2008 NANOG Elections Summary + Results

Steering Committee Candidates

Proposed Charter Changes

Program Committee Candidates

Mailing List Committee Candidates

Key Dates

Election Results


Steering Committee + Charter Amendments

General Elections took place October 12-14, 2008.


2008 Steering Committee: Terms Expiring

Randy Bush, IIJ*
Joe Provo, ITA Software
Philip Smith, Cisco*

*-Term limited


The following individuals were the 2008 Steering Committee candidates:

  • Jim Deleskie
  • Patrick W. Gilmore, Akamai Technologies
  • Martin Hannigan, Verne Global
  • Joe Provo, ITA
  • Alex Rubenstein, Net Access Corporation
  • Robert Seastrom, ClueTrust
  • Josh Snowhorn, Terremark - NAP of the Americas

Proposed Charter Changes

Proposal A: Steering Committee Recall

Summary

Provides a mechanism for removal of SC members by 2/3 vote of the electorate


Proposal Text

Replace the last paragraph in section 6.7:

The Merit representative on the Steering Committee may be removed at any time by Merit, and is not subject to removal by the elected Steering Committee members.

with following text:

Elected Steering Committee members may also be removed by a recall vote held during a regular annual election. To be placed on the ballot, a recall petition must be signed by at least 30 eligible voters, or 1% of eligible voters, whichever is greater, and presented to the Merit representative on the Steering Committee at least 7 days prior to the start of the election. Upon passage of the recall vote by a 2/3 super-majority vote, the position shall become vacant, and a replacement selected from the candidates according to the process in selection 6.4.3. The Merit representative on the Steering Committee may be removed at any time by Merit, and is not subject to removal by the elected Steering Committee members or the recall process.

Rationale

There is presently no mechanism to remove a Steering Committee member who might not be acting in the best interests of the community. 

Unlike other Committee members, who are selected by and serve at the pleasure of the SC, SC members themselves are selected by and accountable to the entire community. Therefore, a recall mechanism involving community petition and vote seems reasonable and fair. 

Proposal B: Mailing List Committee Member Removal

Summary

Provides a mechanism for removal of MLC members by vote of the Steering Committee


Proposal Text

Add to the end of section 7.1.2:

A Mailing List Committee member may be removed before the expiration of his or her term if at least five members of the Steering Committee vote for the removal.

Rationale

This adds language to the charter making the process for removal of Mailing List Committee members consistent with the process for removal of Program Committee members.

Proposal C: Charter Cleanup

Summary

Miscellaneous changes to fix errors or clarify text.

Proposal text

In section 4, change:
From time to time, additional Merit staff members may serve ex officio on the Steering Committee, the Program Committee, or the Mailing List Committee (see Section 7.1.2).

to:
From time to time, additional Merit staff members may serve as non-voting members on the Steering Committee, the Program Committee, or the Mailing List Committee.


In section 7.1.2, change:
The chairperson of the Mailing List Committee will serve ex-officio (without a vote) on the Steering Committee, in order to facilitate communication among the two groups.

to:
The chairperson of the Mailing List Committee will serve ex officio in a non-voting role on the Steering Committee, in order to facilitate communication between the two groups.


In section 8.3.2, change:
The Chair of the Program Committee will serve ex officio (without a vote) on the Steering Committee, in order to facilitate communication among the two groups.

to:
The Chair of the Program Committee will serve ex officio in a non-voting role on the Steering Committee, in order to facilitate communication between the two groups.


In section 9, change:
Amendments to this charter may be recommended by ...

To:
Amendments to this charter may be enacted by ...


Rationale

This is an amendment to clean up inconsistent, vague, or otherwise incorrect language in the charter without substantively changing the intent. 

The term "ex officio" has been used inconsistently. It means "by virtue of holding office", but does not imply any sort of restriction on voting ability. Therefore, we need to explicilty state when a position is ineligible to vote.


Candidates: Program Committee


Terms Expiring:

Nick Feamster - finishing Steve Feldman's term
Igor Gashinsky
Kobi Hsu
Mike Hughes
Keith Mitchell
Brian Deardorff - finishing Ted Seely's term
Richard Steenbergen
Bill Woodcock

Terms Not Expiring:

Joel Jaeggli
Rodney Joffe
Sylvie LaPerriére
Kevin Oberman
Lane Patterson
Ren Provo
Josh Snowhorn
Todd Underwood
Larry Blunk - Merit appointee

* Has served two consecutive terms so, as per the charter, person cannot be considered for re-election until October 2010.

The following individuals were the 2008 Program Committee candidates:

Mehmet Akcin

Nina Bargisen

Maureen Carroll

Tom Daly

Brian Deardorff

Randy Epstein

Igor Gashinsky

Greg Hankins

Mike Hughes

David Meyer

Keith Mitchell

Tim Pozar

Tom Scholl

Nirmala Shenoy

Richard Steenbergen


Candidates: Mailing List Committee


Terms Expiring:

David Barak
Tim Yocum

Terms Not Expiring:

Kris Foster
Simon Lyall
Sue Joiner - Merit appointee


The following individuals were the 2008 Mailing List Committee candidates:

Denis Bazinet

Karl Brumund

Jeff Doyle

Randy Epstein

Alex Pilosov

Cindy Soulia

Tim Yocum


Key Dates

August 12, 2008 - Nominations for Steering Committee Candidates opened.

September 9, 2008 - Steering Committee Nominations closed.

September 30, 2008 - Charter Amendments posted.

October 12-14, 2008 - Voting for Steering Committee Candidates + Charter Amendments.


Election Results

Over 1,818 people were eligible to vote, with eligibility based on having attended at least one NANOG meeting in the past two years, i.e., between fall 2006 and fall 2008. 

Of those who were eligible to vote, 202 actually voted. Voters could choose up to three (3) candidates and three (3) charter amendments. 

The voting mechanism was designed to ensure that each registered voter cast only one ballot. To respect privacy and protect confidentiality, the identity of the voter and the choices made on the ballot were decoupled so there is no way to know who voted for whom.

Steering Committee Elected October 2008

Joe Provo, ITA Software

Robert Seastrom, Clue Trust

Patrick Gilmore, Akamai Technologies

Candidate Votes

Joe Provo, ITA 137

Robert Seastrom, ClueTrust 103

Patrick W. Gilmore, Akamai Technologies 94

Josh Snowhorn, Terremark - NAP of the Americas 75

Martin Hannigan, Verne Global 61

Alex Rubesnstein, Net Access Corporation 30

Jim Deleskie, NBI 24

Charter Amendments for 2008

APPROVED

Charter Votes

Proposal A Yes 168 No 19

Proposal B Yes 175 No 15

Proposal C Yes 178 No 10