OpenSFS Board nominations and elections are conducted in adherence with the OpenSFS bylaws and OpenSFS handbook. The Board nomination process was facilitated by the Nomination Committee and the nomination period closed on February 19, 2025.
The primary contact for each OpenSFS Member company is eligible to vote for in the Board election. An online ballot will be sent directly to OpenSFS primary contacts to facilitate the voting process. Election results will be announced during the virtual OpenSFS Member Meeting on April 1, 2025.
The following Board positions and candidates are participating in the 2025 election:
President (Term: Two years)
The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation and shall have general supervision over the affairs to the Corporation, subject, however, to the control of the Board. The President shall, if present, preside at all Annual Meetings, and at all meetings of the Board. In general, the President shall perform all the duties incident to the office of the chief executive officer of a corporation and such other duties as are provided for by these Bylaws and as from time to time may be assigned to the President by the Board.
Candidates: Megan Larko
Megan Larko has been involved in Linux High Performance Computing (HPC) for decades starting at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD and continuing in the U.S. DoD environment. She has had many certificates in Linux and Lustre, starting with the Linux SAIR up through current CompTIA, including a certificate in Lustre from the old Sun days. She has been active in free and open source software advocacy for many years. She graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park. She currently works remotely and resides in western Pennsylvania, with her beloved spouse and goldendoodle mix.
I am Megan Larko with Translucent Services. I have been involved in building and administering Linux and High Performance Computing systems for NASA and in the Department of Defense for decades. The Lustre file system has been a significant part of that work. As a strong believer in the open software community, I have been fortunate to have the ability to make custom software modifications for my user community, when needed. I believe that others should have that same opportunity. I have served on the OpenSFS Board of Directors (BoD) to facilitate access to Lustre, and to promote its benefits as a shared file system. Serving on the OpenSFS BoD allows me to further those objectives thereby ensuring the Lustre file system as a continuing resource for applications in AI, space, oil & gas, education and other pursuits.
Candidates: Jesse Hanley
In his current role as Acting Group Leader, Jesse oversees procurement, administration, and support of high-performance storage to enable the National Center for Computational Sciences’ overall mission of leadership-class and scalable computing programs. He is an experienced Linux systems engineer that joined ORNL in 2015. In that time, he has served as the Subject Matter Expert for OLCF’s parallel Lustre file systems.
I believe my career has prepared me to serve effectively on the OpenSFS board. Throughout my career, I have tackled varied challenges and have been met with some amazing opportunities: I helped develop the Lustre 101 web course, tested features like PFL, worked with vendor partners, helped end users more effectively get science completed, and served as Subject Matter Expert or part of the support team for OLCF’s parallel Lustre file system.
The projects and environment I work within afford me perspective in the strengths and weaknesses of Lustre, where it shines and where there is room to grow. I believe strongly in the free interchange of ideas, and value mentorship as much as technical work. I have advocated for newer Lustre features, while maintaining system stability, and I hope to give back to the community that has shaped my professional growth. Thank you for your consideration.
Treasurer (Term: Two Years)
The Treasurer shall collect, and keep account of all moneys received and expended for the use of the Corporation. The Treasurer shall deposit sums received by the Corporation in the name of the Corporation in such depositories as shall be approved by the Board; prepare appropriate financial reports for review by the Board; and be a member of the Finance Committee.
Candidates: Leo Saavedra
Leonardo Saavedra (a.k.a Leo), is a Senior HPC Storage Systems Analyst at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) at Berkeley Lab (LBNL), where he works as a member of the Storage Systems Group. His interests include parallel file systems, mass storage and Linux system administration. Leo’s career in HPC began at NRAO as system engineer maintaining and deploying new Lustre file systems for the observatory. Leo has been working with Lustre since 2017 with work including Lustre administration, file system performance tuning, and improving user performance for high-performance computing applications.
My interest in serving the Lustre community as Treasurer for OpenSFS is motivated by my experience of working with open source software since 1996. OSS has been part of my career as a student, and as a professional, and this is an opportunity to give back to the open source community with my experience. With the exascale computing era upon us I see Lustre positioned as a pillar upon which the next great advancements in science and research will be achieved. I’m a strong believer in having a high-quality, open-source parallel file system like Lustre and I would be honored to have your vote for Treasurer.
Candidates: Brad Gipson
Brad is a High-Performance Computing Storage Engineer for the National Center for Computational Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He is the Storage Subject Matter Expert for ORNL’s strategic partnership with the United States Air Force. One of his focus areas is the delivery and operation of multiple Lustre namespaces with a focus on High Availability. Since joining with the lab, Brad has been an active participant in OpenSFS, including presenting at LUG’24 as well as facilitating the first student volunteer program.
Brad is eager to serve as a Treasurer on the OpenSFS board because he desires to work closer with the Lustre community to help build strong connections and foster a supportive, effective environment. He is connected with multiple members of the community and aims to further develop these relationships to help create an open environment. With a background in systems engineering and hands-on experience with new developments in Lustre, such as DoM, PFL, and LNET multirail, Brad is well-equipped to understand community requirements and communicate effectively. He is highly organized, detail-oriented, and committed to ensuring clear communication and efficient operations. Brad believes his skills will help him better understand the community’s needs and contribute to initiatives that make a meaningful impact.