Press releases/Erik Möller Deputy Director
Wikimedia Foundation Announces Deputy Director
St. Petersburg, FL, January 9, 2008 — The Wikimedia Foundation today announced the appointment of Erik Möeller as Deputy Director, effective January 10, 2008.
"I'm delighted that Erik has agreed to join the staff of the Wikimedia Foundation. Since I came to the Foundation in June, I've been impressed with Erik's dedication, his hard work, and his evangelism on behalf of Wikimedia. He's an invaluable addition to the core team," said Sue Gardner, Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director.
In this new role, Möeller will lead the development and execution of Wikimedia's technical strategy, and a variety of specific initiatives and projects. He will have full delegated authority when the Executive Director is absent.
Möeller has been an active editor of the Wikimedia Foundation's projects since 2001. He has made thousands of edits and uploads, has contributed to the MediaWiki software, and helped launch Wikinews and Wikimedia Commons. He is a frequent writer and commentator on topics such as free content, free software, and wiki technology, and is author of "Die heimliche Medienrevolution," one of the first books to include an in-depth analysis of wiki collaboration.
Most recently, Erik was Chief Technology Officer of Stichting Open Progress, where he managed a decentralized team of developers in the implementation of OmegaWiki, a collaborative ontology database. He also provides hosting for several wiki communities, including WikiEducator.org, and has project-managed other wiki software development projects such as the LiquidThreads discussion system.
Möeller was elected to the Wikimedia Board of Trustees for two consecutive terms, and was most recently its Executive Secretary. As part of the transition to join the staff of the Foundation, he has resigned his post as board member, and will relocate to San Francisco from Berlin.
Möeller's appointment comes as the Wikimedia Foundation relocates from St. Petersburg, Florida, to San Francisco. The new headquarters will be fully established February 1, 2008.
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About the Wikimedia Foundation
The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that operates Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. According to comScore Media Metrix, Wikipedia and the other projects operated by the Wikimedia Foundation receive more than 477 million unique visitors per month, making them the 5th most popular web property worldwide. Available in more than 270 languages, Wikipedia contains more than 20 million articles contributed by a global volunteer community of more than 100,000 people. Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia Foundation is an audited, 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily through donations and grants. The Wikimedia Foundation was created in 2003 to manage the operation of Wikipedia and its sister projects. It currently employs 100 staff members. Wikimedia is supported by local chapter organizations in 38 countries or regions.
