Dear Members of Empowered Community Administration and Alejandra Reynoso, Chair of the ccNSO Council, As you may be aware, today I was notified that Katrina Sataki resigned Seat 12 on the ICANN Board, effective immediately. https://www.icann.org/en/board-activities-and-meetings#m8-2024 I’m reaching out to ask the ccNSO and the Empowered Community to initiate a process to nominate (ccNSO) and then designate (Empowered Community) a person to fill the vacancy created by her departure. The current term for Seat 12 concludes at ICANN’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) this year at ICANN81. In addition, the Empowered Community, on 19 January 2024, notified ICANN of the designation of Ms. Sataki to serve a subsequent term (AGM 2024 – AGM 2027). With her resignation from the ICANN Board, it is my understanding that Ms. Sataki shall not be seated to that new term this November. I’m requesting the ccNSO and Empowered Community to also initiate your requisite processes to identify a new person to serve this full term starting in November 2024. I recognize that these may not need to be separate processes to make nominations for the two different terms. Article 7, Section 7.12(a) of the ICANN Bylaws guides the filling of vacancies in this situation: Section 7.12. VACANCIES A vacancy or vacancies in the Board shall be deemed to exist in the case of the death, resignation, or removal of any Director or Interim Director (as defined in Section 7.12(b)) . . . Vacancies occurring in Seats 1 through 15 shall be filled by the EC after nomination as provided in Section 7.2 and Articles 8 through 12. . . . A Director designated by the EC to fill a vacancy on the Board shall serve for the unexpired term of his or her predecessor in office and until a successor has been designated and qualified.” I appreciate that making a selection to the ICANN Board is an important matter that is carefully considered by the nominating community. If there is any support the ICANN team can provide as the ccNSO initiates this unexpected process, please let us know. Best regards, John Jeffrey ICANN General Counsel and Secretary