[lac-discuss-en] ICANN Board seat

Dear colleagues,

I  apologize for not being able to write in both Spanish and English.
The At-Large Board member cannot "represent" the ALAC or At-Large. Once appointed, the director is there purely on his/her own. However, we were given a seat on the Board to allow the issues relevant to users to be factored into the debates. To do that, a person must be selected who can best represent those interests. 

My ICANN history
- 8 years as a volunteer to At-Large, 6 on the ALAC, 8 years as ALAC Liaison to the GNSO. I have also held several leadership roles on the ALAC. 

- I have worked very hard to make At-Large respected within ICANN.
- I have been the principal author of many of the statements issues by the ALAC over the last 8 years demonstrating my understanding of the issues important to At-Large.
- Although I obviously do not agree with some ICANN participants, I have developed good working relationships with people in many diverse areas of ICANN. 

Professional background:
- Over 30 years as a software developer and senior manager at McGill University. 

- I was part of the small group that brought the Internet to Canada.
- I have volunteered in a number of professional organizations prior to ICANN, including being a Board member for the Internet Society.
- I spent 6 years as a volunteer to the Internet Society working with and then running their Network Training Courses for people from developing countries. We trained people from over 140 countries who were instrumental in bringing the Internet to their countries. Alumni include government ministers, ICANN Board members and ICANN employees. Most countries in Central America, South America and the Caribbean attended and courses in Spanish were also run in South America.
- After my retirement from McGill, I spent several years consulting on the use of technology in developing economies (ICT4D), and worked in Africa, South Asia and Central America. 

Strengths related to the Board position:
- I have a very strong understanding of ICANN and its various components, of At-Large, and of the needs of Internet users.
- I have a proven ability to work with others, and to influence outcomes. I am generally viewed as a thoughtful and articulate person, and I am in a very strong position to enter the Board and immediately be effective. Three of my references for my Expression of Interest for this Board position were current or former ICANN Board members, and their endorsements speak well to my ability to quickly become an effective Board member.
- My background with both the ISOC training workshops and my ICT4D consulting have made me acutely aware of the issues that are important in the developing world.
- I am free of any relationship with those who stand to make money off of ICANN's decisions, and will not have any conflicts in carrying out my mandate.
- My track record of dedication (in both time and effort) to ICANN and At-Large is well known, and I will put the same energy into presenting the needs of users on the Board.
I do not believe that any other candidate can match all of my qualifications and I will not only be a good Board member, but an outstanding At-Large Board member. 

If I am selected, I can make a number of commitments:
- I promise to stay in touch with the ALAC, At-Large and RALOs, through both face-to-face meetings and teleconferences. That is the only way to ensure that I am aware of issues important to At-Large.
- You will regularly hear from me about Board activities and my participation, and raising issues that I believe that At-Large may want to focus on.
- I will work to make sure that the bottom-up nature of ICANN is preserved in fact and not only in words. This is key to ICANN's ability to continue to exist and meet its obligations.
- While on the Board, I will work hard to increase its transparency, to make sure that users issues are considered, and to ensure more participation in ICANN from people who are not funded by companies and who do not speak English. Both of these were important proposals that I fought for in the ATRT2 Report (http://www.icann.org/en/about/aoc-review/atrt/final-recommendations-31dec13-en.pdf or http://www.icann.org/es/about/aoc-review/atrt/final-recommendations-31dec13-es.pdf, page 9-11, section 10.3 and 10.5) 

I will be happy to answer any questions.

Regards, Alan

_______________________________________________