"Based on the community-driven work of the Governance and Nominations Committee, we have implemented a new, more representative, and more transparent governance structure for Internet2. Looking ahead, the Internet2 Board of Trustees and Advisory Councils have begun working Internet2 to ensure that the organization's programs effectively support members' efforts to meet the broad challenge of cyberinfrastructure."
– Jeffrey S. Lehman, Chair
Internet2 Board of Trustees
In 2007, Internet2 implemented a new community-developed governance structure that greatly expands membership representation in Internet2’s decision making and more broadly reflects the interests and diversity of Internet2 members. By the end of the year, new Advisory Councils were established and actively working to provide direction and input for Internet2’s programs, services, and activities.
In response to community input that encouraged revisions to Internet2's governance structure, the Internet2 Board of Trustees formed a new Governance and Nominations Committee (GNC) in May of 2006. The committee, constructed to be broadly diverse, reflected a wide range of professional experiences, and included individuals who have interacted with Internet2 from a wide variety of vantage points. The GNC, which is a standing committee of the Board of Trustees, considered a wide array of issues when determining the new governance structure for the organization, including the ability to accommodate a larger and more diverse mix of stakeholders, increasing the overall level of transparency within the organization, giving a stronger voice to certain stakeholder groups, facilitating multi-perspective conversations in governance, encouraging more effective implementation of stakeholder priorities by the Internet2 organization, and providing greater opportunities for volunteer participation.
In early 2007, based on several months of community discussions, the GNC implemented a new structure to replace the existing Internet2 Advisory Councils with four new councils. The new councils aimed to be more diverse, would be defined by operational function, and would be more tightly connected to the Internet2 membership, to management, and to the Internet2 Board of Trustees. The new councils are: the Architecture & Operations Advisory Council (AOAC), which focuses on the network and its operations; Applications, Middleware & Services Advisory Council (AMSAC), which provides direction on middleware and applications services; the Research Advisory Council (RAC), which focuses on Internet2’s support for both network-focused and disciplinary research; and the External Relations Advisory Council (ERAC), which provides direction on strategic policy issues relating to industry, government, standards, and the broader community in the United States and internationally.
During the summer of 2007, Internet2 announced the results of the first-ever election for its newly created Internet2 Advisory Councils. Fifty-seven percent of eligible voters participated in the election process, which received confirmation of the results by an independent auditor.
The resulting four councils consist of leaders from academia, research, and industry who will provide strategic guidance, assist in setting organizational priorities, and ensure that Internet2 continues to meet the needs of the research and education community which it serves. Each council has 15 members: 12 elected by the membership and 3 appointed by the Internet2 Board.
The councils first convened at a joint in-person meeting held in conjunction with the Fall 2007 Internet2 Member Meeting. They continued active engagement through online collaboration and conference calls throughout the rest of the year. A complete list of Board and Advisory Council members, as well as the latest information on Internet2 governance, can be found on the Internet2 website at http://www.internet2.edu/governance.