Meet the new Wikimedia Georgia Board of Trustees

Wikimedia Georgia began preparations to hold a General Assembly and elect a new Board of Trustees in August 2025. The news of becoming a Chapter of WMGE only added to the importance of this event, as this Assembly and the new Board will be the first under the organization’s new chapter status.

In preparation for the elections, the previous Board and the organization’s administration carried out extensive work, updating and preparing a new election procedure in accordance with the organization’s charter. In October 2025, the Board approved new election regulations at its annual meeting, which was held this year in Bakuriani. It also approved the 2026 annual plan and budget and began developing a new strategic plan for the organization.

In early November, in accordance with the new regulations, the call for nominations for the Board of Trustees was announced and lasted for three weeks. At the end of the process, six candidates remained for the five Board seats. Members of the organization were given a week to review the candidates and their applications.

On December 14, Wikimedia Georgia held its annual General Forum (GF) of members. The GF also included elections for the organization’s Board of Trustees. As a result, five members were elected to the Board, including two new members and three re-elected. It’s especially noteworthy that the majority of the new Board’s members are women (three out of five), a historic first for the organization. This is a significant achievement for an organization that has been working continuously for many years to improve diversity and strengthen leadership skills among its members.

The new and re-elected Board members have a strong background in volunteering for Georgian-language Wikimedia projects and being active in Wikimedia Georgia. They have an excellent understanding of where they want Wikimedia Georgia and the Wikimedia project to be in the coming years, and they are well aware of how they can help the organization through their involvement.

Beka Baiashvili, who has been editing Wikipedia for 11 years and is the newly elected Chair of the Board of Trustees of Wikimedia Georgia, is an economist by profession and believes that over the next two years, the organization should focus on improving the quality and depth of information on Wikipedia and related projects. As a member of the Board of Trustees, he will help the organization develop and plan. As an economist by profession and working for an organization that provides business growth services, he has experience and knowledge in effectively developing and planning an organization and defining its goals and objectives.

Mimoza Gholijashvili, who was elected as the Deputy Chair of the Board, is a new Wikipedian who has been editing Wikipedia for two years. She was nominated for this position because she is ready to contribute to the organization’s administrative and strategic work. In her opinion, Wikimedia Georgia should focus on organizational sustainability and internal strengthening over the next two years. Priority should be given to careful planning and control of financial resources. It should be noted that Mimoza is a volunteer coordinator of one of the Wikimedia Georgia clubs at her school and is a teacher.

Giga Doguzovi has been editing Wikimedia projects for almost 10 years and is an active member of the organization, having already served one term on the organization’s Board. He would like to participate in key decisions regarding the organization’s management and will make responsible decisions that contribute to the organization’s development and the well-being of its members. He wants to help the organization in the next two years by motivating existing and attracting new volunteers to Wikimedia projects and the organization.

Mariam Kvartskhava has been a volunteer of Wikimedia projects for 10 years and was a member of the previous convocation of the Board, where she served as Deputy Chair. For her, being a member of the Board of Trustees is about maintaining a connection with the organization, allowing her to remain an active volunteer involved in its work processes. It is an opportunity to be the voice of the organization’s members in the decision-making process. 

Mariam Amilakhvari has been a Wikimedian since 2021. She has been contributing to the Georgian Wikipedia and actively participating in Wikimedia Georgia’s offline and online events. In 2023, she represented Wikimedia Georgia at the Wikimedia CEE Meeting held in Tbilisi, and in 2025, for the second time, she represented it at the Wikimedia CEE Meeting in Greece. Having a Master’s degree in International Relations and working at the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Protection of Georgia, she wants to contribute to the organization’s development with the knowledge she has.

Wikimedia Georgia wishes success to the new convocation of the organization’s Board of Trustees and hopes the new Board will guide the organization in its sustainable development.