All: First, allow me this opportunity to apologize for missing the call earlier today. I planned to attend then was unable to at the last minute. I listened to the recording of the meeting and wish to offer a clarification and an explanation. STAFF SUPPORT Regarding the hiring of staff support, Bruce reported that ICANN will hire a GNSO Policy Officer in August. While this is true, I believe that it was not made clear that this position is in addition to the existing position of GNSO Staff Manager. While Barbara will be stepping out of that role, she will continue in the staff manager position until a replacement is found. That search is underway. As manager of the budget, I will coordinate with Paul Verhoef so that we can begin the search for the Policy Officer position earlier so that the new position can be filled coincident with the adoption of the new budget. Paul Twomey, Paul Verhoef and I are in active discussion to ensure better support of the GNSO process - it is a top priority for us. ICANN BUDGET During the call, the proposed ICANN budget was also discussed. Concern was voiced that some of the appropriate reviews had not yet occurred. In accordance with the original plan, ICANN will consult with the Budget Advisory Group and others prior to the posting of the budget. During the time since the Rome meeting, Paul Twomey and I have been (and are) in extensive consultations with many constituency members, discussing alternative funding and spending proposals. Through that process, we have learned much about the business models of different stakeholders. ICANN's evolving revenue model is an attempt to better match revenue sources to spending beneficiaries, develop predictable fees for various stakeholders over a longer period, and develop new sources of revenue. The result of this work is a budget that differs in many ways from those in past years. The budget will enable significant improvements in staff support for the GNSO as well as other ICANN undertakings. This collaboration has built a sense of team across various parts of the community and the ICANN staff. While extremely positive and beneficial, in hindsight I would have conducted the process somewhat differently. While developing a consensus to support the budget, posting the preliminary budget was somewhat delayed. Therefore, the budget will not be available for review as a posted document as early as in past years. (ICANN will still make time for public comment and will incorporate those comments in changes to the proposed budget as required.) In hindsight, these extensive consultations should have begun earlier. Absent that, perhaps the "work-in-progress" budget could have been posted with the understanding that revenue models and spending plans could change significantly. The point to be made is the time spent on budget discussions heretofore was employed with the goal of supporting the community in a way that has been, up to now, impossible due to resource constraints. Having gone through that process, ICANN will proceed with appropriate reviews prior to and after posting. Thanks for taking the time to read and consider this. In an effort to improve my personal support of the organization, I will work with Bruce to develop a mechanism to provide periodic updates regarding ICANN staff activities. As mentioned above, I will also work to ensure there are significant improvements in the level of staff support as soon as is practicable. Please call or write with comments, questions or request for clarification. Sincerely, Kurt Kurt Pritz ICANN 4676 Admiralty Way, #330 Marina del Rey, CA 90292 +1.310.301.5809 (office) +1.818.903.8880 (cell)