Photo of Lee Howard

Howard, Lee

View or Make Statements of Support
12

Statements of Support.

Affiliation: Unaffiliated

Candidate Assessment: Well Qualified

Candidate Questionnaire

1. ARIN Board of Trustees Qualifications and Responsibilities:

Please review the ARIN Board of Trustees Expected Qualifications and Responsibilities thoroughly.

Please describe, providing specific details, any barriers you foresee to your fully meeting those qualifications and undertaking those responsibilities. Trustees’ responsibilities have usually require about 5-10 hours per week.

None.

2. Conflicts of Interest

a) Please disclose any conflicts of interest you may have, real or perceived, that would impact your ability to perform your duty as a member of the ARIN Board of Trustees. (If no conflicts, please enter “N/A”)

People may perceive working for an IPv4 address broker as a conflict. By the time of the election, I will be doing so on a part-time consulting basis only.

b) How do you propose to resolve any conflicts identified in (a)? (If no conflicts identified, please enter “N/A”)

Throughout my involvement with ARIN, I have always supported proposals that I thought were most consistent with ARIN’s mission and the community interest, even if they were disadvantageous for my company. As a Board member, I am even more circumspect with regard to policy.

I do not hold any Internet number resources, or earn bonuses based on transfers, so there is no actual conflict.

c) Are you currently eligible to serve on the Board of Trustees according to the Conflict of Interest Requirements and the eligibility requirements?

Yes

d) If not currently eligible, describe how you will become eligible to serve, if elected (i.e., “If elected, I will resign from the position of ________ before 31 Dec 2025”). If currently eligible, please enter “N/A”.

N/A

3. Education:

a) Please list any educational degree(s) you received, the institution and the date issued.

B.A. James Madison University, 1992

b) Please list any professional designations, certifications, or development education (non-degree) and the dates completed.

CCNA, Cisco Certified Network Associate, April 2005.
PMP, Project Management Professional, October 2007 – October 2017.
GSLC, GIAC Security Leadership Certification, September 2008.
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, October 2018.
IPv6 Forum Certified Network Engineer (Gold)(Trainer), August 2018.
Additional coursework in accounting and programming.

4. Employment and Experience:

a) Please provide the name of any company or organization you currently are employed by, or from which you receive directly or indirectly a material portion of your compensation. Please describe the business of each such entity, your current title, and the office address of the organization.

Hilco IP Services LLC d/b/a Hilco Streambank and also known as IPv4.Global. Senior Vice President.

b) Please refer to the ARIN Board of Trustees Guidance to the 2025 Nomination Committee in answering this question: Please describe your relevant professional experience and expertise and explain how this background will make you an effective Trustee.

ARIN Board of Trustees member, 2002-2004, 2006-2010. Held the office of Treasurer and Secretary at different times. Chaired a few committees.
NRO NC member, 2005.
IETF WG Co-chair, v6ops (2014-2018) and 6renum (2012-2013).
IAB member. 2016-2018.
Most members of the ARIN community will recognize the above roles, and how they are directly related to Internet governance.

Specific to the Board’s guidance to the 2025 NomCom:
During my time as Treasurer, we revised the investment plan, and added additional financial controls. I was also Treasurer for a local community center.
During my tenure on the ARIN Board, the CEO retired and we had to search for his replacement, who is still in the role. I was involved in the search and contract negotiations. I was a member of the Compensation Committee for a time.

Attach a resume, curriculum vitae, or other biography highlighting your experience most relevant to the duties of the ARIN Board of Trustees. (PDF, DOC, DOCX files only)Remove any personal contact information (postal address, email, and/or phone number) from your resume/CV, as it will be posted publicly as part of the candidate information.

https://arin-elections.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/howard_lee_resume.pdf

You may also optionally include additional web links to external websites (e.g., social media), though not as a substitute for your biography. One URL per line.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-howard-ipv6/
https://hilcoglobal.com/leadership/lee-howard/

5. Governance Experience:

a) Please identify any boards on which you currently serve that carry fiduciary duties, whether at a for-profit or nonprofit organization. Please note how long you have served and what offices, if any, you have held.

No current boards.

b) Please identify any other boards on which you have served in the past 10 years that are not included in answer to (a), listing your dates of service.

Industry Network Technology Council, 2019. President.
Open Hearth Foundation, 2012-2014. Board member, treasurer.

c) How does your past governance experience prepare you to help fulfill that role by serving as an ARIN Trustee?

I have served on the board of several not-for-profits; ARIN has been the most professionally run. I have developed strong opinions on best practices in operations, finance, and governance.

6.  Describe any past experience or involvement with ARIN or other Internet governance bodies.

Internet Architecture Board (IAB) Member, 2016-2018.
IETF WG Co-chair, 6renum (2012-2013), v6ops (2014-2018).
ARIN Board member, 2002-2004, 2006-2010.
NRO NC member, 2005.

7. Aside from any governance experience, describe your specific skills, background, and/or areas of expertise you believe will assist the Board in carrying out its duties.

I led one of the largest IPv6 deployments in the world, started a business based on IPv4-IPv6 transition, and have continued promoting IPv6 while working at IPv4.Global. I was a holdout vote on allowing transfers, and later studied the IPv4 transfer market.

I have a track record of increasing revenues and reducing expenses, and reputation for integrity consistent with being an Eagle Scout.

12 responses

  1. Chris Woodfield

    I first met Lee at a pre-Covid LACNIC meeting, which gives some context on how long I’ve known him as a fellow traveler in the RIR community. I’ve sought his opinions numerous times in my time as an AC member, as well as in my network engineering career; his understanding of how to achieve as successful IPv6 deployment, in particular, is insight I’ve particularly valued in my efforts to succeed in my own deployment efforts.

    Lee has been a steady, reliable fixture in the RIR community, and I fully support giving him an opportunity to serve on the ARIN Board of Trustees.

  2. E. Marie Brierley

    Lee & I became acquainted right before COVID at a conference where I presented about my experience transitioning cisco.com to IPv6. He is extremely knowledgeable about networking, but IPv6 took precedence. We’ve collaborated multiple times since. Lee is very generous with his knowledge and contacts and can always be relied on to support all things internet. He went so far as to travel to Reno, NV to support the ARIN on the Road event I facilitated. He would serve well as a Trustee.

  3. Marlin Martes

    Lee has been a steady voice in our community for years. His perspective balances operational expertise with a genuine understanding of people, policy, and the evolving Internet landscape. ARIN benefits from leaders like Lee who care and show up for the community, I support his candidacy for the ARIN Board of Trustees.

  4. Livio Morina

    I am pleased to support Lee Howard for the ARIN Board of Trustees.
    Over many years, I have seen him contribute to the Internet community with balance, clarity, and genuine commitment. Lee brings both strategic perspective and operational understanding, qualities that are essential in a role that requires guiding ARIN through complex technical and policy challenges.

    He stands out for his thoughtful, measured approach and his constant effort to make discussions inclusive and productive. Lee combines competence with integrity, and he consistently places the community’s long-term interests above short-term considerations.

    I am confident that his experience, sense of responsibility, and cooperative spirit will make him an excellent addition to the ARIN Board of Trustees.

    Respectfully,

    Livio Morina
    CEO, Airbeam Srl
    VP, PeeringDB
    BM, AIIP Italian Association of Internet Providers

  5. John Brown, CISSP

    I fully support Lee Howard as a candidate for the ARIN Board of Trustees. Over the many years I have known Lee, he has always provided level-headed, smart and insightful advice and guidance. Lee has been a solid advocator of making sure the “right” things are done with respects to Internet governance. Lee has previously demonstrated his value and abilities while serving the ARIN region. Lee has strong relationships within the global RIR community, which is of further value to ARIN.

    Please vote for Lee

  6. Kerrie Ann Vassall Richards

    Lee is by far one of the most knowledgeable members of the community. He brings real world experience and depth. I fully support his nomination.

  7. Douglas Camin

    I support Lee’s candidacy for the ARIN Board of Trustees. Lee has been an invaluable member of the ARIN community for many years in a variety of roles. I have learned a lot from him during my time being involved in the ARIN community and believe he would make an excellent member of the Board.

  8. Chris Grundemann

    Lee has been involved in Internet governance, Internet standards, and with ARIN specifically as long as I have known him. He’s been a mentor to me and to many others.

    In addition to his dedication and years of direct volunteer experience, and his understanding of technology, Lee also brings expertise in business and finance. The combination is rare, and perfectly suited to continue his tradition of serving ARIN and the Internet community as a Trustee once again.

  9. Martin Hannigan

    I support Lee’s candidacy! Let’s go!

  10. Adair Thaxton

    I support Lee as a candidate for the ARIN Board of Trustees. He’s smart, insightful, and dedicated to advocating for the good of the Internet. He has been a valuable resource at ARIN and its international siblings for years, and would be a great addition to the board.

  11. Ed Horley

    Lee is well qualified, from both a technical, and from a policy and business perspective to do an excellent job in this role. Lee listens, is thoughtful in his consideration of a topic or idea, and is level headed and not driven to emotional responses in stressful situations. He is a long time IPv6 advocate and knows many of the technical players in the IETF, NANOG, and other communities that ARIN will interface with and he is well known in the ARIN community at large.

  12. Peter Tobey

    In Support of Lee Howard’ Candidacy

    To put my support in context, I am a writer, publisher, and sales/marketing executive who worked with Lee Howard in my role as Marketing Director at Hilco Streambank-IPv4.Global. We collaborated daily for nearly four years on all manner of engagement with the networking community.

    That said, Lee is a terrific writer and public speaker. He is a thoughtful observer of ARIN in all its parts and pieces and has carefully considered insights as to changes that might help the organization and the community it serves. I’ve heard him speak publicly and privately on the maintenance of high ethical standards in our industry. He is a staunch defender of the view that a community like ours should focus on the tide as it lifts all boats.

    Lee has a fabulous sense of humor exceeded only by his capacity for hard work. ARIN would be well-served with him on its Board of Trustees.