Dear Working Group members, In light of the email list traffic and the number of candidates for a leadership position in this WG, we thought you might find it helpful to have a summary of where things are, and what to expect at the first WG meeting on 21 April. 1. Candidates for chair/co-chair (in alphabetical order): * Phil Corwin (nominated by Susan Kawaguchi on 8 April; has received support from several WG members) * J. Scott Evans (nominated by Kiran Malancharuvil on 8 April; has received support from several WG members) * Danny Glix (self-nominated on 7 April; has not yet received clear support) * Kathy Kleiman (self-nominated on 10 April; has received support from several WG members) Note that a number of WG members expressed their support for a co-chair arrangement, with several favoring Phil and J. Scott as co-chairs, and a few in favor of Kathy, Phil and J. Scott co-chairing. 2. The selection process and the first WG meeting: It’s important to note that each WG is responsible for selecting its own chair(s) and leadership team; the GNSO’s rules do not specify a single way, number or arrangement as being applicable for all groups. This Policy Development Process is the third of three major PDPs that were launched in the last few months by the GNSO Council. Although each of these three PDP WGs has over 100 members (not including observers), it may be helpful to note that the other two WGs do not have the same leadership arrangement. The PDP WG on a Next-Generation gTLD Registration Directory Service to Replace WHOIS agreed on a leadership team that comprises one Chair and three Vice-Chairs. The PDP WG for New gTLD Subsequent Procedures agreed on a leadership team that comprises three equal Co-Chairs. Previous WGs have used either Chair/Vice-Chair or Co-Chair leadership teams, depending on the consensus of each WG as to what it thought would suit its group and work methods best. One unifying characteristic amongst the various leadership arrangements amongst GNSO WGs and that contributes significantly to the success of the group in achieving consensus is the collaborative spirit and cohesiveness of the leadership team and the neutrality it is able to demonstrate. It is therefore important to select chair(s) who can work well and effectively together, and who can collectively provide clear guidance for the rest of the WG, especially if it is a PDP that could involve some contentious issues. As noted previously, the selection of a WG chair/leadership team will be one of the agenda items for our first meeting on 21 April. In the period between now and then, you may therefore wish to consider whether you believe a co-chair or a chair/vice-chair arrangement is the preferable approach for our WG. If it is helpful, you may also wish to note that given the complexity of the issues we have been tasked to consider and the two phases of this PDP contemplated by our Charter, it is likely that some of our work will be undertaken by sub-teams and in sub-phases, with additional opportunities for leadership positions accordingly. The call for nominations for chair/co-chair/vice-chair will remain open until at least our first WG meeting, following the customary practice in the GNSO. Thanks and cheers Mary Mary Wong Senior Policy Director Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Email: mary.wong@icann.org Telephone: +1-603-5744889