I'd like to thank the officers for re-opening the nomination and election of the large business seat on the NomCom, and I encourage others to step forward if they are interested. I have pasted in below two recent posts on this subject...I was a bit surprised that Phillip at least now appears to deem the NomCom's specification that the BC shall have "two voting delegates, one representing small business users and one representing large business users" as to be essentially meaningless in practice, with no distinction as to candidacy, voting etc between the two types of user. Back in July, when nominations for these two positions were first opened, the BC Secretariat pointed out that "uniquely, the BC has two places on the Nominating Committee; one for small business and one for large business". Back then, the BC Secretariat stated that "Candidates cannot stand for both", which would seem a rather logical expression of the idea that one is either fish or fowl. In any event, this sprit of egalitarianism gives rise to the hope that if we in the BC no longer perceive a difference as to large and small amongst our categories of member, that we large company members who pay six times as much in membership fees as do micro enterprise members (1000 euros versus 160 euros) shall soon be extended the same egalitarianism. I do not expect that, and I would respectfully suggest that if the BC is serious about recruiting more large enterprise members, that it not be so entirely casual about collecting bonus membership fees based on our size, and then entirely disregard the notion that seats which ICANN explicitly sets aside to foster the participation of large (and small) business members can really just be filled by anyone, that a seat for small business users and a seat for large business users can simply morph into two seats filled by small business users....if the situation were reversed and both these seats both came to be filled by members from large enterprises I can only imagine the hue and cry... Anyway, I know this shall seem self-serving, and in a sense it is. But there is also a principle here, one which goes to ICANN's entire - and sometimes awkward - mission of engaging stakeholders from multiple backgrounds and carefully trying to appreciate and balance all of those various interests. Respecting that principle in spirit and in action is really what the BC, GNSO and ICANN are about; if we ever forget that matter of engaging and respecting the various stakeholder groups and let things degenerate into whoever has the votes for whatever on a given day, we shall have lost our way. cheers/Rick Rick Anderson EVP, InterBorder Holdings Ltd. randerson@interborder.ca cell: (403) 830-1798 Calgary office: (403) 750-5535 Scottsdale office: (480) 586-9327 -----Original Message----- From: owner-bc-gnso@icann.org [mailto:owner-bc-gnso@icann.org] On Behalf Of Philip Sheppard Sent: Friday, September 04, 2009 8:05 AM To: 'bc - GNSO list' Subject: [bc-gnso] Nominating Committee - Large Business nominations Marilyn, you raise an interesting question about what qualities the Nom Com are seeking. As you rightly said earlier the BC was given by default the large business seat and I worked to demonstrate that actually we were equally entitled to a small business seat due to our extensive associations membership at the time. Today we also have more small business direct members. The nom com charter tells us: "The NomCom member is expected to do his/her best to find the highest-qualified candidates for consideration by the NomCom, and to do his/her best to encourage those individuals to serve". ie the qualities are a personal network and persuasiveness. The Nom Com is comprised of individuals drawn from a pool of different ICANN stakeholders. It seems therefore that the key rationale between the small business seat and the large business seat is the ability of the nom com member to have an appropriate network. It is likely that an employee of say a global multinational may have a better network of global multinational contacts than an employee of a national focused medium size company. But it is possible that other types of members may have access to networks in a variety of ways that serve the purpose of the nom com. I wonder if we may miss out on selecting the best talent if we are too simplistic in equating current employment background with personal network. Anyway it will be for the voters of the BC membership to make that judgement - not you nor I. Just my pennyworth. Philip ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------- From: owner-bc-gnso@icann.org [mailto:owner-bc-gnso@icann.org] On Behalf Of Marilyn Cade Sent: Friday, September 04, 2009 7:35 AM To: secretariat@bizconst.org; bc - GNSO list Subject: RE: [bc-gnso] Nominating Committee - Large Business nominations I see that the officers have decided to open nominations for candidates who are from companies, associations, or someone demonstrably associated/affiliated to the BC that is from a large business, or an association that serves and represents large businesses [or businesses of all sizes]. While I provide advice, strategy, and consulting to large businesses, I understand that I and other BC members who are in the SME category are not eligible to stand for this seat. That is clearly the past practice of the BC, in all our previous appointment/elections for the two Nominating Committee seats, and I had thought that it was in written guidance in the Charter/which serves as the BC bylaws. I strongly support maintaining the two separate categories, since that is the legitimacy upon which the two seats -- while others get only one -- is based on. Important, in my view, to ensure that we do not jeopardize the BC having these two distinct seats in the Nominating Committee. Accordingly, I will send a separate email to the Secretariat, with a nomination of someone who fits the large business requirement. Thanks to the Officers and secretariat for moving forward. This e-mail message and any attachments may contain confidential and/or privileged information intended only for the addressee. In the event this e-mail is sent to you in error, sender and sender’s company do not waive confidentiality or privilege, and waiver may not be assumed. 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