[gnso-rds-pdp-wg] Resignation as Chair

[Chuck]

When I accepted the request to chair the Next Generation RDS to replace
WHOIS PDP WG (RDS PDP WG) at the beginning of 2016, I stated that I might
not be able to fulfill the role beyond the first phase of the PDP.  At that
time, I mistakenly assumed that phase 1 could be completed sometime in 2017.
We are now well into 2018 and we are not even close to reaching the midpoint
of phase 1.

When the WG began, I was a full-time employee of Verisign.  As most of you
know, my last day as a Verisign employee was 30 June 2017.  At that point, I
retired from all my Verisign responsibilities and most of my ICANN
activities except two:

1.	Participating as a member of the reconvened Red Cross Society Names
Protections PDP WG that I was previously a part of.
2.	Chairing the RDS WG.

For the past 10 months since I retired, I have enjoyed having a lot more
time to do things that I have put off for many years and especially
traveling more with my wife in our RV, but the time required to lead the RDS
PDP WG still makes a significant dent in my retirement. So, I have decided
that this break in our work is a good time for me to resign as WG chair.

As you know, the status of the RDS WG is up in the air now and it may be
several weeks before we know more.  If the ICANN Board implements a
Temporary Policy to deal with the European GDPR requirements, they will have
to initiate a new PDP to address that policy and it would not be feasible to
continue the current RDS PDP WG at the same time, which means that our WG
would at least have to be postponed until the new PDP is finished. If the
Board does not implement a Temporary Policy, the GNSO Council will need to
determine whether to reconvene RDS WG activity.  Regarding the latter, with
the GNSO Council's permission, the RDS WG leadership team decided that no WG
meetings should be held during ICANN 62 in Panama.

I am willing to assist behind the scenes with any transition that is needed.
If and when the RDS WG resumes its work, I have full confidence that the
leadership team that is in place is capable to continue its role without me
serving as chair.  It has been a team effort to date and the teamwork will
continue.

I thank all of you who spent so much time contributing to the RDS PDP.  I am
disappointed that we did not make more progress, but I believe that what has
been accomplished has the potential of contributing to RDS efforts going
forward.  I also think that a lot can be learned from our experiences that
will help improve GNSO policy development procedures and practices.

I have been involved in the ICANN community for too long to completely
disappear, but what my involvement will be is not presently clear.

I wish you God's blessings in everything you do.

Chuck

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