So I’ve thrown my hat into the ring to become a gentoo trustee. This is no small effort but an important one which I believe is worth every moment that I devote to it.

First some things about me which make me qualified to seek this position. I’ve been a gentoo developer since 2003. I started the gentoo-ppc64 version of gentoo in december of 2002. I have been the arch lead for gentoo-ppc64 since then. gentoo-ppc64 and gentoo-ppc are two peas in more or less the same powerpc pod. As a project I think it’s amazingly impressive that Gentoo has continued to have the best powerpc linux support across such a wide variety of powerpc hardware with the limited number of volunteers that we have, and at the end of the day Gentoo is one of the best powerpc linux distros period.

Outside of Gentoo, I’ve served on the board of directors of the Rochester Civic Theater for 6 years, holding the office of Secretary, Vice-President and President during 3 of those years. I am in my 4th year serving on the board of directors of the Mantorville Theatre Company. I am the Mayor of the small city of Mantorville Minnesota. I work for IBM in the Linux Technology Center, currently focused on powerpc.

I have created multi-million dollar budgets. I have a legal background in copyright and patent law. I have lead engineering teams of ~50 people. I have successfully released products on schedule.

I am an engineer at heart but have over the years accomplished many business side activities that make me well qualified to be a trustee.

My philosophy if I am elected as a gentoo trustee is simple. The Trustees must establish and maintain the necessary minimum “business footprint” for gentoo. We must be careful that we do not “over step” our bounds, nor under step and not take action on matters that need to be accomplished.

I believe our first goals need to be the reestablishment of the “legal” gentoo entity. We must pass the bylaws of the corporation and set into motion ongoing policies which support gentoo developers, the promotion of gentoo as a linux distro and future of  gentoo.

We MUST communicate outward to gentoo devs, gentoo users and the open source community. We MUST listen to gentoo devs on all issues and represent what will be for the good of gentoo.