My current term as an ALAC Member expires at the end of the AGM in October of this year, as does my term as ALAC Chair. I have previously said that I would not be a candidate for Chair of the ALAC for the coming year and in fact I am not a candidate for an ALAC seat. When the issue was discussed in San Juan, there was a general consensus within the ALAC that the position should be opened sooner rather than later, but not before the selection of RALO-appointed ALAC members was complete. The nomination and acceptance period is now complete. In three of the five RALOs, the ALAC seat is not contested, but it is in LACRALO and NARALO. The election is due to begin on Friday and end on Thursday, 24 May. Presuming the two elections result in definitive selections, I will formally initiate a call for nominations for ALAC Chair soon after. According to the ALAC Rules of Procedure, the call must be open for at least 14 days. That puts the end of the nomination period on or around Friday, 08 June. There is a 7 day period allowing for acceptances, but I am optimistic that any nominations will be accepted or declined quickly. Nominations may only be made by current ALAC Members, nominees must have a reasonable expectation of being on the post-AGM ALAC, and the electorate is the current ALAC. If there is only one candidate, that person will be declared incoming Chair. If there is more than one candidate, I will request that a teleconference be scheduled to allow the candidates to present themselves and address any questions the ALAC may have for them (as well as a Wiki space for written questions and answers). That will allow the election to be conducted electronically prior to departure for Panama. If, for some reason this schedule cannot be met, then the election may be conducted in Panama. If there is an ALAC consensus, the election may be deferred until Panama regardless of timing. There are specific rules covering the situation of more than two candidates and to address ties. For those interested in all of the details, see section 17.2 of the ALAC RoP (<http://tinyurl.com/ALAC-RoP-2016-09>http://tinyurl.com/ALAC-RoP-2016-09). PLEASE NOTE that this message is NOT the call for nominations. That will not happen until after the current ALAC selection process is complete. Alan