A Familiar Face in a New Role: Dr. Wilma Hodges Joins Apereo Staff
Michelle Hall
Dear Apereo Community,
We are incredibly excited to share that Dr. Wilma Hodges has officially joined the Apereo Foundation staff as our new Community Coordinator.
For many of you, Wilma needs no introduction. She has been a trusted leader, collaborator, mentor, and friend within the Apereo ecosystem for many years through her work in the Sakai community, service on the Apereo Board of Directors, leadership across countless community initiatives, and, most recently, as a co-founder of the new LTI Forge incubation project.
Simply put: Wilma already understands this community because she helped build it.
This is also an important moment in Apereo’s growth as an organization.
Over the last several years, the Foundation staff, project communities, volunteers, member institutions, and partners have worked tirelessly to move Apereo into its next chapter. Together, we have expanded our global partnerships, assisted with eight in-person events and 11 microconferences annually, strengthened our project communities, launched new initiatives, convened conversations around open infrastructure and digital autonomy, and helped position Apereo as a trusted voice in the future of open source in higher education.
Today, Apereo helps co-chair and organize nine in-person events and conference tracks around the world, including the “Open Source in Education, Science and Research” track at OW2 taking place this week. We now host 11 Apereo MicroConferences annually, creating ongoing opportunities for connection and collaboration across the community. We have welcomed new communities and initiatives into the ecosystem, including the dat-ecosystem and the emerging LTI Forge project, while also celebrating the long-term sustainability and impact of established projects like Bedework, which recently marked nearly two decades of open source innovation and community success.
People are noticing.
More and more organizations, foundations, universities, and collaborative initiatives are reaching out to Apereo because they want to understand how this community has remained sustainable, welcoming, mission-driven, and globally connected for so many years. They want to learn from the work this community has accomplished together.
As that interest and momentum have continued to grow, it’s become clear that we need dedicated leadership focused on strengthening and supporting the human side of our community: our members, volunteers, contributors, and institutional relationships.
Wilma’s extensive experience across open source communities, deep understanding of higher education, and long history of leadership within Apereo make her exceptionally well-suited to help strengthen existing relationships while supporting new ideas and emerging communities.
As Community Coordinator, Wilma will help deepen engagement with Apereo’s Institutional Members, expand the Community Membership program, support the Open Renaissance Group and Open Letter initiatives, help onboard and nurture new Communities of Interest entering the Apereo ecosystem, and take the lead in mentoring our growing student organizations while helping form a new student-focused Community of Interest within Apereo.
Just as importantly, Wilma will help support and strengthen the Foundation's staff. Anyone who has worked in open source community leadership knows this work is deeply rewarding and deeply demanding. As Apereo continues to grow in visibility, partnerships, and community activity, having someone with Wilma’s experience, perspective, and long history of collaboration joining the staff is an important investment in the future sustainability of both the Foundation and the community we all care so deeply about.
As part of this transition, Wilma has stepped down from the Apereo Board of Directors to join the Foundation staff. We are deeply grateful for her two years of thoughtful leadership and service in that role. Wilma will remain actively engaged in both the Sakai community and the growing LTI Forge initiative, continuing the work and relationships that so many across Apereo already know and value.
Please join us in giving Wilma a very warm welcome to the Apereo staff team. We are genuinely excited for what comes next.
With gratitude,
The Apereo Foundation Staff