Hello everyone - FYI regarding some of the Board work related to the nominating committee and bylaws.

The ICANN Board minutes from 28 August 2008 have been posted on the ICANN website. The Board considered the proposed bylaws change from the Nom Com and voted 13-0 to post the proposed amendment for public comment. The excerpt from the minutes is below. In addition, the Board selected Tricia Drakes as Chair of the 2009 ICANN Nominating Committee. See http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/prelim-report-28aug08.htm .

Nominating Committee’s Recommendation for ICANN Bylaws Change regarding Criteria for Board Member Selection

John Jeffrey presented a proposed Bylaws change and requested that the Board permit Management to post the proposed changes for public comments.

Over the past several years, the Nominating Committee has expressed concern that being required to count more than one country of citizenship for diversity purposes often makes it difficult to select the best candidates for the Board seats that the Nominating Committee is mandated to fill. In carrying out its responsibilities to fill Seats 1 through 8, the Nominating Committee shall seek to ensure that the ICANN Board is composed of members who in the aggregate display diversity in geography, culture, skills, experience, and perspective, by applying the criteria set forth in Bylaws.

The Nominating Committee also noted that some of the candidates have often lived in a country for many years, and thereby better represent the interests of that country than any country of which the candidates may be citizens.

As the Nominating Committee requested, the General Counsel provided the Nominating Committee with suggested Bylaws revisions to reflect the Nominating Committee’s stated goals. In the proposal, domicile, not just citizenship, is to be considered in the diversity calculation. The Nominating Committee members have unanimously agreed that the proposed Bylaws revisions would alleviate the concerns.

John Jeffrey noted that considering the possibility of revising the method for calculating diversity for seats 1 through 8, staff determined that such diversity calculations should be consistent for seats 9 though 14 and have proposed revisions accordingly.

Bruce Tonkin moved and Harald Alvestrand seconded a motion that the proposed changes to the bylaws be posted for public comment and then considered again by the Board, via the following resolution:

Whereas, the Nominating Committee has expressed concern that, pursuant to the Bylaws mandated diversity requirements that no more than five Board members be citizens of any one geographic region, the Nominating Committee is required to count all countries of citizenship for each candidate.

Whereas, the Nominating Committee has noted that the requirement to count all countries of citizenship has caused some selection difficulties each year over the past several years.

Whereas, the Nominating Committee has also expressed concern that the calculation is presently limited to citizenship given that many people have lived for long periods of time in, and represent the interests of, countries in which they may not be citizens.

Whereas, making a diversity calculation pursuant to the ICANN Bylaws as it relates to Board member selection for seats 1 through 14 should be consistent.

It is hereby resolved (__.2008) that the following proposed revisions to Article VI, Sections 2.2 and 2.3, shall be posted for public comment in accordance with ICANN’s normal process for proposed Bylaw revisions.

A voice vote was taken of all Board Members present, and the motion was approved by a vote of 13 to 0, with no abstentions.

Board Governance Committee’s Recommendation for selection of the next Nominating Committee Chair

Roberto Gaetano advised that following the evaluation of a number of different candidates the BGC unanimously propose Tricia Drakes as Chair of the 2009 Nominating Committee and asks the Board to approve her appointment to this position.

The Chair inquired regarding the BGC’s process in considering applications and in putting out a call for candidates. Roberto Gaetano advised that a job profile had been published, a call for candidates was issued, additional qualified candidates were also evaluated and then the BGC created a matrix and did a final evaluation and from that, came the recommendation.

The Chair accepted this a recommendation from the Board Governance Committee and made a motion to approve Tricia Drakes as the Nominating Committee Chair for 2009; Jean-Jacques Subrenat seconded the following motion:

Resolved (__.2008), that Tricia Drakes is appointed as Chair of the 2009 Nominating Committee, to serve until the conclusion of the ICANN annual meeting in 2009, or until the Chair’s earlier resignation, removal, or other disqualification from service.

A voice vote was taken of all Board Members present, and the motion was approved by a vote of 13 to 0, with no abstentions.