[Washington, D.C. and Geneva, Switzerland – 14 February 2013] – Internet Society President and Chief Executive Officer Lynn St. Amour today announced that she will leave the Internet Society in February 2014 at the conclusion of her contract. St. Amour joined the Internet Society in 1998 as Executive Director of its Europe, Middle East, and Africa division. She became Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer in 1999 and was appointed President and CEO in March of 2001.
Lynn St. Amour
New Year’s Message from Lynn St. Amour
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
It has been an exciting year! Thanks to our Members, Chapters, Board, Staff and partners – past and present – we commemorated twenty (20) years of fruitful collaboration and advocacy in support of an “Internet for everyone.” The anniversary was marked by numerous celebrations, and a Global INET in Geneva, Switzerland, where we also launched the Internet Hall of Fame.
In 2012, with your help, we took on many of the most important issues facing the Internet – all across the globe. We had an impact on many critical policy decisions; we promoted and supported vital technical standards, launched valuable new programs, welcomed many new members, and hosted a broad global array of policy, education, and development programs.
We continued to advocate tirelessly for the Internet’s growth and open evolution, and we promoted multi-stakeholder dialogue and action on many matters related to the Internet. A recent example was the U.N. World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) in Dubai, where ISOC staff and members played a critical role. This was a collaborative, multi-stakeholder effort across the global Internet community, and it is clear that going forward, the challenges confronting the Internet will need even greater collaboration and multi-stakeholder support.
As we leave 2012 and look forward to 2013, I’d like to offer my heartfelt thanks for all you do to advance the Internet and for all you do to support our wonderful Mission. The Internet is a critical enabler of human empowerment, social development, and economic growth, and it enhances our quality of life. We look forward to working with all of you to build on the significant momentum achieved to-date; clearly there are many areas that will need our attention and support over the coming year.
Finally, I want to extend my sincere appreciation to the Board and Staff at the Public Interest Registry (PIR); your support is central to our success and very much appreciated. I would also like to recognize the important work of and our valuable partnership with the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the Internet Architecture Board (IAB), and the Internet Research Task Force (IRTF), who are at the heart of what makes the Internet – the Internet.
Thank you all for everything you do to support the Internet and the Internet Society. Please accept my very best wishes to you and your loved ones for the coming New Year.
Warm regards,
Lynn St. Amour
President & CEO, Internet Society
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Internet Society Statement on Syrian Internet Shutdown
On behalf of Lynn St. Amour, President and CEO, and the Internet Society Board of Trustees:
Emerging reports from various organizations and individuals indicate that international Internet connectivity was shut off in Syria today. The Internet is an open, global medium for communication, idea exchange, empowerment, and innovation. Access to the global Internet is a crucial enabler of human rights.
As with previous actions to block Internet traffic in Egypt and Libya, the effect of cutting off Internet traffic – ceasing the flow of information in and out of the country – is a serious action. It harms not only the citizens of Syria, but also Syria’s economy and society at large. The Internet Society stands with other organizations around the world in calling for Internet access to be restored with all due speed and cooperation so that vital services can continue to function and citizens won’t be further impacted.
First and foremost, the Internet Society joins with the rest of the world in its utmost concern about the safety and security of the Syrian people. Previous cases where such actions were deliberately taken have proven not only to be harmful, but to be ineffective. The Internet Society hopes that the volatile situation in Syria will come to a peaceful solution and that the citizens of Syria will soon be able to join the rest of the world in having their voices heard online.
http://www.internetsociety.org/news/internet-society-syria%E2%80%99s-internet-shutdown
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Lynn St. Amour authors Global Innovation Index chapter
[Washington, D.C. and Geneva, Switzerland — 28 June 2012] — Internet Society President and Chief Executive Officer, Lynn St. Amour, authored a chapter for The Global Innovation Index (GII) 2012 titled “The Internet: An Unprecedented and Unparalleled Platform for Innovation and Change.” The Internet has become integral to business, communication, education, and community building, as well as an essential tool in social life, empowering individuals and communities in ways previously unimagined. These linkages create unparalleled opportunity by facilitating and encouraging creativity and collaboration. This chapter explores how the evolution of the open, global Internet inspires technological, societal, and knowledge innovation.
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Internet Society Supports United Nations Human Rights Day Focus on Social Media
[Geneva, Switzerland – 09 December 2011] – The Internet Society welcomed the focus of today’s United Nations Human Rights Day event highlighting the transformational role of the Internet and social media applications in giving voice to people around the world. The Internet Society is a strong advocate of an open and accessible Internet, and sees the Internet as an enabler of human rights.
The influence of the Internet and social media on the ability of citizens to connect, share ideas, and join communities is undeniable. In 2011, popular movements in the Middle East and North Africa demonstrated the Internet’s power to enable individuals to exercise their fundamental rights, in particular the right to freedom of expression as well as the right to peaceful assembly and association. In this context, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights also points to the role of social media in peaceful protest movements in many other cities across the globe.
These events illustrate the powerful impact of social media by generating awareness of and support for efforts of people from all walks of life seeking to bring about change, unconstrained by borders, time, and distance.
“The Internet’s influence on society has been profound,” said Lynn St. Amour, Internet Society President and CEO. “The Internet Society is committed to ensuring an open, global, and accessible Internet. It is an instrumental tool to sustain basic human aspirations for freedom and social development.”
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ISOC Pres. Lynn St Amour to address FCC Open Internet Workshop 1/13/10
Lynn St. Amour, President of the Internet Society, has been invited to provide framing remarks at the upcoming FCC Open Internet Workshop on Innovation, Investment, and the Open Internet tomorrow, Wednesday, January 13 at 16:30 EST (23:30 UTC) at the MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
ISOC-NY Members are encouraged to contribute to the discussion.
Lynn’s remarks are filed here and are transcribed below:
2009 Wrap-up from ISOC President Lynn St Amour
Thanks for an Extraordinary Year of Achievements
from Lynn St.Amour, President and CEO of ISOC
Dear Members, Friends, and Colleagues,
The end of 2009 is here – and what a year it has been. The Internet Society continued to prosper in 2009, the results of our work reaching wider and deeper than ever before. So it is a pleasure to extend my sincere gratitude to all of you whose combined efforts, energy, and dedication have made this such a great year.
We often use the term “Internet community” and, looking back at the achievements of this year, it is clear that these are truly the result of a strong, committed community pulling together around shared values and principles.
It is impossible to list here all of the Internet Society’s achievements from such a busy and productive year, but I would like to single out a few highlights.
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Lynn St. Amour interviewed at ITU Telecom World
Interviewed at ITU Telecom World 2009, Lynn St. Amour, President and CEO of the Internet Society, explains to Ian Scales why, despite some telco claims to the contrary, the Internet model is not ‘broken’ and needs no radical surgery to keep it relevant and technically fit for purpose. Those who want to change the fundamental Internet rules need to re-think their approach and ‘lean in’ to support and prosper from its open development environment.
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Lynn St Amour to participate in DNS Forum
President and CEO of the Internet Society, Lynn St Amour, will join a panel of distinguished speakers in the Royal Society of London, UK, to discuss the naming system which is critical to modern Internet operations.
The discussion “What’s in a name? The History and Future of the Domain Name System” will explore the history and future of the Internet Domain Name System (DNS). Continue reading
Network World interviews Lynn St. Amour
Not deploying IPv6 threatens Internet, Lynn St. Amour warns
VANCOUVER, B.C. — The Internet has 1.3 billion users, but that’s not enough for Lynn St. Amour. As CEO of the Internet Society, she is expanding the nonprofit group, which promotes development of the Internet globally. St. Amour doubled the group’s staff in 2007 and beefed up its outreach activities in Africa, South America and Asia in her bid to add another billion Internet users worldwide. National Correspondent Carolyn Duffy Marsan sat down with St. Amour this week at a meeting of the Internet Engineering Task Force, an ISOC-funded standards group.
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