Oct, 1998 : ICANN Elects Board and Appoints Interim President

ICANN Elects Board and Appoints Interim President

Contacts: Esther Dyson, Interim Chairman
212/924-8800; edyson@edventure.com

Michael M. Roberts, Interim President and CEO
650/854-2108; mmr@darwin.ptvy.ca.us

NEW YORK, Oct. 26, 1998 -- The Internet Corporation for Assigned Namesand Numbers ("ICANN") today announced that it had elected its Initial Boardand chosen Michael M. Roberts as its Interim President and Chief ExecutiveOfficer at a meeting yesterday.

In addition, the Board chose Esther Dyson as its Interim Chairman, andappointed an Executive Committee consisting of Dyson, Gregory L, Crew ofAustralia, Hans Kraaijenbrink of The Netherlands and Roberts. The otherInitial Board members include Geraldine Capdeboscq (France), George H.Conrades (United States), Gregory L. Crew (Australia), Frank Fitzsimmons(United States), Hans Kraaijenbrink (The Netherlands), Jun Murai (Japan),Eugenio Triana (Spain), and Linda S. Wilson (United States). [Editors note:bios appear at the end of this release.]

ICANN is a private, non-profit corporation, managed by an internationalboard, formed to coordinate and administer policies and technical protocolsrelating to the domain name and address system that permits Internet communicationsto be routed to the correct person or entity. Its proposed duties includethose now performed under U.S. Government contract by the Internet AssignedNumbers Authority, whose Director, Internet pioneer Jon Postel, died earlierthis month.

ICANN was originally proposed by Postel on behalf of a broad coalitionof Internet stakeholders in response to the request by the United Stateslast June that the Internet community create a global consensus non-profitcorporation to which the United States could transition the responsibilityfor overseeing and funding those coordination activities. On October 16,Dr. Postel unexpectedly passed away. With the loss of Dr. Postel, who hadserved a central coordinating role in the creation of ICANN and in thesubmission of the IANA proposal, many of the supporters of the IANA proposalurged that the nascent ICANN organization be quickly constituted and electits Initial Board members so that ICANN, through its Initial Board, couldtake on the management of the remainder of the transition process.

At its first meeting, which took place in New York, the Board also adoptedbasic organizational resolutions. The Board did not adopt bylaws, deferringthat until it had finished its consideration of the issues raised in theCommerce letter and by various groups and individuals.

With respect to the election of Roberts as Interim President, Boardmembers had been asked to suggest candidates for the position in advanceof the meeting, and several possible candidates were discussed. Followingthis discussion, Dyson said, Roberts was appointed because his background,experience and availability were a good fit with ICANN's needs at the moment.Roberts has extensive experience with both networking and with non-profitinstitutions, including service as the Vice President for Networking ofEDUCOM, an association of more than 600 member colleges and universities.In 1991, he was detailed from EDUCOM to serve as a Founding Trustee andthe first Executive Director of the Internet Society, where he carriedout for this international organization many of the same start-up organizationalfunctions that will be required for ICANN. In 1996-97, he was an organizerand first project director of the Internet2 project, a university effortto design, integrate and deploy advanced networking infrastructure andapplications to support research, teaching and learning. His work in thatrole included structuring and incorporating the University Corporationfor Advanced Internet Development (UCAID), another effort that will beparticularly helpful in the early organizational efforts for ICANN.

Said Dyson: "Mike's long background in the networking field, and particularlyhis experience in starting up significant non-profit organizations in thisfield, are particularly applicable to what ICANN will need as it completesits initial organizational efforts. His reputation and credibility willbe important assets for ICANN. He knows most of the relevant people andorganizations worldwide, but he is known for being nonpartisan."

Roberts will begin work immediately. "It is critical," said Roberts,"that the functions that ICANN will be responsible for be carried out withoutinterruption, and that the transition from United States control of someof these functions and related assets be accomplished efficiently and quickly.The tasks that require immediate attention include:

-- ICANN's short and long term funding mechanisms must be established;

-- The Initial Board activities must be staffed and supported; giventhe international character of that Board, the logistics of this effortwill be complex; and,

-- The Initial Board needs to quickly make itself available to the entireInternet community, both electronically and in person, so it can be certainto hear and understand the concerns and needs of the community that itis to serve."

Like the Initial Board members, who will serve only until the completepermanent ICANN structure and full Board are in place (planned for thefall of 1999), Roberts is not a candidate to be the long-term Presidentand Chief Executive Officer of ICANN. The Board will immediately beginthe process of searching for a long-term President and Chief ExecutiveOfficer.

Interim Chairman Dyson said that the Board is working on a responseto the Commerce letter relating to ICANN policies and bylaws, and thatit plans to deliver it in an open letter within two weeks. "in addition,"she said, " we hope to begin to discuss the specific terms of a transitionagreement with the Commerce Department very soon. We hope ICANN can getthese preliminary issues resolved quickly, and turn to the long list ofimportant tasks that face us, including the establishment of a final membershipstructure, the procedures for the election of Board members by that membership,and the recognition and certification of the specialized Supporting Organizationsfor Addresses, Protocols, and Domain Names that will be the working policybodies of ICANN."