Hi everyone, I've been elected on the TC (or its previous incarnations) since we had community-elected seats in that body (2011). However, as announced during the previous election round (and in the discussion about reducing the number of TC seats) I do not plan to run for the TC in the upcoming election round. There are multiple reasons for this. The main one is that with name recognition and a Condorcet voting system, it's relatively easy for incumbents to be reelected. We only elect 5 seats this time, so I think it's important to make room for new names to step up. The second reason is that I'd like more people with an operational background to be present on the TC. I think we can simplify our governance by having a single elected body handling the open source project, rather than maintain separate representation for users and developers. As we get more people bringing operational perspective to the TC, that simplification will be even more obvious. The final reason is that I've always been saying that you can work on governance issues and voice your opinion on them, without being elected on the TC and formally voting on things. It's time for me to walk that talk. I do not intend to go anywhere, and I'll be as present as always in proposing the OpenStack governance changes that I deem needed in this day and age. I'll finish this email by encouraging anyone interested in open source project governance, or wanting to help shape the next chapter of the OpenStack story, to step up and run for TC election. As for all governance bodies, the experience can be frustrating, as you'd like to fix more things but there is only so much you can do. But it's a great experience, one that I recommend everyone working on open source project should have. The only prerequisite is an interest and care for "OpenStack" as a whole. No specific experience or diploma needed. If you wonder if you can do it, the answer is yes. Nominations[1] open up March 24. Please consider running, especially if you have operational experience with some cycles to spare. If you have any questions on the job, feel free to reach out to me -- you know where to find me. [1] https://governance.openstack.org/election/ -- Thierry Carrez (ttx)