[Chapter-delegates] Today: Chance to ask ISOC policy people what our positions are, Chapters meeting to discover what's going on with management changes

[N.G]

Dear All,
I strongly agree with Dave Burstein's thoughts.

Nayeem Ghori

On Friday, February 16, 2024, Dave Burstein via Chapter-delegates <
chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org> wrote:

> Ted
>
> Thanks for the reply. It may be, as you suggest, that the claim
> circulating about a closed succession decision is simply a misunderstanding
> of a theoretical plan for an emergency contingency. We should clarify that.
>
> False rumors are best avoided by delivering timely, acute information.
> I've been in this stuff long enough to have access, but most members have
> little knowledge of what's going on in ISOC. That discourages everyone and
> I hope you can change that.
>
> An interim, emergency appointment almost always is unfortunate. Without
> secure tenure, the emergency designee will find it difficult to take the
> strong actions rejuvenating ISOC requires.
>
> Is there any reason to think that Andrew is leaving so soon that the
> emergency contingency plan will be needed? As far as I know, Andrew hasn't
> given notice. I know Andrew well enough to expect him to give enough notice
> for a proper search.
>
> We need to find someone who has demonstrated the ability to lead a
> transparent, multistakeholder organization. Multistakeholder organizations
> are rare so that requires a strong, multinational outreach.
>
> Two-thirds or more of the Internet is in the global South, but our last
> three CEOs and almost all our senior executives have been from the U.S. or
> Europe. That severely hurts our effectiveness and growth.
>
> If Andrew is leaving, we immediately should begin the outreach, with
> active involvement of the members and chapters. We shouldn't leave that
> until after a board meeting.
>
> Has he given notice?
>
> Brian
> I note that the CEO Succession Committee is mandated to have
>
>    - an emergency succession plan for the CEO.
>
> which seems sensible.
>
> ISOC tradition, matching many organizations, is that personal information
> of candidates is kept confidential and generally discussed in executive
> session. So you may want to prepare a redacted version of the proposals,
> eliminating personal information, to circulate before the open board
> discussion. How can we get that to the chapters in time to weigh in on the
> board discussion?
>
> ISOC remains committed to multi-stakeholderism but the members and
> chapters can't play their role without information about the major issues.
> Please lead by example here.
>
> Dave
>
>
>
>
> On Fri, Feb 16, 2024 at 9:23 AM Ted Hardie <ted.ietf at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi Dave,
>>
>> If you can send me the original message, I might be able to give a more
>> definitive answer, but I expect it references a report by the CEO
>> Succession Planning Committee to the board.  That committee was established
>> after Andrew was hired, with the following charter:
>> https://www.internetsociety.org/board-of-trustees/
>> committees/charters/ceo-succession/ .  I've cc'ed Brian Haberman, who is
>> the chair of the committee, in case you have questions on the charter or
>> the committee.
>>
>> The board is discussing the report it received, and it will update the
>> community on the results when appropriate, likely after the upcoming
>> meeting in early March.
>>
>> regards,
>>
>> Ted Hardie
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 14, 2024 at 5:41 PM Andrew Sullivan <sullivan at isoc.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Dave,
>>>
>>> I think the questions about the CEO you have are properly answered by
>>> the board and not by me, so I will defer to Ted (who, I presume, will
>>> consult with the rest of the board before answering).
>>>
>>> I have a feeling that you believe I am the one who said "ISOC believes
>>> it's much more effective to do policy privately."  If that is the
>>> impression you formed of what I said, I hope you will allow me to disabuse
>>> you of that view.  I believe there are definitely occasions in which it is
>>> much more effective to do things quietly rather than loudly.  Government
>>> ministers, for instance, are frequently much more amenable to quiet
>>> guidance rather than public shaming where they will be seen to be "walking
>>> back" a position they have taken.  But we also do plenty of things in
>>> public, make public submissions on topics, and work hard to make our views
>>> understood and known.  I believe you will find some examples of that in
>>> last year's Impact Report, and we will have another edition coming soon to
>>> cover the effects of our work last year.
>>>
>>> Best regards,
>>>
>>> A
>>>
>>> On Tue, Feb 13, 2024 at 02:43:40PM -0500, Dave Burstein wrote:
>>> >Ted, Andrew
>>> >
>>> >I received a note "Some of the Board wants to appoint a member of the
>>> >senior management as the next CEO without recruiting."
>>> >
>>> >If true, the chapters & members need to intervene strongly. I hope that
>>> >won't be necessary because the author is mistaken.
>>> >
>>> >To avoid conflict before it happens (again,) please issue a strong
>>> >statement that "Any new management will be chosen in an open, advertised
>>> >process that produces a candidate committed to transparency &
>>> >multistakeholder democracy" or something similar that we all can rally
>>> >behind.
>>> >--------------
>>> >Separately, I'd like to call everyone's attention to tonight's panel,
>>> >*Innovation
>>> >for Good: A Conversation on the Internet’s Future with ISOC's Natalie
>>> >Campbell & Sally Shipman Wentworth*. On the public record, neither has
>>> done
>>> >very much. But a senior ISOC official tells me they have been very
>>> active
>>> >behind the scenes in making policy. He explained that ISOC believes it's
>>> >much more effective to do policy privately. (I disagree)
>>> >Hopefully, they will explain what policy actions ISOC has been taking
>>> the
>>> >last year or two. Ask them a lot of questions
>>> >https://innovation-for-good.eventbrite.com
>>>
>>> --
>>> Andrew Sullivan, President & CEO, Internet Society
>>> e:sullivan at isoc.org m:+1 416 731 1261
>>> Help protect the Internet for everyone:
>>> https://www.internetsociety.org/donate/
>>>
>>
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