Linux desktop: Gnome Foundation with new managing director
Another change at the helm of the Gnome Foundation: Interim Managing Director Richard Littauer hands over the reins to Steven Deobald – on a permanent basis.
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After several months of searching, the Gnome Linux desktop environment foundation has a new Executive Director. Canadian Steven Deobald will take over the management of the Gnome Foundation from now on. He replaces Richard Littauer, who stepped in as interim managing director at short notice last summer. The Gnome Foundation has not yet made any official announcement about the appointment, apart from the fact that his name now appears on the team page. However, Gnome board member Cassidy James, among others, congratulated Deobald on Mastodon. His predecessor Littauer announced his retirement a week ago and at least mentioned the first name of his successor there.
Steven Deobald introduced himself in his new Gnome blog and also published the post on the Gnome project's discussion platform. In the text, he describes himself as an open source enthusiast and long-time Gnome user who has been using the Gnome desktop since 2002. After university, he worked as a software developer (including C# and Ruby), emigrated to India and co-founded the software cooperative Nilenso, which is owned by its employees. After a serious bicycle accident, he had temporarily retired from software development and later returned to Canada.
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According to his private blog, he had been looking for a new job since December 2024. He had previously ceased operations at a software company he had previously founded. In a list he published on GitHub at the beginning of the year, he listed Gnome among the companies or projects for which he would work for free if in doubt. He is now employed full-time as managing director at the Gnome Foundation.
Deobald cites transparency and financial resilience as his goals. By transparency, he means showing Gnome users the people and energy behind the Gnome project. In order for the Gnome Foundation to fulfill its mission of supporting the development of Gnome and its contributors, it also needs financial stability. Ultimately, the Gnome Foundation should grow again, but first it needs a foundation, says Deobald.
Last year, the Gnome Foundation received significantly less money than expected and therefore had to let go of several employees. Steven Deobald is the third Executive Director of the Gnome Foundation in three years. At the beginning of 2022, Neil McGovern retired from the position after five years. It took a year and a half before Holly Million was found as his successor. She resigned unexpectedly after just nine months, which is why Richard Littauer stepped in as interim Managing Director. The Gnome Foundation had been looking for permanent leadership since September 2024.
(ktn)
