These are the roles required to operate WPLUG as a Pennsylvania nonprofit and as a functioning collective. Some are legal requirements under 15 Pa.C.S. § 5732; others are specific to what WPLUG actually does.

All officers are directors. The President is also the Chairperson. Currently, all roles are held by J NFN until the membership grows.

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What PA requires: The chief executive officer of the corporation. Presides over meetings. Signs contracts and legal documents. Ensures the organization meets its statutory obligations.

What WPLUG needs: Someone who can make decisions when the collective is deadlocked, represent WPLUG to external organizations, and make sure the group does not evaporate because nobody scheduled a meeting. This is the “hobby with consequences” role. As Chairperson, this person has final say on all proposals but can be overruled by a 3/5ths majority of the Leadership body.

Responsibilities:

• Preside over all general meetings and leadership meetings
• Execute contracts and legal instruments on behalf of WPLUG
• Ensure meetings happen per bylaws (the group dissolves otherwise)
• Serve as primary liaison with external organizations (venues, sponsors, other groups)
• Cast tie-breaking votes when needed
• Appoint acting officers to fill temporary vacancies
• Act as Chairperson with final say on proposals (subject to 3/5ths leadership override)

Current: J NFN (interim)

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What PA requires: Maintains corporate records, minutes of meetings, and official correspondence.

What WPLUG needs: Someone who documents what happened, keeps the archive organized, and makes sure the wiki does not become a ghost town of stale pages.

Responsibilities:

• Record and publish minutes of all meetings
• Maintain membership rolls and eligibility records
• Manage official correspondence ([email protected])
• Oversee wiki maintenance—archiving stale content, updating links, ensuring the “Things Done” list actually gets updated
• Maintain historical records and ensure archive integrity
• Give notice of meetings as required by bylaws

Current: J NFN (interim)

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What PA requires: Manages corporate funds, maintains financial records, prepares reports.

What WPLUG needs: Even if we are not handling much money yet, someone needs to track domain costs, potential donations, and be ready if we ever need to file for 501©(3) or handle grants.

Responsibilities:

• Maintain financial records of all WPLUG transactions
• Manage bank accounts and payment processors
• Prepare financial reports for leadership and membership
• Handle domain registration, hosting costs, and infrastructure expenses
• Coordinate with the Secretary to ensure financial transparency
• File required state and federal reports (annual report, etc.)

Current: J NFN (interim)

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What WPLUG needs: Someone who keeps the lights on—IRC, wiki, web services, DNS. When the web client breaks at 2 AM, this person gets the alert.

Responsibilities:

• Administer and maintain IRC server (Ergo), web IRC (Gamja), and all related services
• Manage wiki hosting, backups, and updates
• Maintain wplug.net DNS and related infrastructure
• Oversee security—monitoring for abuse, ensuring services stay available
• Document infrastructure so others can help or take over

Current: J NFN (interim)

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What WPLUG needs: Someone who makes sure people actually show up—to IRC, to meetings, to InstallFests. The welcome wagon and the event wrangler.

Responsibilities:

• Moderate IRC channels and enforce community guidelines
• Welcome new members and guide them toward resources (Manifesto, Membership, Guides)
• Organize and promote meetups, InstallFests, and workshops
• Build relationships with local groups (Pittsburgh Red Hat User Group, NerdNite, etc.)
• Handle conflict resolution and maintain community standards

Current: J NFN (interim)

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What WPLUG needs: Someone who turns the Sovereignty Stack into actual workshops and labs. The “How to Block Ads for Your Whole Network” session does not plan itself.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain technical curriculum (Exit the Cloud roadmap, Sovereignty Stack guides)
• Plan and lead workshops, labs, and presentation nights
• Mentor members at all skill levels—no gatekeeping
• Review and approve technical content for accuracy and accessibility
• Recruit presenters and build a pipeline of topics

Current: J NFN (interim)

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What WPLUG needs: Someone who knows who the members are, what they need, and how to keep them engaged. The relationship manager.

Responsibilities:

• Process membership applications and maintain member directory
• Communicate with members via [email protected]
• Track member activity and engagement
• Organize member benefits (peer support channels, resource access, etc.)
• Report membership status to leadership

Current: J NFN (interim)

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What WPLUG needs: Someone who tells the world WPLUG exists. Social media, local press, university partnerships, recruiting.

Responsibilities:

• Manage public-facing communications (social media, blog, announcements)
• Build partnerships with local organizations, universities, and employers
• Promote events and workshops to reach new audiences
• Maintain brand consistency across all platforms
• Track outreach metrics and report to leadership

Current: J NFN (interim)

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• Interim: The Chairperson (currently J) may appoint interim officers until elections are held
• Election: All roles are elected by simple majority of voting members
• Term: One year unless bylaws specify otherwise
• Vacancy: The Chairperson may appoint a replacement until the next election
• Removal: Any officer may be removed by a 5/7ths vote of the membership per the bylaws

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WPLUG needs people. If you are reading this and thinking “I could do that”—you probably can.

— *WPLUG: Your data. Your hardware. Your community.*