ICANN posts job listing for VP of Government Affairs.
When then-ICANN CEO Paul Twomey got grilled by Congress in June, I wondered how ICANN didn’t think to do a bit of lobbying before the hearing. ICANN spends a little money on lobbying, but not much. Now that it’s clear the organization can’t just run away from government control, the company is revving up its lobbying engine.
First step: hire a Vice President of Government Affairs. According to the job posting:
He/she must have extensive leadership and political experience as well as the ability to successfully organize and execute ICANN’s policy, political and business objectives at the federal and international levels.
The successful candidate will lead the design and execution of government affairs strategies to advise and educate Members of Congress, Congressional staffers, key policy makers, and federal regulatory officials about ICANN.
The Vice President will be required to develop and implement an aggressive strategic plan for successfully achieving specific legislative and policy results that are favorable to ICANN. The successful candidate must possess significant political acumen and have established bi-partisan contact with Members of Congress, Congressional staff, agency legislative affairs offices, and have contacts in the Administration specifically in the Department of Commerce and at The White House. He/She must have a proven ability to build strong internal working relationships while serving as an advocate for Government Affairs and supporting ICANN’s business objectives.
RKB says
Instead of hiring a full time lobbyist, ICANN’t should lower its fees and stop making irrational decisions that hurt current registrants.
Philip Corwin says
Paul Levins has been heading up a DC office for ICANN for more than a year now. This job posting seems to build upon and formalize that presence — and also expands it, as the individual hired will also have responsibility for Canada and all of Latin America.
Of course, we won’t know until later this month whether ICANN’s formal relationship with the U.S. government is being terminated, extended short-term, or made permanent.
Jim Fleming says
Is it legal for a U.S. non-profit company to have a “lobbyist” ?
Andrew Allemann says
@ Jim – you bet. Many of them count on Federal funds for their budgets, so they focus a lot of attention on it. Advocacy groups that are non-profits are often times mostly lobbying firms…think cancer advocacy.
Philip Corwin says
Just about every trade association or other “special interest” group you’ve ever heard of that maintains lobbying activities in DC — including ICA –operates as a tax-exempt entity under Section 501c6 of the Internal Revenue Code
Jim Fleming says
Don’t “lobbyists” have to register ?
BTW…How did ICANN (and Neustar with .US) get around the FTC Franchise laws ?
Registrars appear to meet the criteria
and Registries in the case of ICANN.
One explanation (years ago) was that since
ICANN only does Proof-of-Concept “market
trials” they are not really selling a
Franchise. Thus, no business opportunity
documents are needed.
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/franchise/netdiscl.shtm
Jim Fleming says
http://isoc-dc.org/wordpress/?p=654
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Jim Fleming says
s/Capital/Capitol/