Leadership Interview: Carlos Camara

Joomla! relies on a strong operational backbone to ensure the smooth functioning of its various teams and projects. At the forefront of this effort is Carlos Cámara, who has just been re-elected as Operations Department Coordinator. His role is to provide support, foster collaboration, and help volunteers work efficiently across different areas of the project.

After a year in this position, Carlos has gained valuable experience in managing Joomla’s operations and engaging with the community. In this interview, he shares his thoughts on what it takes to be an effective coordinator, the challenges he has encountered, and the initiatives he hopes to implement to strengthen Joomla’s ecosystem.

Read on to discover his vision for the future, his strategies for increasing engagement, and how the community can play an active role in Joomla’s continued growth.

Congratulations on being re-elected as Operations Department Coordinator for Joomla, Carlos! You’ve been in this position for one year now. Could you tell us what this job entails?

I think that, like in most leadership positions, the job consists of helping volunteers fulfill their tasks. You need to have high-level conversations at the board to ensure that all the volunteers in your department have what they need to be successful.

Why did you decide to run for another term?

At the end of my term, I realized that I could help the Joomla! community much more with what I had learned over the past months. I also felt that I needed to complete some unfinished projects I had started.

If you look back on the things you've done since your first election in 2024, what are you most proud of?

I don’t think my term was defined by big projects or major accomplishments. Instead, I focused on connecting volunteers and helping anyone who needed something from the Operations Department so that our community could remain engaged and well-connected.

What does it take to be a good coordinator?

You need a lot of empathy to understand the situations of your teams and their members. Then, you need to be able to filter out external noise and focus on what they need to succeed.

What do you like most about Joomla and its community?

Joomla! makes the world a better place. We empower people to create amazing projects without requiring technical knowledge. To me, the Joomla! community is like no other. Most of my closest friends, I met through Joomla!

What is it like to be on the Board?

At first, it’s a bit overwhelming, as you are making decisions that could affect the entire community and the software as a whole. However, once you get into the rhythm, you realize how important these discussions are for the future of Joomla.

What do you see as the most important job for the Operations Department Coordinator within Joomla?

Keeping the teams together and ensuring they stay connected. Our department covers such different aspects of Joomla! that, at times, some rough edges need to be smoothed out to maintain cohesion.

In your manifesto, you say you want to work towards a more connected community where different departments collaborate to achieve greater results. Do you think we’re not doing that now? What ways do you see to strengthen these connections?

We need to find more time to talk to each other and create more opportunities to meet in person. Strengthening relationships within the community will help us work together more effectively.

You also say we should make things easier, more accessible, and more user-friendly. What specific aspects are you referring to? And how would Joomla benefit from this?

As the world evolves, so do the expectations of our users. We need to stay ahead of these changes and work towards a better Joomla—not only as an outstanding CMS but also as a project that can shape the future of web development.

What are your short-term and long-term goals?

In the short term, my goal is to strengthen the teams in my department so that we can respond quickly to the needs of our community.

In the long term, I would love to restart the showcase directory and establish a team dedicated to internal development. This would help improve our websites and make our community easier to manage and maintain.

What do you consider your biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge is growing the number of active contributors within our teams.

And what is Joomla’s biggest challenge now and in the future?

Engaging more people in our community from diverse backgrounds and with different perspectives. This diversity will allow us to learn from each other and drive Joomla forward.

How can we help in achieving these goals and addressing these challenges?

By taking action. We need volunteers to make things happen. Contributing to Joomla! core is an excellent way to help, but maintaining our community also requires efforts beyond coding—such as reviewing extensions or ensuring proper use of our trademark. Take a look at our available positions and apply for one that interests you!