It is bittersweet to announce that I have decided to move on from my role as the Fedora Community Action and Impact Coordinator (FCAIC). For me, this role has been full of growth, unexpected challenges, and so much joy. It has been a privilege to help guide our wonderful community through challenges of the last three years. I’m excited to see what the next FCAIC can do for Fedora. If you’re interested in applying, see the FCAIC job posting on Red Hat Jobs and read more about the role below. 

Adapting to Uncertain Times

When I applied back in 2019, a big part of the job description was to travel the globe, connecting with and supporting Fedora communities worldwide. As we all know, that wasn’t possible with the onset of COVID-19 and everything that comes with a pandemic. 

Instead, I learned how to create virtual experiences for Fedora, connect with people solely in a virtual environment, and support contributors from afar. Virtual events have been a HUGE success for Fedora. The community has shown up for those events in such a wonderful way. We have almost tripled our participation in our virtual events since the first Release Party in 2020. We have more than doubled the number of respondents to the Annual Contributor Survey over last year’s turnout. I am proud of the work I have accomplished and even more so how much the community has grown and adapted to a very challenging couple of years.

What’s next for me

As some of you may know, I picked up the Code of Conduct (CoC) work that my predecessor Brian Exelbierd (Bex) started for Fedora. After the Fedora Council approved the new CoC, I then got started on additional pieces of related work: Supplemental Documentation and Moderation Guidelines. I am also working on expanding the small Code of Conduct Committee(CoCC) to include more community members. As a part of the current CoCC, I have helped to deal with the majority of the incidents throughout my time as FCAIC. 

Because of my experience with all this CoC work, I will be moving into a new role inside of Red Hat’s OSPO: Code of Conduct Specialist. I will be assisting other Community Architects (like the FCAIC role) to help roll out CoC’s and governance around them, as well as collaborating with other communities to develop a Community of Practice around this work. I am excited and determined to take on this new challenge and very proud to be a part of an organization that values work that prioritizes safety and inclusion. 

What’s next for Fedora

This is an amazing opportunity for the Fedora community to grow in new and exciting ways. Every FCAIC brings their own approach to this role as well as their own ideas, strengths, and energy. I will be working with Matthew Miller, Ben Cotton, and Red Hat to help hire and onboard the new Fedora Community Action and Impact Coordinator. I will continue as FCAIC until we hire someone new, and will help transition them into the role. Additionally, I will offer support, advice, and guidance as others who have moved on have done for me. I am eager to see who comes next and how I can help them become a success. And, as I have for years prior to my tenure as FCAIC, I will continue to participate in the community, albeit in different ways. 

This means we are looking for a new FCAIC! Do you love Fedora? Do you want to help support and grow the community full time? This is the core of what the FCAIC does. The job description has a list of the primary job responsibilities and required skills- but that is just a taste of what is required and what it is to support the Fedora community full time. Day-to-day work includes working with the Mindshare Committee, managing the Fedora budget, and being a part of many other teams and in many places. You should be ready and excited to write about Fedora’s achievements, policies, as well as generate strategies to help the community succeed. And, of course, there is event planning and support (Flock, Nest, Hatch, Release Parties, etc). It can be tough work, but it is a lot of fun and wonderfully rewarding to help Fedora thrive. 

How to apply

Do you enjoy working with people all over the world, with a variety of skills and interests? Are you good at setting long term goals and seeing them through to completion? Can you set priorities, follow through, and know when to say “no” in order to focus on the most important tasks for success? Are you excited about building not only a successful Linux distribution, but also a healthy project? Is Fedora’s mission deeply important to you? If you said “yes” to these questions, you might be a great candidate for the FCAIC role. If you think you’re a great fit, please apply online, or contact Marie Nordin, or Jason Brooks.