Karen Sandler joins Conservancy's Management Team

Sandler becomes Conservancy's Executive Director; Kuhn transitions focus to new “Distinguished Technologist” role

March 31, 2014

Monday, March 31, 2014 — Software Freedom Conservancy, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity based in New York, announced today the addition of a talented new member of its management team. Karen M. Sandler, formerly Executive Director of the GNOME Foundation [ http://gnome.org ], begins today as Conservancy's new Executive Director.

Bradley M. Kuhn, outgoing Executive Director, gratefully passes the torch to his long-time colleague Karen Sandler. While Kuhn's work as Conservancy's President and on its Board of Directors remain unchanged, Kuhn's new full-time staff role is titled “Distinguished Technologist”. Regarding this change, Kuhn said: “This new role allows me to continue to help shape, in coordination with the Board, the overall vision for the organization. My daily role will now focus on important long-term projects, such as leading our new initiative to build non-profit accounting software [ https://sfconservancy.org/campaign ] and our license enforcement efforts [ https://sfconservancy.org/linux-compliance ]. I also look forward to recruiting more new member projects [ https://sfconservancy.org/members/apply/ ]”.

Sandler expressed excitement in the opportunity to focus full-time on Conservancy's day-to-day management. Sandler noted: “I've been delighted to work as a volunteer for Conservancy in many ways, including as one of its pro-bono attorneys since its inception. Now, I can focus in a management role on the great work Conservancy does for its various member projects [ https://sfconservancy.org/members/current/ ]. Conservancy has also graciously encouraged me to continue some work at the GNOME Foundation [ http://gnome.org ] in a volunteer capacity, including partnering in running the Outreach Program for Women [ https://gnome.org/opw/ ]. While I am sad to step aside from my daily role in GNOME, I am equally happy to join the team at Conservancy, which engages in some of the most important non-profit work in free and open source software”.

Sandler becomes the third full-time, and fourth overall, employee of Conservancy. While the entire staff remains based in New York City, Conservancy recently switched to full telecommuting for all employees — to both stretch donor dollars further and give employees excellent schedule flexibility for a good work/life balance.