Summary

  • The IETF has a mid-term INT Area Director vacancy and a separate regular INT AD selection in progress.
  • The 2025–2026 NomCom is handling the replacement for Tommy Jensen; the 2026–2027 NomCom is handling the ordinary two-year position whose incumbent, Éric Vyncke, is not seeking to continue.
  • Their announced seating dates are 14 November 2026 and 14 March 2027, and the mid-term appointment runs through March 2028.

One area, two appointment records

Tommy Jensen resigned from the Internet Engineering Steering Group as an Internet (INT) Area Director effective 1 October, the IETF Chair said two days later. The 2 October notice says the IESG will continue its responsibilities while the vacancy is filled. Éric Vyncke, Jensen’s co-AD, is the area’s primary contact. The notice also said that responsibility for Jensen’s working groups and his document load would be reassigned in the coming days; it described a plan, not a completed handover.

The mid-term search has its own committee and deadline. On 7 October, the 2025–2026 NomCom opened nominations for the vacancy. Nominations close on 21 October. The committee’s timetable sends its selection to the IAB for confirmation on 3 November and sets 14 November as the seating date. The selected person’s mid-term runs through March 2028.

That is not the same opening as the regular INT AD position on the 2026–2027 NomCom slate. The page lists Éric Vyncke as not seeking to continue in the ordinary two-year position. Its nomination deadline is 13 October, and confirmed candidates are due to take their positions during IETF 125 on 14 March 2027. The two committees say they will coordinate nominations as needed, but coordination does not turn the two appointments into one process.

The split follows RFC 8713: when NomCom terms overlap, a mid-term vacancy goes to the prior year’s committee. The 2025–2026 committee therefore handles Jensen’s replacement while the 2026–2027 committee continues its regular slate. Similar “INT AD” labels can obscure that difference; the committee, vacancy type and term endpoint identify which appointment a notice concerns.

The 5 October timeline notice had forecast that the mid-term call would open on 10 October. The call actually opened on 7 October and set the deadline at 21 October, so that later notice supplies the live schedule. As of 9 October, the reviewed public notices report no selected candidate. The two searches remain at different stages, with different deadlines and terms.

Sources