FPL future.

I’ve been the Fedora Project Leader for a little over two years now, and now that we’re rocketing (sorry!) toward my fifth release in that role, I’m interested in branching out into other ways of championing free and open source software at Red Hat.  Before I do that, I want to smoothly pass on the role of Fedora Project Leader, and make sure the next FPL can not only be fully successful, but continue to build on a process of growth and change for the future.

My peers and managers in Red Hat and the community at large have been incredibly supportive, and there’s no one driving this decision other
than me.  The Fedora Board, and key managers and engineers in Red Hat,
are all part of the process of selecting the next FPL.

This process will naturally take some time, but I’m glad that the partnership between Red Hat and the rest of the Fedora community allows me to give people an early heads-up about these plans.

It’s important that Fedora always be able to make opportunities for fresh and energetic leadership that will help take our Project, and the distribution we make, to the next level of achievement. Regardless of what I’m doing next at Red Hat, part of my job early on will be to give as much assistance as possible to the next FPL, just as Max Spevack did for me, allowing that person to successfully take
over this position, and continue leading Fedora into the future.

By the way, it might have been difficult to figure out how to write this message, except for the fact that we are all working together in a very special area of endeavor — free software.  And thankfully the Fedora Project not only embraces the concept, but the practice of free software, so there is always source to look back on, recorded history to examine, and open and transparent process to draw from.  In short, we have giants’ shoulders on which to stand.  So of course I looked to see how our previous FPL handled the delicate matter of succession.

I’m sure no one, including Max, will mind if I took a look at that text for a starting point.  Unprecedented transparency has continued to be a hallmark of the Fedora Project, and it’s a legacy we can all be proud of.