Forbid holding multiple leadership positions

It would appear that the process permits a single individual to hold multiple positions in leadership. A position is not vacated when someone is appointed to a second (or third) leadership position.

This is not a feature, but a process vulnerability. Holding multiple positions vests too much power in a single individual.

The additional demands on the time of the individual who serves in multiple position is a problem, albeit a lesser one.

Recommendation

I recommend that we modify the Process to expressly prohibit anyone from concurrently holding:

• A W3C Board Director position.
• An AB member position.
• A TAG member position.
• Employment with the W3C or any of its affiliate organizations or contractors.

Should a person be elected or appointed to a position that creates a conflict, they should be required to resign from one or other position. As the Process only governs AB and TAG membership, it can only insist on resignation from one of those positions.

Regarding W3C Bylaws

The bylaws of the W3C also do not include any such provision. However, that can be addressed in Process, avoiding the need for a bylaws revision. Such a revision would still be welcome, but does not appear to be essential.

The last point forbids members of the Team from holding leadership positions other than those roles that are expressly specified as being for the Team. The same restriction on Board members might be covered in Delaware law, which might avoid a bylaws revision. If not, that should be taken up there.

Start with the linked W3C Process draft, especially the vacated-position rules, and compare them with the linked bylaws PDF. Review the issue discussion before proposing wording; done means the Process expressly addresses concurrent Board, AB, TAG, and Team-related positions and the required resignation outcome.