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  • To: <board-review-interim@xxxxxxxxx>
  • Subject: Comments
  • From: "Gomes, Chuck" <cgomes@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 14:19:43 -0500

Here are my personal comments regarding the ICANN SIC Board Review
Interim Report, most of which were communicated orally in Mexico City.
Recommendation #1: Reduce the size of the board

*       
        I support this recommendation with the qualification that I do
not believe that it can effectively be reduced in size very much.
*       
        For this recommendation, the report says, "The WG strongly
supports the need for the continuation of geographic and cultural
diversity on the Board . . ."    I fully support 'continuation of
geographic and cultural diversity' but I believe that stakeholder
diversity is equally important, not because directors would represent
stakeholders because we know they may not, but because expertise from
various stakeholder groups is invaluable on the Board.  Moreover, I
believe it would be extremely difficult to achieve geographical,
cultural and stakeholder diversity on the Board if the number of Board
members is too small.
*       
        Of the options discussed in the report, I prefer 'Assess option
1: reduce the board to a maximum of 15 persons'.

Recommendation #5: Make board membership more sustainable: . . . (g)
Introduce payment for board members

*       Because of the extremely heavy workload of ICANN directors, I
support this recommendation.
*       I believe that the problems that could be associated with
remuneration of Board members could be largely mitigated through the
selection processes (e.g., NomCom process, SO Processes, etc.).

Recommendation #7: Strengthen the 'strategic' focus of the board

*       
        The last portion of this recommendation says, " (f) Consider the
proposition that the stakeholder groups get together to appoint a board
acceptable to all of them - rather than directly appointing their own
representatives to the board."
*       
        Considering the huge diversity of the ICANN community, I find it
very difficult to imagine how this could be implemented effectively. 

Chuck Gomes
Vice President of Policy & Compliance for VeriSign, Inc., but speaking
in my personal capacity


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