OSI Names New General Manager
Newly Appointed General Manager Patrick Masson Joins OSI from University of Massachusetts
The Open Source Initiative (OSI) announced today that it has appointed Patrick Masson as General Manager effective November 8, 2013. Masson is the organization’s first full-time management appointment in its fifteen year history. His hiring will support and supplement the organization’s volunteer community.
“Patrick’s accomplishments within the educational tech community, organizational experience and passion for advocacy of open source make him a solid match for the job” said Deborah Bryant, OSI board director who led the board’s search to fill the position. “The hiring of a general manager signals the board’s deep commitment carrying out the non-profit’s mission”.
Patrick Masson joins the Open Source Initiative after working for twenty years within higher education, most recently serving as the chief technology officer for the University of Massachusetts’ online learning provider, UMassOnline.
“I am very excited—and quite humbled—to join the Open Source Initiative as its general manager” said Masson. “The OSI has been fundamental in, not only the advocation and defense of open source as a development and licensing model, but also its adoption by both software communities and end-users. I am very excited, and feel quite fortunate, to come on board at a time of renewed focus within the organization, helping to extend the OSI’s value proposition, while increasing opportunities for participation across the open source community for both individual participants as well as the organizations we serve.”
Masson has also held positions as chief information officer at The State University of New York, College of Technology at Delhi, director of technology for the SUNY Learning Network, and director of the UCLA Media Lab. He has worked in various roles to raise the awareness and adoption of open source across the higher education sector, including as a board member of the Jasig Foundation; Project Incubation Committee Member for the Apereo Foundation; co-chair of EDUCAUSE’s Openness Constituent Group; founder of the 2-3-98 Project, and; “SIG Master” for NERCOMP’s Open Source in Higher Education Special Interest Group.
About OSI: The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is a California public benefit corporation, with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, founded in 1998. OSI is the steward of the Open Source Definition (OSD) and the community-recognized body for reviewing and approving open source licenses. OSI’s mission is global in scope, and was formed to educate about and advocate for the benefits of open source and to build bridges among different constituencies in the open source community. More information can be found on OSI’s web site at opensource.org.