Ruby Central is excited to announce the appointment of two new board members and the election of four new officers to our Board of Directors. These appointments come at a pivotal time for the organization as we embark on the search for a new Executive Director and continue to expand both our Open Source Program and community development initiatives.

Our new board members include Freedom Dumlao and Naijeria Toweett.

Freedom Dumlao is a seasoned technology executive with experience at leading companies like Vestmark, Flexcar, Zipcar, Wayfair, and Amazon. Currently the CTO of Vestmark, Freedom brings strategic insights that will help drive Ruby Central’s efforts to expand the Ruby ecosystem and build stronger connections with top companies and startups.

Naijeria Toweett has a strong background in technical product management and open source community leadership. Currently a Technical Manager at Girl Effect, Naijeria is driving innovation in data engineering while advocating for gender equality and inclusivity in the tech industry, aligning with Ruby Central’s mission to foster a more diverse and impactful ecosystem. 

Additionally, the board has voted on the following new officer appointments: 

Valerie Woolard, Principal Software Engineer at Heroku, is taking on the role of President. As President, Valerie will oversee the strategic direction of Ruby Central and guide the board in making high-level decisions. She will also work closely with our Executive Director to ensure the implementation of board resolutions, assist in new board member orientation, and lead the search for new executive leadership when needed. In her role, Valerie will also periodically assess the performance of board members to ensure alignment with the organization’s goals.

Kinsey Durham Grace, Product Infrastructure Engineer at GitHub, is taking on the role of Vice President. Kinsey will be ready to step in during the President’s absence, attend all board meetings, participate in the executive committee, and carry out special assignments as requested. Kinsey will play a key role in ensuring that Ruby Central remains committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in the tech industry, and she will actively contribute to board leadership decisions.

Freedom Dumlao, in addition to joining as a new board member, will serve as Treasurer. In this role, Freedom will be responsible for overseeing Ruby Central’s financial health. He will manage the organization’s finances, review regular financial reports, and work with our Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer to ensure that financial reports are timely and transparent. He will also present the annual budget to the board for approval and assist in reviewing the organization’s audit.

Naijeria Toweett, in addition to joining the board, will serve as Secretary. As Secretary, Naijeria will be responsible for managing official communications with board members, preparing meeting agendas, recording meeting minutes, and maintaining accurate board records. Naijeria will also take on the responsibility of assuming the role of President in the absence of both the President and Vice President.

“We are thrilled to welcome Freedom and Naijeria as new board members, as well as to see Valerie, Kinsey, Freedom, and Naijeria step into officer roles,” said Chelsea Kaufman, Ruby Central’s Transitional Executive Director. “In a year full of celebrations and transitions, we are fortunate to be bringing new energy to our board. All our newly elected officers and board members bring diverse perspectives, technical expertise, and a shared passion for supporting Ruby’s growth. We are excited to work with them to drive greater impact across our events, open source initiatives, and community development efforts.”

With this new leadership team in place, Ruby Central is well-positioned to drive the next phase of growth, innovation, and impact within the Ruby ecosystem. You can stay informed about our progress and upcoming initiatives by signing up for our newsletter, or support us by becoming a contributing member.