Staff post by Taylor Dolezal, Head of Ecosystem at CNCF
Greetings to our vibrant CNCF community! We are forming the CNCF End User Technical Advisory Board (TAB), which will foster a thriving, collaborative, and inclusive CNCF ecosystem that prioritizes end user needs.
Last month, we announced a proposal for launching the new End User TAB (see our prior announcement). After gathering input from the CNCF End User Community, TOC, and Governing Board, we refined the selection process and structure, which are now documented in the updated End User Technical Advisory Board section of the CNCF Charter.
Keep reading for an overview of the new End User TAB and the nomination and election timeline.
End User TAB Purpose & Responsibilities
The End User TAB will serve as the voice of the End User community. Among other responsibilities, the End User TAB will:
- Provide feedback on project usability, reliability, and performance.
- Review and approve publication of reference architectures for cloud native technologies.
- Provide input from an End User perspective to the Governing Board and Technical Oversight Committee.
- Add visibility around end user adoption of CNCF projects.
Composition and Selection
Only End User Member and End User Supporter organization employees (“End User Participants”) are eligible to serve on the End User TAB. TAB members will be selected as follows:
- Each Platinum End User Member can appoint 1 representative.
- Gold End User Members can elect up to 1 TAB representative per every 5 Gold End User Members, up to 3 maximum Gold representatives.
- Silver End User Members can elect up to 1 TAB representative per every 10 Silver End User Members, up to 3 maximum Silver representatives.
- End User Participants will elect at least 3 TAB seats at-large.
- The TOC will designate 1-2 representatives.
- The TAB may also invite additional End User representatives to join the TAB.
CNCF End User TAB Election Timelines
We will have two separate nomination and election cycles. First, we will hold elections for the Gold and Silver End User representative seats. After that election completion, we will hold elections for the representatives elected by all End User Participants at large. Having these elections sequentially (rather than simultaneously) will enable individuals not elected to a Gold or Silver representative seat to run again for one of the at-large representative seats.
End User TAB Elections for Silver and Gold Representatives
- Nomination period: September 18 to September 26, 2023
- Voting period: September 27 – October 5, 2023
Gold End User Member company employees are eligible to run for the 1 Gold representative seat. Only Gold End User Members may vote for the Gold representatives.
CNCF Silver End User Member organization employees are eligible to run for the 3 Silver representative seats. Only Silver End User Members may vote for the Silver representatives.
End User TAB Elections for At-Large Representatives
- Nominations period: October 9 – 17, 2023
- Voting period: October 18 – 26, 2023
Employees of any End User Member or End User Supporter organization are eligible to run for the three (3) at large elected End User TAB seats. End User Members and End User Supporters may vote in the at-large election.
Term Lengths
Elected TAB Members will serve for 2-year terms. Elections will occur every year, and half of the TAB seats will be up for re-election each year to facilitate staggered terms.
Distribution of Nomination Forms and Ballots
A call for nominations, including a nomination form and instructions, will be distributed to End User Participants at the beginning of each nomination period. Designated voting contacts at End User Participant organizations eligible to vote in each election will receive ballots for this process. If you have any questions about the nomination or election process, please contact us at elections@cncf.io.
The expected time commitment is 12-16 hours per month for the Chair and Vice Chair of the End User TAB and 10-12 hours per month for other members.
Conclusion
We are enthusiastic about the launch of the CNCF End User TAB, which aims to create a collaborative and responsive CNCF ecosystem. Our goal is to amplify the voice of end users and ensure their firsthand experiences and insights drive our future directions.
Please consider nominating yourself or other qualified individuals for the End User TAB. We also urge you to vote in the upcoming elections if you are the primary voting contact for an End User organization. After the End User TAB is launched, please submit feedback and contributions. Thanks, and stay tuned for more updates!