continuing: Jonah Sullivan, Alex Leith, Carrol Chan, Ewen Hill, and Elisa Puccioni. Retiring directors are Edoardo Neerhut, Greg Lauer, Emma Hain, and Dionne Hansen. Therefore, 4 seats are up for election (current directors may stand for re-election). The election period for new directors is two years.
• Nominations: Any member may nominate a member (including themselves) to stand for election. Nominations should state the candidate's name, their usual place of residence (town/city/country), and a brief statement on why that person would make a good director. Please send nominations to elections@osgeo-oceania.org.
• Candidate statements: Candidates will be invited to share some information about themselves, their aspirations for OSGeo Oceania, what they would like to change, improve, or introduce, and what role they would like to play on the board, in 150 words or less. This is designed to give members some insight into who they are voting for, and provides some accountability. Candidate names and their statements will be posted below.
• Voting: OSGeo Oceania members are eligible to vote. The election will be run electronically using an independent system (ElectionBuddy), and will run for one week. Members will be notified by email when voting is open, and provided with instructions on how to cast their ballot. Members' votes are secret - nobody can see who you vote for. At the end of the election, the winning candidates will be announced on the oceania mailing list. Vote tallies will be kept private.

Timeline

Date	Item
2021-10-31	open director nominations
2021-11-14	close director nominations
2021-11-19	deadline for candidate statements
2021-11-21	voting opens
2021-11-28	voting closes at 11:59:59pm AWST
2021-11-29	results posted on the oceania mailing list
2021-12-17	"Meeting to Elect Directors" at AGM (vote by membership to formally elect the directors chosen during the election)

See this Google Doc for more detail.

2021 Nominees

Edoardo Neerhut

Australia and USA

• Nomination Statement: As you would be aware, Edoardo has been a board member during the past year and has galvanised the team to where OS-Geo is working well under the current pandemic conditions. Ed is open for suggestions, looking for improvements and managing complexities, I believe that he will provide ongoing stability and financial nous for the incoming board and that his rigour to detail and process is to be admired. Ed has a long association with OSGeo/OSGeo-Oceania being a key member of the highly successful two conferences and would be invaluable for the 2022 conference. Ed is also involved in the Geospatial industry and can provide extensive industry knowledge.
• Candidate Statement
• OSGeo Oceania is a project close to my heart and one I have been involved with for a while now. I first got involved in 2017 when a group started to gather around the idea of forming a conference about open source geospatial projects. Previous efforts like this had existed in Oceania, but it had been a while since anything of magnitude. It was a thrill connecting with others, learning from them, and watching an organisation form around this concept. I have supported as a founding director of OSGeo Oceania, as a conference chair and committee member, and as chair of the OSGeo Oceania Board in 2020/2021. In 2022 I am to provide a supportive role on the board, with a particular focus on improving community engagement. There is a lot to be done, much of which I have outlined in the Annual Report for 2020/2021.

Greg Lauer

Australia and New Zealand

• Nomination Statement: Greg has been a pivotal voice and enthusiastic contributor to OSGeo Oceania from the onset. His significant knowledge and work within the GIS community and his work on conferences has been a valuable contribution to the organisation and his custodianship and corporations knowledge has been compelling.
• Candidate Statement

To'oa Brown

Samoa

• Nomination Statement: To'oa is a Pacific geospatial professional who is passionate about growing her local geospatial community in Samoa and beyond through her contributions to the 2021 FOSS4G SoTM Oceania Conference Committee. I believe she would bring great insight and contributions to the board if she is elected.
• Candidate Statement

Tish Dhar

Australia

• Nomination Statement: Tish is an enthusiastic member of the FOSS4G community in Canberra: I've enjoyed hearing about his personal pursuits at the Canberra Python User Group, and watching the open-source enthusiasm he brings to Digital Earth Australia at Geoscience Australia. It felt like the Canberra community lost out when he moved down to Adelaide, but OSGeo Oceania Board can still benefit from Tish's enthusiasm from there.
• Candidate Statement

2020 Election

Process

• Seats & terms: There are 9 board positions in total. Three directors are continuing: Greg Lauer, Emma Hain & Dionne Hansen. The retiring directors are Alex Leith, Martin Tomko and Trisha Moriarty. John Bryant, Daniel Silk and Adam Steer have previously resigned. Therefore, 6 seats are up for election (current directors may stand for re-election). The election period for new directors is two years.
• Nominations: Any member may nominate a member (including themselves) to stand for election. Nominations should state the candidate's name, their usual place of residence (town/city/country), and a brief statement on why that person would make a good director. Please send nominations to elections@osgeo-oceania.org.
• Candidate statements: Candidates will be invited to share some information about themselves, their aspirations for OSGeo Oceania, what they would like to change, improve, or introduce, and what role they would like to play on the board, in 150 words or less. This is designed to give members some insight into who they are voting for, and provides some accountability. Candidate names and their statements will be posted below.
• Voting: OSGeo Oceania members are eligible to vote. The election will be run electronically using an independent system (ElectionBuddy), and will run for one week. Members will be notified by email when voting is open, and provided with instructions on how to cast their ballot. Members' votes are secret - nobody can see who you vote for. At the end of the election, the winning candidates will be announced on the Oceania mailing list. Vote tallies will be kept private.

Timeline

See https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ehLJ4nGNpUiJyQGVdvRDks6ppjKc5dro-kAHupsudrc for details

2020 Candidates

All nominated candidates have accepted and provided their statements:

Edwin Liava'a

(Tonga & Brisbane, Australia)

• Candidate statement: 20+ years career working in the Pacific Islands region providing contextualised solutions and capacity building in information systems and communication technologies. I have worked in the past for Pacific regional and international development organisations such the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) and the Pacific Community (SPC). I bring a wealth of local knowledge from working in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands, Nauru, Tuvalu and Kiribati. I am also familiar with the people, the cultural challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the region.
  My passion is driven by harnessing inter-cultural competencies. These competences go well beyond technical knowledge and leadership, because each Pacific Island has a unique local context.
  An advocate of foss4g, hashgraph, blockchain and satellite technology for providing internet connectivity to the under-served communities.
• Nomination statement: Edwin has been a passionate advocate for the open geospatial community in the Pacific for many years, starting the Pacific Islands OSGeo Chapter in 2012. He's volunteered on a number of OSGeo Oceania committees and working groups, including the FOSS4G SotM Oceania 2020 organising committee and the Travel Grant Program working group. Last year, he was a keynote speaker at the Wellington conference, and more recently, has taken the lead on setting up and managing the 2020 conference website. He's done much to demonstrate his dedication to this community, and would be an effective voice from the Pacific, which to date has been missing from the board.

Nemaia Koto

(Suva, Fiji)

• Candidate statement: The open source geospatial world is relatively new to me having only been an end user for the past 8 years. This changed last year when I volunteered to be part of the amazing team that helped organize the 2020 FOSS4G SotM Oceania conference and was fortunately exposed to the community of OSGeo Oceania. Transparency, accountability and community collaboration are values that I found to be the pulling force towards wanting to be part of this community. Injecting those same values into our small but eager local and regional geospatial community would be my main focus if I were to be part of the OSGeo Oceania board.
• Nomination statement: Nemaia was an early volunteer on the FOSS4G SotM Oceania 2020 organising team, and quickly stood out as someone who would consistently do the hard work required, taking an active role in the conference communications. When Vasiti Soko's work commitments required her to step back from her role as co-chair of the conference, she put Nemaia forward to fill the role, recognising his dedication and passion for this event and community. Nemaia has proven himself as a sensitive leader and a strong advocate for open geospatial in the Pacific, and would be a valuable asset to the organisation.

Elisa Puccioni

(Wellington, NZ)

• Candidate statement: I joined the OS Geo community in 2019 and immediately felt at home. I strongly believe that GIS should be available to all, as it has become more and more an integral part of our daily life. This is why I have been advocating the use of QGIS and other OS solutions for years. Helping as QGIS trainer at the Indigenous Mapping conferences has also shown me how important the support of a dedicated community is for new users. For these reasons, I’m contributing with my experience and a lot of enthusiasm to the Travelling Grant Program and the Communication group, trying to reach out and support new members. I would love to bring my passion and ingenuity to the board in order to help grow this open, inclusive, and diverse community.
• Nomination statement: Elisa joined the open geospatial community relatively recently, having adopted QGIS in her professional life a few years ago, and as such, represents an important segment of our community. She embraced the community spirit quickly, and has shown a keen interest in sharing that spirit, writing a blog post about her experience at FOSS4G SotM Oceania 2019 in Wellington (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/my-first-experience-foss4g-oceania-conference-elisa-puccioni). She was an active member of the 2020 Travel Grant Program working group until it was suspended due to COVID, and has contributed to the Aotearoa Indigenous Mapping Wananga as a QGIS trainer. She would bring a positive and productive approach to this organisation.

Edoardo Neerhut

(Melbourne, Australia)

• Candidate statement: I first got involved in the Oceania geospatial community when I returned to Australia in 2016. Since then I have been in awe of the people supporting it and the countless applications of open source geospatial software. OpenStreetMap and QGIS are particularly prominent in my professional and personal lives.
  I have done my best to support the community by establishing a Maptime Melbourne chapter, working on the committees for the 2018 and 2019 FOSS4G SotM Oceania conferences, and more recently by helping to organise the Melbourne Hub for the 2020 conference. I was also a founding Director of OSGeo Oceania and support the OpenStreetMap and Membership working groups.
  As a board member I would support the incredible local communities of our region, giving them the platform and resources to hold more events. I also see huge potential in working groups and would seek to get more people participating.
• Nomination statement: Edoardo has been a major contributor to this community for a long time, taking lead roles in communications and sponsorship at FOSS4G SotM Oceania 2018 & 2019, serving on the board of OSGeo Oceania in 2019, chairing the Membership working group over the last year, and helping to lay the groundwork for the regional chapter of the OpenStreetMap Foundation. He's played a big role in organising the Melbourne Hub of FOSS4G SotM Oceania 2020 (while in lockdown!). He has always shown himself to be a positive and collaborative influence, and carefully listens to all points of view before acting. He clearly has the best interests of this community at heart, understands the importance of transparency in an open community, and is a natural leader.

Jonah Sullivan

(Canberra, Australia)

• Candidate statement: I have enjoyed taking an active role in OSGeo Oceania since its inception, starting by joining the FOSS4G SotM Oceania 2018 conference committee, and most recently co-chairing the FOSS4G SotM Oceania 2020 conference committee. I served on the OSGeo Oceania board in 2019 and I look forward to the opportunity to assist the open-source open-access community again in 2020.
• Nomination statement: Jonah stepped up to chair FOSS4G SotM Oceania 2020, and when COVID threatened to force the cancellation of the event, he was the originator of the inspired idea to run it as a hybrid in-person/online event, which has successfully activated local communities across the region. In an extremely difficult year, he's calmly kept the event on track, keeping a volunteer committee engaged and working in harmony. Jonah was on the Travel Grant Program working group in 2018 and 2019, and has already served on this board of directors in 2019, so his knowledge and experience will help him "hit the ground running" if he is elected.

Carrol Chan

(Suva, Fiji)

• Candidate statement: I am a proud Pacific Islander who has developed desire to actively and meaningfully contribute to building an inclusive and driven Geospatial community here in Oceania. As an early career professional, my love for FOSS4G deepened when I understood the value it brings as a sustainable solution that encourages ownership and inclusivity across PICTs. I have spent 3 years as a regional civil servant building geospatial capacity and actively volunteering for the Pacific GIS and Remote Sensing Council. Through this experience I believe there is more work to be done across the vast Pacific Ocean and if elected, I would like to bridge the gap between OSGeo Oceania and my Pacific Vuvale (family) working to encourage participation, transparency, progression and ownership,especially with the younger generation who one day will drive our industry forward.
• Nomination statement: Carrol has been involved in FOSS4G SotM Oceania 2020, both as part of the organising committee, and as part of the Suva Hub, which is on track to be a major success. She is an enthusiastic supporter of the open geospatial community in Fiji and the Pacific, in a professional and volunteer capacity. She has been a committee member of the Pacific GIS & Remote Sensing Council since 2017, playing an active role in their annual conference, so she brings very relevant experience. As a relatively early career professional and recent graduate, she can also bring an important perspective from a very important segment of our community.

Ewen Hill

(Melbourne, Australia)

• Candidate statement: As one of the more active OSM editors in Australia, I am encouraged by the growth of both OSM and FOSS4G tools available to the community. Consider the number of individuals, community cohorts and not-for-profits who have the ability to both consume and render geospatial information easily nowadays. What we do, impacts the world we live in.<be />If elected, I would focus on
  • Encouraging governments to both contribute and consume opensource data,
  • Increase the use of FOSS4G throughout the region by leveraging online training from our fantastic community
  • Understand how to improve usage for communities where English is not their first language.
• I will bring my knowledge gained previously
  • Data Manager/Emergency Management Officer for the Victorian Government
  • MapTime Melbourne/FOSS4G2020 organiser
  • Board member of a UK magazine
  • Large UK sports club president
  • Emergency Services volunteer (Vic, NSW, Qld)
• I do ask for your vote however more importantly, for all of us to guide and nurture. Thank you
• Nomination statement: Ewen has been a big supporter of this community for many years, presenting at the Melbourne conference in 2018, and getting involved in organising Melbourne events like Maptime Melbourne. Most recently, Ewen helped organise the Melbourne Hub of FOSS4G SotM Oceania 2020. He's a huge contributor to OpenStreetMap as a hardcore mapper, as an active participant in the community discussion on the talk-au mailing list, and by being a kind, welcoming helper to new people in the community. He has a long record of community volunteering and would bring valuable knowledge and experience to the organisation.
• Nomination statement: Ewen Hill is one of those people who contributes an enormous amount to the geospatial community while asking little in return. He has been involved in almost all geospatial events since I have been in Melbourne, and I am sure many before. Ewen is the guy who patiently shows people how to get the most out of JOSM or QGIS, working his way around the room to support anyone needing help. He's the guy that spends time putting together a map in QGIS after an OpenStreetMap event to show the results of a mapathon. He's the guy who rocks up at the venue two weeks before to make sure it has everything you need for FOSS4G SotM Oceania. I'm sure he'd bring this same selflessness and attention to detail to the board, while being a strong advocate of the open source geospatial tools we all know and love.

Kamsin Raju

(Nadi, Fiji)

• Candidate statement: I was first introduced to OSGeo in 2015 as part of my curriculum at university however, FOSS4G was never made a priority throughout the duration of my degree. In fact, we barely addressed it. As a young graduate I joined an organisation; SPC, that was all for FOSS4G accessibility in the Pacific and thanks to my mentor Carrol Chan I’ve developed a passion for it. Interacting and learning from so many wonderful experts at the FOSS4G conference last year made me realise what we were missing back home – a bigger, more interactive local community supporting and advocating for free and open source data and software. While I may be young and not as experienced I believe I can help bring OSGeo and the work they do for FOSS4G to a younger group of users. Youths are the future and so is OSGeo. If elected, this platform will not only enable me to bring young people closer to FOSS4G but it will also give me a chance to represent my own islands’ interests and share experiences to build a more diverse and inclusive geospatial community.
• Nomination statement: I would like to nominate Kamsin Raju for the OSGeo Oceania board. I feel our community would greatly benefit from fresh faces and perspectives with people who have deep knowledge of their field. Kamsin's personal, academic, and professional experiences in Fiji indicate someone who is passionate about her country and improving it with open source geospatial tools. She shared some of this experience in her talk 'Challenges of Mapping Informal Settlements' at the 2019 FOSS4G SotM Oceania conference. She is currently a Resilience Officer at the United Nations Human Settlements Program. This is the kind of experience and perspective that the OSGeo Oceania board needs to become more representative of Oceania as a whole and the people who call it home.

Alex Leith

(Hobart, Tasmania)

• Candidate statement: I have been involved in all of the FOSS4G SotM Oceania conferences and in the formation and running of the OSGeo Oceania organisation. Most recently, I've taken on the Chair role, which has been challenging in these times of strangeness and uncertainty. I would like to spend another two years on the Board of OSGeo Oceania because I still have a valuable contribution to make. I'd like us to start giving back to the community, as well as bedding down our special interest group relationships. There's still work to do!
• Nomination statement: Alex has significant experience on the Board and was one of the founding directors and Conference organizers. Alex stepped up to lead the Board in the middle of a COVID disaster and has navigated through some very extenuating circumstances. His continued presence on the Board will provide continuity to the new Board.

2019 Election

Process

• Seats & terms: In 2019, all 9 seats will be up for election (current directors may stand for re-election). After the election, half of the directors (ie. 4 or 5) will volunteer or be randomly chosen to serve a 1 year term, with the remainder having a full 2 year term. Director terms will thus be staggered, and subsequent annual elections will elect half of the board for 2 year terms.
• Nominations: Any member may nominate a member (including themselves) to stand for election. Nominations should state the candidate's name, their usual place of residence (town/city/country), and a brief statement on why the person would make a good director. Please send nominations to elections@osgeo-oceania.org.
• Candidate statements: Candidates will be invited to share some information about themselves, their aspirations for OSGeo Oceania, what they would like to change, improve, or introduce, and what role they would like to play on the board, in 150 words or less. This is designed to give members some insight into who they are voting for, and provides some accountability. Candidate names and their statements will be posted on this page (under the relevant year election) (old Oceania elections page to be deleted).
• Voting: OSGeo Oceania members are eligible to vote. The election will be run electronically using an independent system (ElectionBuddy), and will run for one week. Members will be notified by email when voting is open, and provided with instructions on how to cast their ballot. Members' votes are secret - nobody can see who you vote for. At the end of the election, the winning candidates will be announced on the Oceania mailing list. Vote tallies will be kept private.

Timeline

Date	Item
2019-11-29	open director nominations
2019-12-06	close director nominations
2019-12-13	deadline for candidate statements
2019-12-13	voting opens
2019-12-20	voting closes at 11:45pm AWST
2019-12-21	results will be posted on the Oceania mailing list

2019 Candidates

• John Bryant
  • I have a deep passion for this community, and want to see it thrive. I've been heavily involved in the organisation of the 2018 & 2019 conferences, and in the creation of OSGeo Oceania, so I have detailed knowledge of the history & founding principles of this organisation. I'm committed to the principle of empowering other people to step up and take leadership roles in the management of the organisation, whether they are directors or otherwise, and feel I can play a key role in helping to make this happen. Finally, I have thought deeply about where I think this organisation should go in 2020 and beyond, and would be motivated to work in collaboration with others to realise this vision.
• Jan Ducnuigeen
  • As a participant in FOSS4G conferences in North America and Australia, I was always impressed with the connections people build across countries. I was on the organizing committee of the 2019 FOSS4G Oceania conference, and have been inspired to further sustain the organisation and bring together a diversity of ideas and people. The conferences in 2018 and 2019 have been an ideal way for reaching out to the furthest reaches of Oceania and building a stronger geospatial community, and I look forward to supporting these efforts.
• Dionne Hansen
  • I have been volunteering for the OSGeo Oceania community for nearly a year as a lead on the FOSS4G SotM Oceania 2019 organising committee. The values of the free and open source resonate deeply with me and I want to do my part to foster and grow the community for the future. My goal, if elected to the governing board, is to promote and raise the profile of the community and to reach out to communities who haven’t yet been exposed to open source tools. I have a lot of energy and enthusiasm to give to this board and a drive to run with great long term ideas that will enable the sustained growth of the OSGeo Oceania community.
• Martin Tomko
  • I have been a founding member and volunteer for OSGEO Oceania since the initial discussions that led to FOSS4G SOTM Oceania 2018, which I have helped co-organise and host at the University of Melbourne.
    I have a long-standing involvement with FOSS4G and OSM, from early deployments of Mapserver back in 2002, through heavy use and (minor) contributions to Geotools back in my Java days, through to the design of large projects using FOSS4G ( the AURIN Portal). I teach and conduct research with and on an exclusively FOSS4G stack, with a heavy focus on OSM projects.
    In OSGEO Oceania, I would focus on contributing to maintaining and building strong links with the academic community, which is in my eyes vital to maintain a supply of fresh and diverse members to the FOSS4G community (the training and education pipeline), and as a major contributor to new capabilities, via research.
• Greg Lauer
  • I am a current OSGEO Oceania board member. I was part of team that was involved in the creation of OSGeo Oceania and a member of the 2018 and 2019 Conference organizing committees (and quite likely assisting on the FOSS4G SotM Oceania Conference 2020 in Fiji.). OSGeo Oceania is in its infancy and there is still a lot of work to be done by the directors/membership and I look forward to continuing being a part of board to further OSGEO Oceania vision and goals.
    I am passionate about all things Open Geo especially in working with our friends in the Pacific with regards to mentoring and capacity building. I am also very keen to encourage more Pacific Island residents to become members and/or Directors.
• Alex Leith
  • I have been volunteering with OSGeo Oceania and the previous committees for around two years now, and I would like to continue to add to our young organisation's structure and processes. I'm not ready to move on yet, I still have lots to give. I'm currently serving as the Treasurer on the inaugural Board, and have relevant prior experience including three years on the SSSI Board.
• Daniel Silk
  • After organising the social program, catering and merch for our conference in 2018, and then chairing FOSS4G SotM Oceania 2019, I have a lot of insight on event organisation and community engagement to build upon and share. In 2020, I'd like to broaden the events on offer for our community by exploring the possibilities for smaller, focused miniconfs and code sprints. I'm keen to enable other community members by mentoring, and documenting the journey so far. I like getting stuck in and making things happen, and am enthusiastic about contributing to the board in 2020.
• Adam Steer
  • I'm standing for election to the board of OSGeo Oceania because I believe I can help the organisation move forward with audacity! We are creating a scaffolding which supports deep geospatial engineering practice; teaching / training / outreach; and environmental / social responsibility from multiple viewpoints across a broad region - which requires a lot of stepping outside our usual models and approaches. I’m a charter member of OSGeo and active in the Women in Geospatial mentoring programme. I’ve worked on OSGeo Oceania and the FOSS4G SotM Oceania conference series since the start in late 2017, as the sponsorship lead in 2018 and driving our carbon offsetting initiative in 2019. Along the way I helped create the Good Mojo programme and include children and parents in conferences. I want to continue this work toward a vibrant, creative and sustainable community.
• Emma Hain
  • Like Vicky Vergara, I like to spend hours trying how to do things efficiently, people think it is laziness, but I reckon if we can sort those things out, we can move onto other things of importance. I am an end user who with the sloth characteristics is trying to move into dev side. Heaps of ideas, but no technical dev skills. I first started getting into OS via QGIS around 2016 and nothing has made more sense, ever. I am starting to get more involved in FOSS4G over the last 2 years by sitting on the committee for the Oceania conference. My keen area of interests includes the Economy of OS and how to empower users from educational, community to corporate. I bring to the community experience gained from working in event and sports management (Rugby Union and the Olympics) in both coordination and participation areas.

• Jonah Sullivan
  • I have a strong interest in the Free Open Source Software theme. I’ve become increasingly involved in these communities, as evidenced by my membership on the Local Organising Committee for the first FOSS4G SotM Oceania Conference in 2018, and my subsequent membership on the OSGeo Oceania board in 2019.
    I am also active locally, as organiser of the monthly meetings of the Canberra Python User Group since 2017, and the GIS Community of Practice at my workplace.
    I have also played a role in coordinating the Local Organising Committee from across the South Pacific that was awarded the opportunity to host the FOSS4G SotM Oceania Conference 2020 in Fiji.
• Kerry Smyth
  • I am a firm believer in the value of OS for education, business and entrepreneurial pursuits. By fostering the growth of the geospatial open source & open data community in Oceania, we are delivering a means for innovation and business opportunities in our region. I am motivated by this generosity of spirit that donates to the greater good.
    My ability to undertake the responsibilities of OS Geo Oceania Board Director is demonstrated by:
    • being instrumental in the 2018 agreement with SSSI that facilitated financial capacity for the inaugural FOSS4G & SotM Conference in Melbourne;
    • commitment as foundation Board Director for OSGeo Oceania;
    • being Convener of the WA Surveying & Spatial Sciences Conference for 4 consecutive years (2014-17);
    • 5 years’ experience as Director of SSSI (2014-19);
    • Past senior positions in WA State Government agencies as a cartographer and GIS program director, currently work as a spatial ambassador through my consultancy Spatialize.
  • I hope you see value in the diversity and experience that I bring to the leadership team. Your vote for me will make a difference.
• Trisha Moriarty
  • I have been actively involved with the open source community for the last couple years, initially as part of the organising committee for the 2018 FOSS4G SotM conference in Melbourne, including taking on the role of workshop lead, and then later assisting with the genesis of the Oceania chapter.
    I am inspired by the transformational role open source software and open data plays in our society at all levels, bridging the digital divide and have a deep appreciation for the community that makes this possible. I would like the opportunity to continue to contribute through building a sustainable, principled and purpose-driven organisation that provides for the community and its members.
    My experience as a data and systems manager for government, GIS user, cartographer and outreach coordinator, provides me a broad perspective and appreciation of the work that the open source community does and where OSGeo Oceania can be most effective.
• Alan Cheung
  • I have been an active user and promoter of FOSS, including FOSS4G for many years. Through the years I have successfully constructed and taught geospatial courses using FOSS4G in universities and work environments. In my current job in the government, I active pursue and promote the usage of open source software for all purposes. Together with my colleagues, we also manage to release government funded geospatial data in Creative Commons license for public consumption.
    Oceania is a diverse area in terms of demography, expectations and priorities. I believe the variety of experiences I possess, including organizing events in challenged environments and negotiating barriers in different circumstances (technical, political, ethnical) would be valuable in OSGeo Oceania. Especially in shaping communities and working groups from diverse audience.
• Celina Agaton
  • I’ve been supporting the open source community since 2008, where I helped raise awareness on the benefits of free and open source software and open data through events and workshops to 7,000 NGOs in Ontario. My journey with OpenStreetMap began in 2010 after the Haiti earthquake. My work has since been centered on working together with communities to understand their long term needs and connecting them to long term, strategic partnerships with funders. I’ve been based in the Philippines since Typhoon Haiyan to develop methods of community resilience with mapping, open data and cross sector coordination. My work now takes me further into the Pacific region, where I hope to help steward more inclusive and resilient development in the region.