The nominating committee process (see RFC 3777) has had difficulty in filling the TSV area director position this year. In particular, the process was unable to produce a confirmed candidate into the position prior to the Spring IETF meeting. There has been speculation about how the process reached this point. I would, therefore, like to provide the community with what information that I can, subject to the confidentiality rules that bind the Nomcom. Note that this is not a consensus statement of the Nomcom, and opinions expressed in this message are my own. In the selection of area directors, as stated in RFC 3777, the Nomcom operates with the advice and consent of the IAB, which acts as the confirming body for IESG positions. Despite the fact that the IAB and the Nomcom are both working hard to produce an outcome that satisfies the best interests of the community, the Nomcom has thus far not succeeded in putting forward a Transport Area Director candidate whom the IAB is willing to confirm. As per RFC 3777, the Nomcom receives written requirements from the IESG, and also talks to members of the community about the needs of the area and requirements for the position. However, at this point in time, it is possible that the Nomcom and the IAB lack a common understanding of the requirements for the Transport Area Director position and the current needs of the Area. The Nomcom is watching the discussion on the IETF mailing list and I appreciate those constructive comments that have been made on the list. However, if you have specific comments about the position of Transport Area director or the needs of that area, please do not hesitate to send comments directly to the Nomcom: nomcom12@xxxxxxxx. The Nomcom always welcomes comments from the community. Ultimately, the process is ongoing. I personally remain optimistic that additional dialog between the Nomcom, the community, the IAB, and the IESG will allow us to resolve the current situation. The Nomcom will continue its work until all open positions are filled. However, one of the challenges to everyone involved in the current situation is that RFC 3777 provides little guidance in cases such as this. Namely, where the Nomcom and a confirming body are not able to produce a confirmed candidate (for some position) prior to the First IETF meeting of the year. With regards to the discussion in TSVAREA, the Nomcom was not directly involved in the decision to have this community discussion in Orlando. (The Nomcom did recently inform the IESG that the process would not produce a TSV Area Director in time for Orlando, and had previously requested and received clarification of the IESG's written requirements from the IESG.) However, myself and at least several members of the Nomcom will be present at the TSVAREA session. I believe that the proposed discussion is constructive and that holding the discussion is appropriate. I do not know whether the discussion will help resolve the current situation, though it might. Furthermore, this is not the first year the nomcom process has had trouble filling the TSV area director position, and so at the very least, this discussion should begin to pave the way for a smoother process next year. Therefore, I would encourage all interested parties to attend. Finally, I realize that this message contains less detail than some of you would like. However, at this point in time, I am personally unwilling to disclose additional details to the community related to interactions between the Nomcom and the confirming body. Although RFC 3777 is not precise with regards to what is covered by Nomcom confidentiality, I would rather err on the side of broad interpretation of Nomcom confidentiality. I believe this is consistent with the interpretation of past Nomcoms with regards to interactions with confirming bodies. Thank you all for your patience in this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me personally with any comments or concerns. - Matt Lepinski nomcom-chair@xxxxxxxx