James Alexander - 2025 WMF Board of Trustees candidate statement

James Alexander is presenting his candidacy for the Wikipedia Foundation's Board of Trustees, emphasizing that the current era of rapid global and technical change requires a delicate balance between stability and adaptability within the movement. Originally from Boston but now residing in San Francisco, he brings a diverse background as an open-water marathon swimmer who recently completed a solo eight-hour crossing of Lake Tahoe. His journey with Wikipedia began in 2006 as a student, leading to various community roles ranging from administrator to global system operator, before he joined the Foundation professionally in 2010. Over the years, his focus shifted from fundraising to protecting the public and the vital communities that support free knowledge, eventually spanning over a decade of professional work at the intersection of safety, policy, and technology across organizations like the Wikipedia Foundation, Twitter, and Salesforce. Alexander highlights the transformative impact of emerging technologies, particularly generative AI, which are reshaping how people create, share, and verify information at an unprecedented pace. He argues that while these tools often rely on the work of existing communities, they carry the potential to fundamentally alter human interaction with free knowledge in both positive and negative ways. Consequently, he believes Wikipedia's role is both fragile and essential, requiring a strategic approach that protects core values such as transparency, collaboration, and human judgment while learning to coexist with evolving tools. His platform centers on empowering online and offline communities with the necessary knowledge and support to navigate these changes collectively, ensuring that safety remains a priority without compromising the openness that makes the platforms thrive. A critical component of his vision involves addressing the political and sometimes dangerous nature of editing Wikipedia projects in high-risk regions around the world. Alexander stresses the need to continue building robust tools, policies, and practices that safeguard users in these environments while maintaining the platform's accessibility and freedom. Furthermore, he asserts that safety efforts are meaningless if the projects fail to grow, making community expansion a vital objective. His strategy includes actively recruiting new editors, welcoming fresh voices, and updating the shared body of human knowledge to ensure relevance in an increasingly technical landscape. He insists that Wikipedia is ultimately about people, mentorship, community spirit, and joy, rather than just technology, and he aims to prioritize trust and safety work wherever it makes sense to support a resilient movement. If elected, James Alexander promises to bring deep experience, a broad perspective, and a steady hand to the Board, ready to listen, act, and help navigate the future of the project. Drawing parallels from his experiences as a marathon swimmer, he notes that endurance, patience, and trust in one's team are essential for crossing even the roughest waters, qualities he believes the movement urgently needs today. He concludes by expressing his commitment to helping the community get through this moment of significant change together, ensuring that Wikipedia remains a safe, relevant, and collaborative resource for everyone. His candidacy is rooted in a long history of dedicated service and a clear vision for balancing innovation with the protection of user safety and community values.