And Media Viewer was in development before Lila came around, even if she did preside over its release. I'm not really interested in blaming individuals. The point is that the Wikimedia Foundation as an organization has a history of pushing projects the community doesn't want. A different kind of executive director might move the foundation back towards more of a support role for the community. Of course, that's not going to happen unless the makeup of the board of directors changes drastically.
I think that's not entirely accurate. The VE was wanted, and clearly is needed. There have been valid concerns around Wikimarkup that lead to a less than great UX experience for many editors, and it is a barrier to entry.
It was discussed for a long time when I was active in the community. People who were active in the community championed it.
The execution seems to have been less than successful. The way that some things were introduced were also less than stirling. Rolling do,etching like the VE on a shoestring budget is also quite difficult, on such a massive project.
Sue didn't always get things right, and during her tenure mistakes were made. She was, IMO, amazing though. When she left, she had bedded down an amazing amount of important processes, including governance and other important organizational matters. Her technical skills weren't perhaps as good as her other skills (but actually, they weren't that bad really). There were issues that needed addressing by the next ED, but there always will be matters that need addressing! Nobody leaves an organization in 100% perfect running order.
Lila has not only left the WMF with issues, she has destroyed a good deal of trust, and left the WMF's governance, openness and transparency in tatters.