| Previous Board Service | Employer | Other Affiliations |
|---|---|---|
2019-2022, 2022-2025 |
Anaconda |
Changing Cities e.V., conda-forge, Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V., Django Software Foundation, EuroPython Society, Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte e.V., NOYB – European Center for Digital Rights, NumFOCUS, Open Source Initiative, OpenStreetMap Foundation |
Working to keep Python strong and accessible for everyone — from scientists and web developers to educators and hobbyists — by investing in its infrastructure, making community programs resilient, and connecting its global community.
My name is Jannis “jezdez” Leidel, and I’m running for re-election to the PSF Board of Directors. Since being first elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2022, I’ve served continuously and remain deeply committed to the Foundation’s mission to nurture and grow the global Python community.
Over the past six years, I’ve contributed to the PSF’s strategic direction through roles on the:
- Finance Committee
- Membership Committee
- PyCon US Committee
- PSF Communications Officer for the 2021–2022 term
These roles have included helping guide the Foundation through moments of uncertainty, including the operational challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and periods of rapid growth. I'm a long-term member of PSF’s Packaging Working Group and more recently co-founded the User Success Working Group to advance user experience improvements, including better onboarding, accessibility, Python.org usability, localization, and shared guidance for UX across the ecosystem.
Python's role in the world has never been more critical. It’s one of the most widely used programming languages across education, research, and industry, fueled by the success of the Scientific Python ecosystem, the PyData movement, widespread adoption in AI and machine learning, and its continued importance in web development and embedded systems. From frameworks like Django and FastAPI to projects like MicroPython and CircuitPython, Python continues to prove itself as a flexible, accessible, and empowering tool. Reports from GitHub’s Octoverse, Stack Overflow, TIOBE, and RedMonk confirm what we already know: Python is everywhere.
This growth has also placed new demands on the PSF, particularly on our grants program. Funding requests have grown rapidly (nearly quadrupling in recent years), highlighting the need for new strategies to maintain and expand our impact. The PSF has made difficult choices to align the program with available resources, and I fully support the staff and volunteers working to keep it effective, transparent, and equitable.
I believe we need to think boldly about how we serve a growing global ecosystem. That includes:
- Sustaining and investing in core infrastructure, including packaging, Python.org services, and security initiatives
- Strengthening our grants program to improve accessibility, transparency, and long-term viability
- Deepening collaboration with organizations and institutions that rely on Python at scale, creating new pathways for cooperation and shared investment
- Working with regional Python communities and organizations that focus on local impact and community building, helping to strengthen the ecosystem and broaden our collective reach
I will work to ensure that new initiatives are openly discussed with the community and remain aligned with the PSF’s mission and values.
Based in Germany, I’ve worked across multiple communities in Europe and globally to improve Python’s infrastructure and long-term health. Outside of work, I spend time with my family and think a lot about how we can make community involvement more accessible for people in different life situations.
I work as a Principal Software Engineer at Anaconda, where I contribute to the Python packaging ecosystem, including projects like conda and conda-forge. I’m a founding member of PyPA and co-facilitated the Python Packaging Summit in past years. I’ve long been involved in Python’s open-source and infrastructure communities, including earlier work in the Django and Mozilla communities, and remain focused on building tools that serve a broad user base.
I’m running again because I believe the PSF benefits from board members who understand both the technical foundations and the governance needed to serve a global, open community. I first picked up Python to bring my own ideas to life, and that experience showed me how empowering access to programming can be. I want to help the PSF continue growing in ways that make that access more equitable and more widely available.
There’s more work ahead, and I’d be glad to continue contributing where I can.
Thanks for reading, and for everything you do to support Python.