New subject: A Critical Review of ALT Nominations

Oct. 6, 2025

      Dear Pari,

Since you are asking us to express our opinion about the nomination for the
ALT members, I would like to make the following remarks:
·      I fully agree with those who asked to read carefully the RoP
·      As per the RoP
         o   The ALT members’ selection is an ALAC internal task,
and the RALOs have no role in it
         o   The Chair is selected prior the selection of the other
4 ALT members
         o   The Chair is selected for 2 consecutive terms, not the
Vice Chairs
         o   Jonathan has been selected last year and will continue
for 2026
         o   So, this year, the positions to be filled are 4 (2
co-chairs and 2 others)
         o   As per art. 17.3.6, the selection of the ALT Members
(excluding the Chair) shall be carried out using the STANDARD ALAC PROCESS
OF CONSENSUS if possible, and barring that, by secret ballot.
        o   the STANDARD ALAC PROCESS OF CONSENSUS consists of
opening the nomination period (here for at least 7 days) for all ALAC
members (self-nomination is accepted)
        o   Oprning the nomination period, the Chair will for sure
influence the result if he/she starts by nominating persons; it will be
more a call for consensus which is not what is in the RoP (STANDARD ALAC
PROCESS OF CONSENSUS)
        o   This is not the only place where the result of selecting
people is influenced because the call for volunteers is replaced by a call
for consensus about the Chair selection which is against the bottomup
decision making model that we are supposed to always follow except in very
rare urgent cases
        o   As for the ALT members selection, I do agree with ALAN
that the team should be harmonous without big divergence for efficiency.
Thus, I propose that the RoP be reviewed in a fashion that “the Chair
proposes 4 names for the ALAC approval” in stead of “the selection
shall be carried out using the standard ALAC process of Consensus”
       o   But since the RoP is what it is, I think we are breaching
our RoP.

My 2 cents

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Pari Esfandiari <pariesfandiari@gmail.com> a écrit :
...
DEAR COLLEAGUES,
I am writing to draw your attention to this discussion, which I
initiated, and to invite you to share your views if you wish.
Thank you and best regards,
   Pari Esfandiari  
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: GREG SHATAN [NARALO] <gregshatanalac@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Oct 6, 2025 at 5:52 AM
Subject: Re: [ALAC] Re: My ALT Nominations
To: Alan Greenberg <greenberg.alan@gmail.com>
Cc: Pari Esfandiari <pariesfandiari@gmail.com>, Jonathan Zuck
<JZuck@innovatorsnetwork.org>, ALAC <alac@atlarge-lists.icann.org>
All,

      I strongly encourage everyone engaged in this discussion to read
the relevant parts of the Rules of Procedure.  It's important to ground
discussions like this in facts, rather than feelings. It probably would
have been better to read the Rules first.... I think many of the
comments here would have been answered or negated by the Rules.  In
particular, please look at Sections 6.1 and 6.4, and at Section 3.5.

      Based on my review of the Rules, I have no problem with Jonathan's
email.  Particularly:
*         The Chair and Vice Chairs are automatically part of the ALT.
There is no decision to be made here, so no reason to criticize
Jonathan's nominations.
  *         With 2 Vice Chairs, there are only 2 remaining seats, which
need to be from the 2 geographic regions not represented by the
Chair/Vice Chairs.
  *         All of the members must be ALAC members (ongoing or
incoming).
  *         The actual decision is made by the ALAC by consensus (or
failing that, secret ballot).
  *         The only explicit responsibility of the ALT is to "support
and collaborate with the Chair in the overall administration and
management of the ALAC."
  *         Anyone can nominate an eligible candidate for the ALT, but
there are not many eligible candidates -- in each of the 2 remaining
regions, it has to be 1 of the 3 ALAC reps. Jonathan has invited
everyone to make nominations, as required by the Rules.
  *         Continuity in such roles is generally a positive thing, so
nominating the ongoing EURALO rep on the ALT makes perfect sense.
  *         I have no problem with Adebunmi Akinbo being nominated for
the AFRALO seat, which is being vacated.
  *         As described in the rules, there is no role for RALO
leadership.
  *         Given that the role of the ALT is to "support and
collaborate with the Chair," it makes perfect sense for the Chair to
suggest/nominate ALT members where there is a choice to be made.
  *         I think people can be too quick to criticize and too slow to
seek out information.
       Greg

       EXCERPTS FROM ROP BELOW:

      6. ALAC LEADERSHIP TEAM REQUIREMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

      6.1  Members of the ALT support and collaborate with the Chair in
the overall administration and management of the ALAC. 

      6.2  The ALT shall have no other explicit responsibilities and is
not empowered to make substantive decisions on the part of the ALAC
unless urgency or confidentiality precludes consulting the ALAC. In such
a case, the decision needs to be ratified with the ALAC as soon as
practical. 

      6.3  Paragraph 6.2 notwithstanding, the ALAC may, from time to
time, assign specific responsibilities or tasks to the ALT. 

      6.4  All ALT Members must be ALAC Members. 

      6.5 A person nominated for an ALT position does not need to be in
the ALAC at the time of nomination but must have an expectation of being
an ALAC Member after the next AAGM.  

      6.6  Should a person selected as an ALT Member not be an ALAC
Member after the upcoming AAGM, a new selection must be conducted. 

      6.7 ALT Members are expected to participate in all ALT meetings,
both face-to-face and teleconferences, and to the extent that such
participation from time to time may not be possible, provide advance
notice of the planned absence where practical. 

      6.8 An ALAC Member occupying the role of Vice-Chair agrees to take
on a heavier workload than the untitled ALT Members. 

3.5         The ALAC Leadership Team (ALT) is a regionally
balanced group normally comprised of five ALAC Members, one per ICANN
region:
3.5.1             ALAC Chair;
3.5.2             one or two Vice-Chairs, the number
to be set at
the discretion of the Chair designate who will be presiding over the ALT;
3.5.3             two or three non-titled ALAC
Members;
3.5.4             the ALAC Liaisons to ICANN
Supporting
Organizations and Advisory Committees act as advisors to the ALT;
3.5.5              other people may be invited by the
Chair to
participate as advisors to the ALT;
3.5.6             although advisors are invited to
participate in
ALT meetings, they are not formally part of the ALT. Decisions of the
ALT are taken solely by the five regional representatives.
3.6          The ALT has no ongoing explicit powers other
than
those resting with the Chair and delegated as he/she deems appropriate
or assigned by the ALAC as fully described in Paragraphs 6.1[1] to
6.3[2].
3.7          The ALT Members:
3.7.1             work with the ALAC Chair to ensure
that the
ALAC can focus on the most appropriate issues with the minimum of
administrative overhead;
3.7.2             support the ALAC Chair in the
overall
management of the ALAC; and
3.7.3             help ensure that any decisions made
on behalf
of the ALAC are made with due consideration of regional issues.

17.3     Ordinary ALAC Leadership Team selections
17.3.1       Ordinary selections of the ALT Members will be
held
in connection with the AAGM.
17.3.2       The incoming Chair must be selected prior to
the
initiation of the selection process for the other ALT Members.
 17.3.3      The Chair/Staff shall send via Approved
Distribution
Lists, a Selection Call for the ALT Members identifying the positions to
be filled, giving the schedule and modalities of the selection process
and requesting nominations (including self-nominations) by ALAC Members.
The Selection Call will allow at least seven days for nominations.
17.3.4       The requirements to be met by Leadership Team
nominees are listed in Paragraph 6.
17.3.5       A nominee must send a message of acceptance to
the
same list on which nominations were solicited within seven days of the
close of nominations. The acceptance should be sent via Staff if the
nominee does not have sending privileges to that list. An ALAC SoI must
be completed prior to the close of the acceptance period if the nominee
does not have one.
17.3.6       The selection of the ALT Members (excluding the
Chair) shall be carried out prior to or during the AAGM using the
standard ALAC process of Consensus if possible, and barring that, by
secret ballot. If a vote is required for any position, the winner
requires a majority of votes as per standard ALAC voting methodology. A
voting method incorporating instant runoff may be used if deemed
necessary. There must be no more than one person selected from each of
the regions not represented by the Chair.

On Sun, Oct 5, 2025 at 6:12 PM Alan Greenberg via ALAC
<alac@icann.org> wrote:
...
Allow me to comment wearing hats as a former ALAC Chair, and as the
primary drafter of the ALAC Rules of Procedure (notice I say
drafter not author, as the contents were hotly debated by a large group
from the ALAC and At-Large).

                 As a former chair, I cannot overstate the importance
of having an ALT that can work well and cooperatively with each other
and the Chair. This is critically important this year, since it is
likely Jonathan's last year as Chair (I have never met someone who
could sustain more than 4 years!). It is crucial that the Chair has a
well-oiled group on the ALT to make sure that goals are carried out
before his term ends. 

                   The RoP say that nominations may be made by any ALAC
Member, and Jonathan is indeed an ALAC Member. Nothing prohibits other
ALAC Members from making nominations (either self-nominations or for
others). According to the RoP, if a final selection cannot be made by
consensus, a vote can be taken. 

          In terms of the formal rules, the RoP say that nominations
may be made by any ALAC Member, and Jonathan is indeed an ALAC Member.
Nothing prohibits other ALAC Members from making nominations (either
self-nominations or for others). According to the RoP, if a final
selection cannot be made by consensus, a vote can be taken. 

          Alan

On Sun, Oct 5, 2025 at 10:47 AM Pari Esfandiari via
ALAC <alac@icann.org> wrote:
...
Dear Jonathan, dear colleagues,
Thank you, Jonathan, for initiating the call and for your
continued commitment and leadership as we move into the final year of
your term. The clarity of the process and your dedication to ensuring
continuity within the ALT are much appreciated.
That said, I would like to raise a concern about the
process, in the spirit of constructive reflection and our shared
commitment to transparency and inclusivity. While the nominated
colleagues are all capable and respected, beginning the process with a
Chair-proposed slate—even when procedurally valid—creates the
impression of a top-down appointment rather than a genuinely bottom-up
selection.
When the Chair both initiates nominations and subsequently
leads the ALT—where many key operational and strategic decisions are
made—the process becomes heavily shaped from the outset. This dynamic
can weaken the peer-based nature of ALAC’s governance and turn what
should be open deliberation into what feels like endorsement rather
than decision-making. Over time, this risks reducing the broader ALAC
to a rubber-stamping body, rather than a genuinely participatory one.
Beyond process, this approach can also harm our internal
culture. When nominations come directly from the Chair, members may
feel pressured to endorse them out of loyalty or deference. Those who
hesitate or propose alternatives can appear as if they are challenging
the Chair or the individuals nominated, rather than simply exercising
their right to participate. This dynamic can create unnecessary
tension and division, pitting individuals against one another and
discouraging open, collegial exchange.
In effect, a paternalistic style—however
well-intentioned—can foster a culture of compliance rather than
engagement. It undermines the equality of voice that is central to
ALAC’s legitimacy and the broader multistakeholder model we are meant
to exemplify.
To protect both the integrity of our processes and the
health of our community, I believe we should encourage a fully open
nomination process, where all qualified members feel equally empowered
to step forward or nominate others, free of any implied hierarchy or
expectation. This would help sustain a culture of trust, transparency,
and genuine collaboration—the very values ALAC seeks to promote
across
ICANN.
Sincerely,
Pari Esfandiari

On Fri, Oct 3, 2025 at 1:06 AM Jonathan Zuck
via ALAC <alac@icann.org> wrote:
...
TL;DR                               __My inclination is to the leave
the ALT alone, for the next year, while asking Adebunmi Akinbo to
take the seat vacated by Bukula Oronti. If you want to make different
nominations, you have until October 15th.__
_____ _____               ______Dear ALAC,______
________ ________               __________I would like to issue a
call for nominations for the members of the ALAC Leadership Team
(ALT) for the period of 2025 AGM-2026 AGM, which will be my final
year as ALAC Chair. __________
____________ ____________               ______________The terms of
the 2025-2026 ALT will begin at the end of the 2025 Annual General
Meeting (AGM) until the end of the 2026 AGM.______________
   ________________ ________________
__________________As the ALAC Chair, I will automatically take the
North American ALT slot. __________________
____________________ ____________________
______________________This call is to appoint the ALT slots for the
four remaining regions. ______________________
________________________ ________________________
__________________________I would like to nominate the following
continuing or incoming ALAC Members for the open ALT positions.
__________________________
____________________________·         Africa – Adebunmi
Akinbo____________________________
______________________________·         Asia, Australia, and
Pacific
Islands – Justine Chew______________________________
________________________________·         Europe - Natálie
Terčová________________________________
__________________________________·         Latin America and
Caribbean Islands – Claire Craig__________________________________
____________________________________ ____________________________________
              ______________________________________Please let me know if
you would like to nominate any other continuing or incoming ALAC Member by
sending a message to the ALAC list (see: alac@atlarge-lists.icann.org ).

________________________________________ ________________________________________
               __________________________________________Nominations may be
made by any current ALAC Member. Nominees need not be an ALAC Member at the
time of the nominations but must have an expectation of being an ALAC
Member after the completion of the upcoming ICANN84 Meeting.
__________________________________________
_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________
               ______________________________________________This selection
is carried out in accordance with the ALAC Rules of Procedure (ROPs)
Section 17.3  ( ALAC Rules of Procedure[3] - Short
URL https://tinyurl.com/ALAC-RoP-2022-08 [tinyurl.com][4]).______________________________________________

________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

__________________________________________________Requirements for ALAC
Members can be found in Section 6 of the ALAC RoPs. In short, ALT Members
are expected to attend all ALAC meetings. I would also like ALT Members to
attend the At-Large Consolidated Policy Working Group and the At-Large
Operations, Finance and Budget Working Group meetings. ALT Members should
be very responsive and thoughtful to e-mail requests and discussions. By
mutual agreement, ALT Members may take on additional roles. Vice-Chairs are
expected to take on proportionally larger responsibilities. All ALT
activities are carried out solely in
English. __________________________________________________
____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________
               ______________________________________________________Please
note the following nomination schedule below.
______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________NOMINATION
SCHEDULE: __________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________·        
The nomination period is now open and will close on Thursday, 9 October
2025 at 23:59
UTC.______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________·        
Nominations need not be
seconded.__________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________·        
Nominations, other than self-nominations, must be accepted by Wednesday, 15
October 2025 at 23:59
UTC.______________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________·        
Nominations and acceptances should be sent to the ALAC list [
alac@atlarge-lists.icann.org
]__________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________·        
Staff will forward all acceptances to the ALAC-announce list [
alac-announce@atlarge-lists.icann.org
]______________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________·       In
accordance with ALAC RoPs 16.3, following the close of the nomination
period and the acceptance or rejection of all nominations, Candidates from
regions where the position is not contested will be declared to have won by
acclamation. If there are multiple candidates from any region, the
candidates, in conjunction with the ALAC, will be given the opportunity to
resolve the situation. Failing that, a secret vote of the ALAC will decide
the
...
...
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winner.__________________________________________________________________________________
...
____________________________________________________________________________________Thanks,____________________________________________________________________________________
...
______________________________________________________________________________________Jonathan______________________________________________________________________________________
...
________________________________________________________________________________________Jonathan
Zuck | Director, Future of Work Project |  Innovators
...
Network________________________________________________________________________________________
...
__________________________________________________________________________________________jzuck@innovatorsnetwork.org | O 202.827.7594
...
| D 202.420.7483__________________________________________________________________________________________
...
____________________________________________________________________________________________Jonathan-zuck[5] |  jvzuck[6] |  jonathanzuck[7] |  Jonathan.zuck[8]____________________________________________________________________________________________
...
______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________
...

...
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____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________
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___-- ___
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__-- __
                  ________________________
               __GREG SHATAN__                 __CHAIR, NARALO__
         __gregshatanalac@gmail.com__

__-- __
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Re: A Critical Review of ALT Nominations

Tijani BEN JEMAA

Alan Greenberg

Carlton Samuels

Hadia Abdelsalam Mokhtar EL miniawi

Tijani BEN JEMAA

Greg Shatan [NARALO]

Bill Jouris

Seun Ojedeji

hadia Elminiawi

Justine Chew

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participants (9)