deb tankersley
Deb Tankersley, Senior Technical Program Manager
deb tankersley
Senior Technical Program Manager, Developer Outreach team, Wikimedia Foundation
"People come and go. Some are like cigarette breaks, others are forest fires." - Erin Reid

About me

I joined the Wikimedia Foundation in January 2016.

I like maps that are open and free. In a past life, I helped to create and bring to life the now defunct OSM project on MapQuest.

In my spare time, I enjoy riding bikes, listening to live music, and long walks with my partner.

My work

I am the lead manager and organizer for the Developer Outreach program, as part of the Chief Product & Technology (CPTO) team in the Wikimedia Foundation. My work focuses on programs such as Google Summer of Code (GSoC), Outreachy, Coolest Tool Award, Wikimedia Hackathon, Wikimania Hackathon, and other technical community facing programs.


Formerly, I was the Program Manager for Engineering in the Technology Department focusing on planning, organizing and reporting on the wonderful work that all the Tech teams do.

Prior to that, I was a Product Manager for the Discovery Department with the mission to build the anonymous path of discovery to a trusted and relevant source of knowledge. My primary responsibility was the product owner of the Discovery Search, Analysis and Wikipedia portal teams.

Disclaimer: I work for or provide services to the Wikimedia Foundation, and this is the account I try to use for edits or statements I make in that role. However, the Foundation does not vet all my activity, so edits, statements, or other contributions made by this account may not reflect the views of the Foundation.

Contact me

  • E-mail: deb @ wikimedia.org