Our open-source community thrives thanks to dedicated people, lived transparency, and open exchange – all fueled by a shared passion for Joomla! It’s not just about technical knowledge and expertise; it’s equally about how we interact as people. This combination of competence and personal connection is what makes our community strong, vibrant, and Joomla! successful.

Over the years, many genuine friendships have formed, and a few marriages have even been sparked. Personally, I’ve met countless kind and helpful people.

Everyone volunteers – each person for their own reasons. Some develop new features, others write documentation, provide support, or translate content. Still others create tutorials, organize events, or design templates. Every role is valuable. This diversity keeps Joomla alive and demonstrates to the world how strong, creative, and open our community is. It’s truly amazing.

Behind Joomla! stands Open Source Matters (OSM). OSM’s role is to manage the legal, financial, and organizational aspects of Joomla, ensuring the project remains transparent, sustainable, and future-oriented. OSM handles everything – from strategic direction and governance to coordinating community and developer teams.

Unlike in traditional companies, leaders here are part of the community and are elected by its members. They earn the community’s trust and act in everyone’s best interest. It’s a role of great responsibility. Soon, new elections for Group 2 will take place.

The positions of

• President, 
• Secretary,
• Production Department Coordinator
• and Operations Department Coordinator

 will be filled.

I would like to share my personal wishes with you. They are addressed to our new President and are certainly ambitious. But even small steps in this direction would make me very happy and inspire optimism for our shared future.

I hope for a President who:

• Is an active part of the community and serves its members.

• Trusts the community’s skills, commitment, and good intentions, treats everyone with respect, and takes personal circumstances into account.

• Understands that diverse opinions are part of a vibrant community.

• Communicates regularly, openly, and transparently, explains decisions, encourages discussion, and takes feedback seriously.

• Brings their own ideas and vision for Joomla’s continued development.

• Drives technical innovation in the age of AI, supports new initiatives, and keeps Joomla fit for the future.

• Is ready to take responsibility and make decisions, showing determination where needed – clearly, fairly, and in the project’s best interest.

• Sparks enthusiasm for Joomla and raises its profile well beyond the community.

• And last but not least: knows how to secure funding from sponsors!
  
  

Yes, all of this may sound challenging – and it is! But if you are considering running for election, take comfort in knowing you’re not alone. The team at Open Source Matters and our amazing community are behind you, supporting you wherever they can. 

And you know what? Not knowing everything or making mistakes is absolutely fine. That’s the beauty of open source: we share experiences, exchange knowledge, and work together on something bigger than ourselves.

So be brave – together, we can do this

If you want to learn more about the elections, you can find information on the community site.