PSF Distinguished Service Award Granted to Thomas Wouters

Thomas Wouters, a longtime member of the PSF Board, has been recognized with the PSF’s Distinguished Service Award. Over the last 25 years, Thomas has been a steady, welcoming presence in the Python community, serving in countless critical roles—often behind the scenes.

Thomas has served three separate terms on the PSF Board (2001–2004, 2017–2019, and 2020–2023), including his final year as Board Chair. He even stepped in as General Manager for six months, leading our staff during the search for a new Executive Director. On top of that, he served five years on the Steering Council, helping guide key technical decisions for Python itself, and is the Release Manager for both Python 3.12 and 3.13.

The PSF’s Distinguished Service Award (DSA) is granted to individuals who make sustained exemplary contributions to the Python community. Each award is voted on by the PSF Board and they are looking for people whose impact has positively and significantly shaped the Python world. Thomas’ work with the Python community very much exemplifies the ethos of “build the community you want to see.”

After receiving the award Thomas shared, "I'm incredibly proud of what we, as a community, have created and continue to create in the PSF: a caring, diverse, inclusive and considerate environment, and a stable foundation for everyone everywhere in the Python community to thrive and prosper."

Whether it was keeping meetings running smoothly, handling critical admin tasks, stepping up wherever needed, or acting as a historian of the PSF and Python’s evolution, Thomas has done it all—and with unmatched dedication.

Curious about previous recipients of the DSA or wondering how to nominate someone? Check out the PSF’s Distinguished Service Awards page. The PSF also bestows Community Service Awards to recognize outstanding community members– if you’d like to learn more about CSAs and how they differ from DSAs, check out our Service Awards given by the PSF: what are they and how they differ blog post.

PSF Distinguished Service Award Granted to Van Lindberg

Van Lindberg, a longtime member of the PSF Board, has been recognized with the PSF’s Distinguished Service Award. Van was the co-chair and then Chair of PyCon from 2008-2012, served on the PSF Board for over a decade (2012–2023), including four years as Chair (2012–2016) and seven years as PSF General Counsel from 2016-2023. Throughout his time with us, Van was our go-to expert for all things legal, bringing invaluable insights from the broader open-source world to help the PSF grow and stay ahead of the curve. During his time on the board, Van was instrumental in establishing the PSF as a professional organization able to support the worldwide Python community.

The PSF’s Distinguished Service Award (DSA) is granted to individuals who make sustained exemplary contributions to the Python community. Each award is voted on by the PSF Board and they are looking for people whose impact has positively and significantly shaped the Python world. Van’s work with the Python community very much exemplifies the ethos of “build the community you want to see.”

After receiving the award, Van shared, “I am deeply honored to receive the DSA. The kindness and support of this community are truly exceptional, and I am grateful for every moment I've been able to spend contributing alongside so many excellent people.”

From licensing and hiring to fundraising, Van was there every step of the way as the PSF experienced phenomenal growth. His deep understanding of open-source communities—paired with his legal expertise—helped the Foundation navigate challenges and embrace opportunities to better serve the global Python community.

Curious about previous recipients of the DSA or wondering how to nominate someone? Check out the PSF’s Distinguished Service Awards page. The PSF also bestows Community Service Awards to recognize outstanding community members– if you’d like to learn more about CSAs and how they differ from DSAs, check out our Service Awards given by the PSF: what are they and how they differ blog post.

PSF Distinguished Service Award Granted to Ewa Jodlowska

Ewa Jodlowska, former PSF Executive Director and Board Member, has been recognized with the PSF’s Distinguished Service Award. For over a decade, Ewa played a pivotal role in transforming the PSF from a volunteer-driven group into a thriving, professional organization. Thanks to her hard work and vision, the PSF now has paid staff, solid funding, and the ability to support the global Python community like never before.

The PSF’s Distinguished Service Award (DSA) is granted to individuals who make sustained exemplary contributions to the Python community. Each award is voted on by the PSF Board and they are looking for people whose impact has positively and significantly shaped the Python world. Ewa’s work with the Python community very much exemplifies the ethos of “build the community you want to see.”

After receiving the award, Ewa shared, “Reflecting on the many years I've dedicated to working with the Python community, I am filled with fond memories and a deep sense of accomplishment. The relationships built and the collaborative efforts made over these years have been invaluable. Knowing that my contributions have played a foundational role in the PSF’s ongoing success is incredibly gratifying.”

Today, the PSF can hire developers, manage a vital grants program, and oversee the infrastructure that keeps Python (and its vast library ecosystem) freely accessible to everyone worldwide. Ewa’s leadership has left an incredible mark on the PSF’s history, and her work has set us up for a future that once felt unimaginable.

Curious about previous recipients of the DSA or wondering how to nominate someone? Check out the PSF’s Distinguished Service Awards page. The PSF also bestows Community Service Awards to recognize outstanding community members– if you’d like to learn more about CSAs and how they differ from DSAs, check out our Service Awards given by the PSF: what are they and how they differ blog post.

Announcing Python Software Foundation Fellow Members for Q4 2024! 🎉

 The PSF is pleased to announce its fourth batch of PSF Fellows for 2024! Let us welcome the new PSF Fellows for Q4! The following people continue to do amazing things for the Python community:

Jimena Escobar Bermúdez

Thank you for your continued contributions. We have added you to our Fellows Roster.

The above members help support the Python ecosystem by being phenomenal leaders, sustaining the growth of the Python scientific community, maintaining virtual Python communities, maintaining Python libraries, creating educational material, organizing Python events and conferences, starting Python communities in local regions, and overall being great mentors in our community. Each of them continues to help make Python more accessible around the world. To learn more about the new Fellow members, check out their links above.

Let's continue recognizing Pythonistas all over the world for their impact on our community. The criteria for Fellow members is available online: https://www.python.org/psf/fellows/. If you would like to nominate someone to be a PSF Fellow, please send a description of their Python accomplishments and their email address to psf-fellow at python.org. Quarter 1 nominations are currently in review. We are accepting nominations for Quarter 2 of 2025 until 11:59 p.m. UTC, May 20

Are you a PSF Fellow and want to help the Work Group review nominations? Contact us at psf-fellow at python.org.