2013 Board Elections



= 2013 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 currently consists of six elected volunteers (seven starting in 2014). These unpaid volunteers dedicate themselves to the organizational mission 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

 * Read the OWASP Foundation bylaws - Click Here - Review the Monthly Board meetings, voting history and topics - Click Here

Watch a current video about OWASP:


 * Click here to watch an interview with Tom Brennan, OWASP Board Member 2007-Current


 * Click here to watch an interview with Jeff Williams, OWASP Board Member 2004-2011

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

Election Timeline

 * 1) May 7 - Call for Candidates Candidate Submission Form
 * 2) * Leaders List Announcement, Blog Post Announcement, Twitter Announcement
 * 3) August 11 - Call for Candidates Reminder
 * 4) *Leaders List Reminder, Blog Post Reminder, Twitter Announcement, LinkedIn Reminder
 * 5) August 16 - Deadline for Call for Candidates
 * 6) August 22 - Candidates announced LIVE at AppSecEU 2013 as well as on all social media, in the connector and email to leaders list.
 * 7) August 25 - Deadline for questions to be submitted for use during interviews. 2013 Election Questions
 * 8) September 6 - Deadline for interview recordings to be completed
 * 9) September 30 - Paid & Honorary membership application deadline Honorary Membership Self Nomination Form
 * 10) October 9 - Q&A Webinar
 * 11) October 14 - Voting process begins
 * 12) October 25 - Voting process ends
 * 13) October 29 - Election result announcement

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) Support all employees. The Board should ensure that the employees have the moral and professional support needed to further the goals of the organization.
 * 3) 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.
 * 4) 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.
 * 5) Ensure adequate financial resources. One of the Board's foremost responsibilities is to secure adequate resources for the organization to fulfill its mission.
 * 6) 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.
 * 7) 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.
 * 8) Ensure legal and ethical integrity. The Board is ultimately responsible for adherence to legal standards and ethical norms.
 * 9) 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.

Additional Responsibilities that the International Board of Directors must adhere to can be found here Board of Directors

OWASP Foundation Board of Directors Updates
Note: Changes were decided and voted on at the August 19, 2013 Board Meeting


 * Board Orientation Documents - An official board orientation set of documents will be created that includes a stated conflict of interest policy (in addition to what we have in the bylaws), 2 required reading short books on non-profit foundations, requirement to read previous financial reports and 990, and links to our to-be created governance page. All board members will sign and acknowledge completion of the orientation by Jan 1, 2014.


 * Conflict of interest policies will also be extended to all employees and those in decision making roles for global conferences. We see this as a natural step to mature OWASP and better align with non-profit requirements. This is not in response to any concerns.


 * Board Size - OWASP bylaws specify the board must be between 5 and 7 members. Currently the OWASP board is 6 members. We voted to extend to 7 members. The 2013 election will now seat 4 spots instead of 3. The newly elected board members will begin their terms Jan 1, 2014. At this time we'll see the board officially expand to 7 members.


 * Quarterly Board Meetings - The board voted to move board meetings from the current schedule of monthly 1 hour meeting to quarterly 4-6 hour meetings. The schedule of meetings will be set by the board in December before the year. It is likely the the board meetings will take place on Saturdays or on a dedicated day before a large OWASP conference. This change is a result of the success of the longer format board meeting and also a result of the Executive Director role that has enabled full time involvement and focus on OWASP operations. This will take effect in January, 2014.

Eligibility Requirements for Board Candidates
You need to be an OWASP member. NOT just paid members, but an active project and chapter contributors are eligible. All candidates must be in good standing for a twelve (12) month period of time prior to 30-September 2013. Candidates are required to submit a bio, current membership number and note if you are a paid or honorary member. You will be contacted shortly after your response for an audio interview/podcast. If you are interesting in running for the board then please submit your intention along with the requirements listed above to: Call for Candidates

Honorary Membership
Honorary Membership will be granted to the following for the 2013 election:
 * Chapter Leaders
 * Project Leaders

**NOTE** Chapters and Projects must be active. Your leadership position must be on file prior to 30-September 2013 in order to be eligible for 2013 honorary membership. ALL qualified individuals MUST apply for Honorary Membership in order to vote by completing the Honorary Membership Self Nomination Form

Who Can Vote?
OWASP Paid Individual Members, Paid Corporate Members and Honorary Members registered as of 30-September 2013 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-September 2013, you can check the current Member Look UpIf you are not a member yet you are encouraged to do so.



Have additional questions about OWASP Membership?
Read the Membershhip FAQ CLICK HERE

Election Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a question about the current election please click here.

Where can I find communication to the OWASP Community about the upcoming election?
Answer: We will try to publish announcements and key milestone reminders to as many communication channels as possible, including the OWASP Blog, OWASP Connector, OWASP Leader's List and this Wiki Page. Please feel free to help us communicate the message, by re-posting, re-tweeting, or sharing with the OWASP Chapter, Project, or Initiatives you may be involved with. July 16 OWASP Connector posted to Blog and Email to OWASP-all
 * May 7 OWASP Connector Announcement
 * May 9 Webinar Slides
 * May 15 Blog Post
 * May 15 Email to OWASP Leaders List
 * June 20 OWASP Connector posted to Blog and Email to OWASP-all
 * July 4 OWASP Connector posted to Blog and Email to OWASP-all
 * July 10 Tweet
 * July 20 Twitter Reminder
 * August 1 OWASP Connector posted to Blog and Email to OWASP-all
 * August 11 Leaders List Reminder
 * August 11 Blog Post Reminder
 * August 11 Twitter Announcement
 * August 11 LinkedIn Post to Global OWASP Foundation Group