OSI Board of Directors

The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is managed by a member-elected board of directors that is the ultimate authority responsible for the organization as a California public benefit corporation, with 501(c)3 tax-exempt status.

Current composition

The ten person OSI board is composed of:

  • Four directors elected by OSI Individual Members for two-years terms.
  • Four directors elected by OSI Affiliate Members  for three-years terms.
  • Two directors are appointed for two-years terms by the board itself.

All directors can serve up to a maximum of 6 consecutive years. Before they can run again they must be off the board for 1 year.

The results of elections for both individual and affiliate member board seats are advisory with the OSI Board making the formal appointments to open seats based on the community's votes.

Name Role First Elected Current Term Start Date Current Term End Date Seated by
Maracke, Catharina Chair August 23, 2021 August 23, 2021 March 31, 2023 Individuals
Carrez, Thierry Vice Chair August 23, 2021 August 23, 2021 March 31, 2024 Affiliates
Brock, Amanda Director April 1, 2022 April 1, 2022 March 31, 2024 Individuals
Colannino, Justin Director January 21, 2022 January 21, 2022 January 20, 2024 OSI Board
Chestek, Pamela Director April 1, 2019 April 1, 2019 March 31, 2025 Affiliates
Black, Aeva  Secretary August 23, 2021 August 23, 2021 March 31, 2023 Individuals
Hinds, Tracy Treasurer / CFO October 11, 2019 October 11, 2019 October 31, 2021 OSI Board
Berkus, Josh Director April 1, 2022 April 1, 2022 March 31, 2024 Individuals
Piana, Carlo Assistant Secretary April 1, 2022 April 1, 2022 March 31, 2025 Affiliates

Responsibilities of OSI Board Directors

The board's responsibilities include oversight of the organization, supporting the executive director and staff. The board approves the budget, sets strategic direction and defines goals in line with the mission.

OSI Directors are expected to work actively and pro-actively as a member of the board, OSI and open source community. It is understood directors are volunteers, and each will be engaged in professional and personal responsibilities outside OSI. For different reasons, related to work, college/university, family, etc. there will be periods of time where a director will be busy and/or can not commit to the demands of the board or community, either as much as one would like or as much as is needed. However, this should be the exception, not the rule.

Each board member is expected to sign the Board member agreement.

To promote and protect open source software and communities...

For over 20 years the Open Source Initiative (OSI) has worked to raise awareness and adoption of open source software, and build bridges between open source communities of practice. As a global non-profit, the OSI champions software freedom in society through education, collaboration, and infrastructure, stewarding the Open Source Definition (OSD), and preventing abuse of the ideals and ethos inherent to the open source movement.

Open source software is made by many people and distributed under an OSD-compliant license which grants all the rights to use, study, change, and share the software in modified and unmodified form. Software freedom is essential to enabling community development of open source software.