I am pleased to report a major success for the 2026 Nominating Committee (NomCom): The application window has closed, yielding a record 223 completed applications for open leadership positions across key ICANN bodies. This represents a substantial 110 percent increase over last year's 106 applications.
The NomCom has now entered its blackout period, a period in which external meetings, outreach, and engagements are paused to ensure a fair and confidential evaluation process. For the remainder of the cycle, the only external interactions permitted are scheduled candidate interviews.
Open Leadership Positions
The 2026 NomCom is seeking to fill seven open leadership positions across key ICANN bodies:
ICANN Board and Public Technical Identifiers (PTI)
- Two members of the ICANN Board of Directors
- One member of the PTI Board of Directors
Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees
- Two regional representatives to the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC)
- One member of the Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO) Council
- One member of the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council
Changes and New Initiatives for the 2026 NomCom
The 2026 NomCom has already made some foundational changes for the recent cycle, focusing on efficiency and reach:
- Launched a community input campaign to allow the ICANN community to provide guidance to the NomCom.
- Accelerated the application window by a full month.
- Implemented a new social media outreach strategy, resulting in the 110 percent application increase.
- Synchronized the first intersessional with the ICANN85 Community Forum in March 2026, adding an extra month to the typical Assessment Phase.
- Developed new tools to assess Board candidates, including a new incumbent peer survey and an AI-generated heat map of existing Board skills and experience.
Next Steps
It is crucial to emphasize that the Assessment Phase operates under strict confidentiality. All deliberations, candidate evaluations, and short-listing processes undertaken by the NomCom during this time are strictly private and not disclosed to the public or third parties, ensuring the integrity and impartiality of the selection process.
During this phase, candidates go through four rounds of review. First, NomCom delegates read anonymous applications and vote to proceed or not. Second, the delegates see the full applications with names and rate each candidate. Third, each delegate gets assigned several candidates to research in depth and then writes up their findings ("soft dive"). Fourth, at the NomCom meeting during ICANN85 in Mumbai, India, delegates will share their research, discuss the candidates, and vote on who advances. The top finalists then get deep dive interviews where small teams of delegates meet with them, check their references, and write detailed reports, recommending the best candidates for final selection.
The NomCom will hold its second intersessional meeting in May 2026 in Los Angeles. The short-listed candidates for the ICANN Board and PTI Board seats will be called for face-to-face interviews during ICANN86. Meanwhile, the short-listed candidates for the ALAC, ccNSO Council, and the GNSO Council positions will be finalized.
During ICANN86, NomCom delegates will vote to confirm the selections and alternates across all positions. The committee will then initiate the due diligence process for all final short-listed candidates. The goal is to announce the NomCom selectees in late August or early September 2026.
To learn more about the NomCom and its selection timeline, visit the NomCom webpage.