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PSF Meeting Minutes for Aug. 21, 2018

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The Python Software Foundation
Minutes of a Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors

August 21, 2018

A regular meeting of the Python Software Foundation ("PSF") Board of Directors was held over Group Conference Call via phone and Internet Relay Chat/Slack beginning at 13:00 UTC (GMT/Zulu), on August 21, 2018.

All votes are reported in the form "Y-N-A" (in favor-Y‚opposed-N‚abstentions-A; e.g. "5-1-2" means "5 in favor, 1 opposed, and 2 abstentions").

1   Attendance

The following members of the Board of Directors (11 of 13) were present at the meeting: Lorena Mesa, Naomi Ceder, Thomas Wouters, Katie McLaughlin, Marlene Mhangami, Eric Holscher, Kushal Das, Anna Ossowski, Jeff Triplett, Jackie Kazil, and Ewa Jodlowska.

Kurt Kaiser (Treasurer), Betsy Waliszewski (Event Planner and Administrator), Phyllis Dobbs (Controller/Assistant Treasurer Accountant), and Ernest W. Durbin III (Director of Infrastructure) were also in attendance.

2   New Business

Minutes from prior meetings: July 24, 2018:

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation approve the minutes at https://mail.python.org/mailman/private/psf-important/2018-July/001480.html as representing a true and accurate record of the July 24, 2018 meeting

Approved 10-0-1

3   Meetup Expenses Approved

  • PyLadies Finland, meetup fees for July-December 2018: $29.94
  • Python Dayton, meetup fees for July-December 2018: $59.94
  • Python User Group Freiburg, meetup fees for six months: $29.94

4   Board and Staff Reports

4.1   Ewa Jodlowska

  • PyCon
    • Helped review design for 2019
    • Continue to have planning discussions for 2019 with Event Coordinator and Conference Chair
    • Starting to get familiar with 2020 and 21 contracts again and reviewing the hotel commitments we made
    • Worked with PyLadies to figure out how much they were contributing to 2018 financial aid spending, made final review to 2018 spending ledger
    • Working on 2018 registration financial reporting for treasurer
    • Continue to discuss future registration and housing functionality with Director of Infrastructure
  • PSF
    • Monthly meetings with board Chairperson
    • Continuing to work with East Africa Python Ambassador and get their assistance with requests coming from Rwanda
    • In the process of organizing our face to face meeting in the Fall of 2018 (November), booked hotel block, coordinating with Dykema to host the actual meeting space
    • Compiled and shared with the staff a document listing all of our goals through the end of this year
    • Helped add several new people to the Python organizers Slack channel
    • Created the policy for @python.org email addresses: https://www.python.org/psf/records/board/policies/email/
    • Had several discussion about what eventually led to secret project “Parseltongue”. Started to work on this project with Infrastructure Director
    • Created cost tracking spreadsheet for the September core dev sprint and taking in receipts as they come in via email to me.
    • Started to work on blog about Eastern Africa Python Ambassador
    • Contributed to several donation/grant discussions targeting the PSF
    • Had planning discussion with Dmitry for 2018 Python Survey
    • Started to review diversity stat resources received from Sage Sharp
    • Posted two job posts for an accountant (idealist and philanthropy)
    • Started to plan training material for new event manager starting Sept. 4
    • Continue to assist General Counsel with TMs and legal emails
    • Continue to help review documents and other drafts written by staff
    • Continue to log the fellow member nominations; working on launching Q3 vote
    • Continue to manage the Grants WG and PSF board grants and the research necessary for all
    • Continue to answer general PSF email
    • Continue to participate in board discussions
    • Continue to review time sheets
    • Continue to meet with Event Coordinator, Finance Controller, and IT Director regularly on calls and regular communication via Slack

4.2   Betsy Waliszewski

  • PSF
    • Sent out PSF statements
    • Continued to help manage the Jobs, Marketing, and Sponsor working groups.
    • Continued routine tasks of invoicing, sending out statements, and keeping records up-to-date.
    • Continued to support the grants WG by sending out notifications and minuting resolutions.
    • Continued taking notes at board meetings, posting minutes and approved resolutions, notifying grant recipients, as well as recording contributor forms and self-certification.
    • Had multiple calls with potential PSF sponsors.
    • Managed new sponsor applications with the work group - continuing to refine our guidelines for approval and notification.
    • Continuing to manage social media presence through Sprout Social
    • Fundraising - continued to work on new campaign that’s scheduled to begin in late October. Gathering prizes; created daily tweet schedule; Sent sweepstakes rules template to Van and Ewa to customize for PSF fundraisers
    • Send email to Community mailing list to ask for help designing new stickers. Good response so far.
    • Community survey - launch date 8/22/18. Translated versions are linked on https://www.python.org/community/survey/. Finalized versions include Portuguese, Spanish, and Chinese. Read the Docs will include a complimentary ad for the survey
    • Completed PSF Sponsor Survey - 53 sponsors, 24 responses = 45% response rate. 19 testimonials. Sent results to sponsor WG for discussion.
    • Job Board - working with Berker and Ernest to add 1st round of benefits and some new and improved features.
  • PyCon 2019
    • Participated in review of website design
    • Updated expo hall floor plan for 2019
    • Continued to work with the catering manager at the convention center to improve food and beverage options
    • Wrote draft of launch day sponsor blog post - will go out when we launch the sponsor pages
    • Continued to prep for sponsor launch day email campaign for 2019: estimated launch date is 8/21.
    • Continued to refine sponsor offerings for 2019 launch
    • Participated in planning discussions with Ewa and Conference Chair
    • Arranged call with Ewa and StartUp Row volunteers to begin discussions for 2019

4.3   Ernest W. Durbin III

  • bugs.python.org project
    • Finalize migration plan for presentation to projects hosted there.
  • us.pycon.org
    • Sponsor application workflow updates
    • Completed work to move to Heroku
    • Branding/Logo finalization and application to site
  • OTF Grant
    • Received initial approval
    • Worked with Packaging Working Group to address remaining concern from OTF
    • Wrote and submitted our response
  • www.python.org
    • Began researching status of some functionality related to Job postings, Sponsorship, and Success Stories
    • Prepared Community Survey pages for launch
  • PyPI
    • Ongoing support of efforts by volunteers
    • Continued maintenance and improvement to new infrastructure for the new PyPI
    • Email verification campaign support
    • Stabilization efforts as project prepares for continued improvement

4.4   Kurt Kaiser

Continued the diverse, but routine, activities needed to process incoming and outgoing financial transactions (checks, wires, PayPal, ACH, charges) for the PSF and PyCon, working with payees to get their wire or credit card details as needed. (All grant transactions are handled by the Controller.)

Paid bills. Made bank deposits. Created Quickbooks Online (QBO) transactions for all of these. Updated the PyCon Tutorial/FA, PyCon Ledger, PyCon Sponsor, and PSF Sponsor status tracking spreadsheets as needed to reflect activity. Matched, reconciled and reviewed the PSF bank/credit accounts and transferred funds between accounts as needed. Processed the donations and acknowledgements for our thirteen fiscal sponsorees. Reimbursed fiscal sponsoree expense. Reviewed open invoice status and designated those needing statements to be sent. Incorporated compensation and withholding changes into Zenefits and Paychex. Processed the biweekly payroll. Updated payroll related transactions in QBO. General review of QBO transactions and financial status.

Administered psfmember.org. Made routine upgrades to the operating system, Drupal, and CiviCRM as required. Monitored backup status and the overall operation of the site and the associated donation acknowledgement system. Updated the donation acknowledgement system code to reflect changes in sponsorees or changes in the PayPal notification emails. Transferred donated funds to the Boston Python PEX card.

Attended Board meetings. Approved grant wires (we use dual approval) and handled communication with the Controller relative to ongoing wire payments.

Tracked down and corrected issues relating incomplete donations and Sponsor Memberships. Participated in a discussion of charitable organization state registration.

4.5   Phyllis Dobbs

  • Banking & Credit Cards
    • Update PEX transactions for February - June 2018 and start July 2018 reconciliation.
  • Contributions
    • Review IRS regulations issued 07/30 re: gift substantiation & appraisals and update gift acceptance policy.
    • Add to gift acceptance policy regarding PyLadies auction (property received, associated acknowledgments, acknowledgments to bidders for delta of original donation and bid).
    • Write stock donation journal entries and update stock donation-related date & valuation sections of gift acceptance policy in wiki.
    • Research state solicitation requirements and send suggestion to Ewa, Van, and Kurt. Contact Ohio to discuss sales tax implications (collection by and exemption from sales tax on purchases)
    • Review Facebook potential grant impact on public support test, potential grant/sponsorship routes
    • Record donations and fees on an ad hoc basis.
    • Fiscal Sponsorship
  • Make updates to fiscal sponsoree documents based on feedback from Van and Boston Python.
    • Issue fiscal sponsoree agreement and associated documents to all approved fiscal sponsorees of the PSF. Make fiscal sponsoree tracking list and update with status of contract, contact info. from CiviCRM. Update github wiki pages for each fiscal sponsoree with June/July developments and add documents. Send open questions to Kurt (Ewa).
    • Review and record fiscal sponsoree expense reimbursement submissions..
  • Human Resources & Benefits
    • Enroll new employee in insurance plans.
  • Insurance
    • Review & submit event insurance for PyArkansas
  • Accounts Receivable
    • Reconcile PayPal account for July 2018.
  • Accounts Payable
    • Set up Meetup Pro account and invite Chicago PyLadies to test functionality of sponsorship model.
    • Record and initiate payment for grants, meetup reimbursements, and Community Service Awards via wire, check, and PayPal on an ad hoc basis.

4.6   Naomi Ceder

Naomi Ceder: Chaired July board meeting; monthly stand-up with Dir of Operations; active in mailing list discussions; consulted with Dir of Operations on offer for Event Coordinator position; attended Europython, with Eric staffed PSF booth and lead PSF information session, attended European conference organizers meeting, presented DSA to Marc-André Lemburg; with Betsy coordinated translation of PSF community survey into Portuguese, Spanish, and Chinese.

4.7   Van Lindberg

No report submitted.

4.8   Anna Ossowski

Anna Ossowski connected Betsy Waliszewski with a potential sponsor for PSF sponsorship, continued offering PSF office hours, and is working on getting more involved in the CoC working group.

4.9   Christopher Neugebauer

Spoke at PyOhio on design patterns and Python, and spoke to a bunch of attendees about the PSF.

4.10   Jackie Kazil

  • Helped PyCon Canada identify potential keynote speakers working in public service and sent introductions
  • Participated in interview w/ Mozilla representative on making open source more accessible to those who have recently given birth
  • Advised submission prep around educating educators for hatchery at PyCon 2019
  • Helped connect Python educators with teachers program for expanding data science education as it relates to environmental sciences. (This directly relates to a mini conference funded by NSF Includes program.)
  • Did the regular stuff -- board email discussions, Code of Conduct working group, etc

4.11   Eric Holscher

Worked with the board to clarify the funding related to the Packaging working group. Took part in discussions on the board mailing list about a number of topics.

4.12   Jeff Triplett

Organizing DjangoCon US 2018; chaired the August DEFNA monthly meeting and was active in weekly duties; stepped down as Django Code of Conduct Committee Co-Chair (remaining as a committee member) to free up some free cycles; was active in PSF mailing list discussions; was active in PSF CoC Working Group and PSF Slack discussions.

4.13   Kushal Das

I have taken part in the grants working group and am in touch with the local PyCon(s) organizers in India, and providing them helps as required. I am also trying to identify people who can manage the booth in PySangamam.

4.14   Lorena Mesa

Attended July board meeting and updated Python community mailing lists with June board meeting minutes. On-boarded PSF director Marlene as new PSF Communications Co-Chair as she begins to oversee more the day to day management of PSF blog. Continued to participate in PSF Code of Conducts work group and grants working group. Assisting PSF Grants working group in recruitment efforts and aiding Betsy in translation of PSF community member survey in Spain. Attended and spoke at PyOhio regional conference. Participated in organizing PyLadies Chicago, providing Phylis with insight on community leader insight as PSF explores experimental MeetUp setup with a centralized plan managed by PSF for affiliate groups. Held PyLadies Conference volunteers and organizers call for planning a conference in 2019. Working with Marlene in revitalizing the Translations work group by researching potential members for group.

4.15   Katie McLaughlin

Continued organisation of PyCon AU 2018 (to be held weekend after meeting)

4.16   Thomas Wouters

Continued administering #python on Freenode and following along with the Infrastructure/Packaging WGs PyPI developments. Participated (as non-voting member) in the Code of Conduct WG.

4.17   Marlene Mhangami

Attended Pycon Ghana and gave a talk in which I shared information about the PSF and encouraged new members to sign up. Started duties as communications co-chair, still becoming familiar with the role. Attended the board meeting and active on mailing list.

5   Work Group Reports

5.1   Marketing

We created a Community Survey to find out how we can improve transparency, provide the community with opportunities to interact with us, and be responsive to raised suggestions. The survey is live here: https://www.python.org/community/survey/ and is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Chinese. Trackable links will be sent to PyCon Organizers, the Community ML, the volunteer translators, the PSF board, and will also be promoted via Twitter. Once we have the data compiled, we’ll send out a report on our findings.

We’re also working with the community on creating some new sticker to go along with our new hex-shape sticker.

5.2   Sponsors

We’re working on updating and refreshing https://www.python.org/about/success/. We’re working on evaluating the current stories to see which ones to save and which ones to archive. We’ve reached out to PSF sponsors to solicit new case studies. Once the page has been updated, we’ll begin a campaign to promote participating sponsors’ stories.

5.3   Jobs

We’re working on improvements to the functionality of the job board to make the experience better for companies using the service. We’ve also created a short questionnaire to find out the value to posters of listing jobs on our site.

5.4   Trademarks

No report submitted.

5.5   Packaging

The group discussed and voted on a funding proposal to assist PyPA with communications strategy development. The work will be completed between October 2018 and January 2019 by Changeset Consulting.

5.6   Infrastructure

Continuing to catalogue and maintain in-kind sponsorships.

5.7   Fellows

Received nominations for Q3 2018 and started a vote.

5.8   Cuban Pythonistas

No activity at this time.

5.9   Approved Via Email

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation award $570 USD (~500 Euro) to Pablo Galindo Salgado for travel to and from the CPython Sprint happening September 2018 in Redmond, Washington

Approved 13-0-0, August 15, 2018

6   Votes Approved by Working Groups

Below are resolutions approved by the various PSF Working Groups since the July 24, 2018 board meeting:

6.1   Grants

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation Grants Work Group grant $4662 USD to the PyCon Spain conference happening in Málaga, Spain October 5, 2018

Approved 6-0-1, July 23, 2018

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation Grants Work Group grant $3,200 to the Second North Bay Python Conference happening November 3, 2018, in Petaluma, CA.

Approved 6-0-1, July 24, 2018

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation Grants Work Group grant $960 USD to the Django Girls event happening in Poznań, Poland August 25, 2018

Approved, 6-0-0 July 27, 2018

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation Grants Work Group grant $750 USD to the Django Girls event happening in Passo Fundo, Brazil September 29, 2018

Approved 7-0-0. July 29, 2018

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation Grants Work Group grant $3500 USD to the EuroSciPy conference happening in Trento, Italy August 28, 2018

Approved 6-0-0, July 29, 2018

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation Grants Work Group grant $1000 USD to the Django Girls event happening in Winneba, Ghana September 22, 2018

Approved 6-0-0, July 29, 2018

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation Grants Work Group grant $900 USD to the Django Girls event happening in Kwahu, Ghana September 14, 2018

Approved 6-0-0, July 29, 2018

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation Grants Work Group grant $1000 USD to the PyData event happening in Córdoba, Argentina September 29, 2018

Approved 7-0-0, August 6, 2018

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation Grants Work Group grant $2000 USD to the Programming Workshop happening in Dhaka, Bangladesh in the summer of 2018

Denied 0-8-0, August 8, 2018

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation Grants Work Group grant $900 USD to the Django Girls event happening in Caxias do Sul, Brazil August 31, 2018

Approved 7-0-0, August 8, 2018

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation Grants Work Group grant $1000 USD to the PyCon Conference happening in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan September 9, 2018

Approved 7-0-0, August 8, 2018

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation Grants Work Group grant $1000 USD to the Django Girls event happening in Jos, Nigeria September 6, 2018

Approved 6-0-0, August 8, 2018

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation Grants Work Group grant $1850 USD to the Read, Write & Code event happening in Aba, Nigeria August - September of 2018

Approved 7-0-0, August 8, 2018

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation Grants Work Group grant $2,683 USD (approx. 300,000 JPY) to the PyCon JP conference happening in Tokyo, Japan September 17, 2018

Approved 8-0-0, August 8, 2018

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation Grants Work Group grant $2200 USD to the PySangamam conference happening in Chennai, India September 7, 2018

Approved 7-0-0, August 8, 2018

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation Grants Work Group grant $750 USD to the Django Girls event happening in Eket, Nigeria September 29, 2018

Approved 7-0-0, August 15, 2018

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation Grants Work Group grant $800 USD to the Django Girls event happening in Budapest, Hungary September 1, 2018

Approved 7-0-0, August 15, 2018

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation Grants Work Group grant $230 USD to the Django Girls event happening in Bhopal, India September 1, 2018

Denied 0-7-0, August 15, 2018

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation Grants Work Group grant $1300 USD to the PyCode Conference happening in Warsaw, Poland October 1, 2018

Approved 6-0-0, August 16, 2018

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation Grants Work Group grant $300 USD to the Django Girls event happening in Lagos, Nigeria September 11, 2018

Approved 6-0-1, August 17, 2018

6.2   Scientific Python

None at this time.

6.3   Sponsors

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation approve the sponsor member application from Lequal.n. at the Iron Sponsor Level.

Denied 5-3-1, July 24, 2018

7   Other Business / Discussions

  • Proposed adding a 3 minute time slot for PyCon Keystone Sponsor
  • Discussion about bringing community leaders to PyCon
  • Naomi to set up calls with new board members
  • Update on Python TM in China - still working on this.

8   Meeting Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 13:37 UTC (GMT/Zulu).