[lac-discuss-en] ICANN Board seat

[Alan Greenberg]

Dear colleagues,

I  apologize for not being able to write in both Spanish and English.

The At-Large Board member cannot "represent" the ALAC or At-Large. 
Once appointed, the director is there purely on his/her own. However, 
we were given a seat on the Board to allow the issues relevant to 
users to be factored into the debates. To do that, a person must be 
selected who can best represent those interests.

My ICANN history

- 8 years as a volunteer to At-Large, 6 on the ALAC, 8 years as  ALAC 
Liaison to the GNSO. I have also held several leadership roles on the ALAC.

- I have worked very hard to make At-Large respected within ICANN.

- I have been the principal author of many of the statements issues 
by the ALAC over the last 8 years demonstrating my understanding of 
the issues important to At-Large.

- Although I obviously do not agree with some ICANN participants, I 
have developed good working relationships with people in many diverse 
areas of ICANN.

Professional background:

- Over 30 years as a software developer and senior manager at McGill 
University.

- I was part of the small group that brought the Internet to Canada.

- I have volunteered in a number of professional organizations prior 
to ICANN, including being a Board member for the Internet Society.

- I spent 6 years as a volunteer to the Internet Society working with 
and then running their Network Training Courses for people from 
developing countries. We trained people from over 140 countries who 
were instrumental in bringing the Internet to their countries. Alumni 
include government ministers, ICANN Board members and ICANN 
employees. Most countries in Central America, South America and the 
Caribbean attended and courses in Spanish were also run in South America.

- After my retirement from McGill, I spent several years consulting 
on the use of technology in developing economies (ICT4D), and worked 
in Africa, South Asia and Central America.

Strengths related to the Board position:

- I have a very strong understanding of ICANN and its various 
components, of At-Large, and of the needs of Internet users.

- I have a proven ability to work with others, and to influence 
outcomes. I am generally viewed as a thoughtful and articulate 
person, and I am in a very strong position to enter the Board and 
immediately be effective. Three of my references for my Expression of 
Interest for this Board position were current or former ICANN Board 
members, and their endorsements speak well to my ability to quickly 
become an effective Board member.

- My background with both the ISOC training workshops and my ICT4D 
consulting have made me acutely aware of the issues that are 
important in the developing world.

- I am free of any relationship with those who stand to make money 
off of ICANN's decisions, and will not have any conflicts in carrying 
out my mandate.

- My track record of dedication (in both time and effort) to ICANN 
and At-Large is well known, and I will put the same energy into 
presenting the needs of users on the Board.

I do not believe that any other candidate can match all of my 
qualifications and I will not only be a good Board member, but an 
outstanding At-Large Board member.

If I am selected, I can make a number of commitments:

- I promise to stay in touch with the ALAC, At-Large and RALOs, 
through both face-to-face meetings and teleconferences. That is the 
only way to ensure that I am aware of issues important to At-Large.

- You will regularly hear from me about Board activities and my 
participation, and raising issues that I believe that At-Large may 
want to focus on.

- I will work to make sure that the bottom-up nature of ICANN is 
preserved in fact and not only in words. This is key to ICANN's 
ability to continue to exist and meet its obligations.

- While on the Board, I will work hard to increase its transparency, 
to make sure that users issues are considered, and to ensure more 
participation in ICANN from people who are not funded by companies 
and who do not speak English. Both of these were important proposals 
that I fought for in the ATRT2 Report 
(http://www.icann.org/en/about/aoc-review/atrt/final-recommendations-31dec13-en.pdf 
or 
http://www.icann.org/es/about/aoc-review/atrt/final-recommendations-31dec13-es.pdf, 
page 9-11, section 10.3 and 10.5)

I will be happy to answer any questions.

Regards, Alan