Membership/2012 Election

2012 OWASP International Board of Directors Election
The OWASP Foundation was established in 2001 as an open community and software security resource. Since then, OWASP has grown to be globally recognized as a credible source for application security standards (see industry citations). Individuals typically find OWASP when searching the internet for information about software security - and they are happy to find a reliable source of knowledge built by an extremely open and passionate community. OWASP is open to anyone. Anyone can attend OWASP's vendor agnostic local chapter meetings, participate in regional and global conferences, and contribute to the many OWASP projects. And anyone can start a new project, form a new chapter, or lend their expertise to help an OWASP Global Committee.

The OWASP Foundation Board of Directors consists of six elected volunteers. These unpaid volunteers dedicate themselves to the organizational mission, supporting the OWASP Global Committees and playing a pivotal role in the software security community. OWASP conducts democratic elections of its Board Members to enable bottom-up advancement of its mission.

Learn about OWASP
Watch a current video about OWASP:


 * Click here to watch an interview with Jeff Williams, OWASP Board Member &amp; Chair 2004-2011
 * Click here to watch an interview with Tom Brennan, OWASP Board Member 2007-Current

Or to see OWASP from the beginning, visit the WayBack Machine.

International Board of Directors Primary Responsibilities
Seated members of the Board of Directors attend and contribute to monthly meetings. See Archive. Additionally, they:


 * 1) Create and review a statement of mission and purpose that articulates the organization's goals, means, and primary constituents served globally. They then support that mission and purpose.
 * 2) Select the Director(s) and employees. The Board must reach consensus on the Director responsibilities and undertake a careful search to find the most qualified individual for the position.
 * 3) Support and evaluate all employees. The Board should ensure that the employees have the moral and professional support needed to further the goals of the organization.
 * 4) Ensure effective planning. The Board must actively participate in the overall planning process for the organization and assist in implementing and monitoring the organization's goals.
 * 5) Monitor and strengthen programs and services. The Board's responsibility is to determine which programs are consistent with the organization's mission and monitor their effectiveness.
 * 6) Ensure adequate financial resources. One of the Board's foremost responsibilities is to secure adequate resources for the organization to fulfill its mission.
 * 7) Protect assets and provide proper financial oversight. The Board must assist in developing the annual budget and ensuring that proper financial controls are in place.
 * 8) Build a competent Board. The Board has a responsibility to articulate prerequisites for candidates, orient new members, and periodically and comprehensively evaluate their own performance.
 * 9) Ensure legal and ethical integrity. The Board is ultimately responsible for adherence to legal standards and ethical norms.
 * 10) Enhance the organization's public standing. The Board should clearly articulate the organization's mission, accomplishments, and goals to the public and garner support from the community.

Eligibility Requirements for Board Candidates
You need to be an OWASP member. NOT just paid members, but project and chapter contributors are eligible as well. All candidates must be in good standing for a twelve (12) month period of time prior to 30-April 2012. Individuals DO NOT need to be on a Global Committee to be considered eligible to run for a seat.

Honorary Membership
Honorary Membership will be granted to the following for the 2012 election. Chapters must be active chapters.
 * Chapter Leaders
 * Co-Chapter Leaders
 * Chapter Board Members
 * Project Leaders

Who Can Vote?
OWASP Individual Members and Corporate Members registered as of 30-April 2012 have one (1) vote per seat (there are 3 seats up for election).


 * Note - this will include all chapter leaders and project leaders on file effective 30-April 2012, you can check the current OWASP Membership List. If you are not a member yet you are encouraged to do so and you will be able to vote in the next election.



Submit Your Questions
If you have a question about the current election please click here. To help with future elections, please contact the OWASP Global Membership Committee.