The current bylaws of the Seattle Internet Exchange specifies that the Directors must be elected annually at the annual meeting of members.
On April 28th, 2015 during the annual member meeting, the membership will elect a new Board of Directors for the following 12 month term by secret ballot.
Currently there are 5 Directors. Each ASN/member may submit one ballot with a vote for up to 5 candidates.
The following schedule applies to Board elections:
- Until February 27th, 2015: Receive questions to be sent to all Board candidates. Submit your questions to info _a_t_ seattleix.net.
- February 28th, 2015: Questionnaire dispatched to Board candidates.
- March 28th, 2015: Answers from candidates due. This date is also the cut-off point for being on the ballot. Write-ins only after this date.
- March 29th, 2015: Ballots, with candidate answers, submitted to the membership. Votes can be submitted via email to Secretary or at annual meeting. Voting to happen from this point until when voting closes during the annual meeting. In cases of multiple votes from an ASN, latest vote is tallied.
Ballots will also be distributed at the meeting, but members not attending in person may email the Secretary your proxy votes at info _a_t_ seattleix.net before 3:30pm Pacific on April 28th. (ballot below)
The current slate of candidates for 2015 are:
Erica Hughes Ehnert / Sr. Network Architect / Limelight Networks
Q: Please describe your experience with the SIX and/or IXPs in general.
A: I have been involved with the SIX since 2001, usually working with smaller enterprise and ISP's and helping them to understand the value of participating in a peering exchange. The experience with the SIX led me to believe strongly in the community around the exchanges and to try and spread that awareness to people who are unfamiliar with or who haven't ever been a part of them.
Q: Why do you want to serve on the SIX Board of Directors?
A: I would like to serve on the board of directors to give back some of what I feel I have received over the years. To help continue bringing in smaller networks and introducing them to the community, to assist with the next stage of growth for the SIX, and to use my technical skills to the benefit of the SIX.
Q: What are the challenges facing the SIX and what ideas do you have for meeting them?
A: I see one of the biggest challenges for the SIX as being adapting and growing the organization to continue meeting the needs and requirements of the smaller networks as well as the larger participants while still being able to support the operating needs of the IX itself.
Patrick W. Gilmore / Chief Technology Officer / Markley Cloud Services
Q: Please describe your experience with the SIX and/or IXPs in general.
A: I have been on the SIX board since 2008. I was a customer as part of Akamai Technologies for several years before that, including donating the first 10 G port to the SIX (so Akamai could upgrade to 10G). I have been on the LINX board for a decade. Also a customer for years before that as well. As part of my current Day Job, I own and operate the Boston Internet Exchange. During my time at Akamai, my group joined over 50 IXPs on every continent except Antarctica (because there wasn't one!). My staff and I were heavily in volved in the governance & founding of many IXPs around the world, such as TorIX, FranceIX, AMS-IX, etc. As you can see, I have a preference for member-run exchanges, which means SIX suits me quite well.
Q: Why do you want to serve on the SIX Board of Directors?
A: I feel I still have something to contribute to the running of the largest non-recurring fee exchange on the planet. I have experience from the smallest regional networks to the largest traffic pushers on the planet. This lets me represents all the SIX members well on the board.
Q: What are the challenges facing the SIX and what ideas do you have for meeting them?
A: Staffing is a huge worry in my mind, or I should say paying for staff. The volunteer method worked well for quite a long time. The "part time" method i s working, but is also showing strain. Going to full time or, worse, 24/7 paid staff would likely necessitate a recurring revenue model. And, frankly, I would like to av oid that. But whatever my preferences, the stability & performance of the SIX are paramount. If going to recurring fees is required, I would work very hard t o ensure the smallest networks paid a trivial sum so we kept a large number of ASNs & prefixes available at the SIX.
Nick Guy / Director of Networking / Noel Communications
Q: Please describe your experience with the SIX and/or IXPs in general.
A: Have been employed by SIX members directly running production networks since time 'immoral' (1995). Northwest Link AS2044, Semaphore AS3742, NoaNet AS16713, Noel Communications AS26935. Have been directly involved with the SIX either as a board officer or as technical support since 2008.
Q: Why do you want to serve on the SIX Board of Directors?
A: I think that it is important to have representation from regionally based ISPs and think I have been able to bring that perspective to the table. Also think that I can check my ego at the door. Most importantly I think that local peering is the soul and hope of the Internet and want to ensure it continues to exist.
Q: What are the challenges facing the SIX and what ideas do you have for meeting them?
A: Biggest challenge I see is operational. The SIX has transitioned partially from a hobby to a serious entity. It has managed to do that without losing sight of the mantra of simply pushing packets.. (frames). My continued commitment is to ensure that Chris and potential other support staff get adequate compensation for day to day operations. Second biggest challenge is managing the needs of the larger presences at the SIX while maintaining GigE ports for new participants. It is critical to have dialogue that we are planning ahead in a agnostic fashion.
Nikos Mouat / Director of Technology / Tierpoint Seattle
Q: Please describe your experience with the SIX and/or IXPs in general.
A: I have been involved with the SIX continuously since it's beginnings on a 10M hub in my suite at the Westin. I have been on the board since we incorpor ated, and have been president since 2003. I have also been a participant on a handful of other exchanges.
Q: Why do you want to serve on the SIX Board of Directors?
A: To continue my involvement with the exchange.
Q: What are the challenges facing the SIX and what ideas do you have for meeting them?
A: The challenges facing the SIX revolve around growing up from a volunteer run entity with one person doing all the work for free to a self-supporting en tity that doesn't need to rely on a single person to be available at all times. This has been slowly happening the past couple years, however it's an ongoing challenge a nd there's plenty of work left to do. Specific challenges ahead of us include managing growing operational costs and finding recurring revenue sources to help cover thos e costs, as well as building depth in operational support and maintaining an active and engaged board of directors.
Matthew Moyle-Croft / Amazon
Q: Please describe your experience with the SIX and/or IXPs in general.
A: I have been involved in the Internet industry since 1994 was involved in various ones in Australia from around that time. Since 2005 I've been involved in IXPs across Australia, North America, Europe and Asia as a customer and participant/member. Since starting at Amazon in 2012 I've been involved with the SIX a member. At my day job I'm responsible for, amongst other things, our connectivity to more than 45 IXPs globally.
Q: Why do you want to serve on the SIX Board of Directors?
A: Working for a Seattle based company I have an interest in ensuring the vibrancy of the interconnect market in the Pacific North West. I feel that my day job gives me an insight into the risks and opportunities for the SIX and IXPs in general as well as helping the SIX board chart a path forward as the interconnect market evolves.
Q: What are the challenges facing the SIX and what ideas do you have for meeting them?
A: The internet interconnect market is becoming a far more demanding place for IXPs. The SIX has a very focused and lean model that has served it and its members well. The challenge is how to evolve that model in the most appropriate way such that the SIX retains its core values as a member focused, connectivity focused organization but still remains relevant to the interconnect market in the Pacific North West as that market changes.
The opening of voting will be announced during the annual membership meeting. Once voting starts, no further proxies will be accepted via email.
Once all ballots are collected at the meeting, voting will close and the secretary will tally votes and announce the new Board of Directors.
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SIX Board of Directors Election 2015 Ballot
Please refer to:
http://www.seattleix.net/election.html
for short biographies of the candidates for the SIX Board of Directors.
Email your completed ballot to info@seattleix.net before 3:30pm on April
28th, or vote on paper at the meeting.
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________ ASN (one ballot per member ASN)
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You may vote for up to 5 of the following candidates for the SIX Board of
Directors. Put an X next to up to 5 of the below candidates. (* == incumbent)
____ Erica Hughes Ehnert
(representing member Limelight Networks/AS22822)
____ Patrick W. Gilmore*
("None. I left Akamai in 2013, and my current company does not have a presence in Seattle. The moment we do, we will join the SIX, though.")
____ Nick Guy*
(representing member Noel Communications/AS26935)
____ Nikos Mouat*
(representing members Tierpoint Seattle/AS11274, Tierpoint/AS30340, Mouat's Technology Services/AS3601)
____ Matthew Moyle-Croft
(representing member Amazon.com/AS16509)
____ write-in: _____________________________
____ write-in: _____________________________
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