Affiliation: NetActuate
Candidate Questionnaire
1) Bearing in mind that you run and serve as an individual, rather than representing an organization, is there an organizational/employer affiliation you’d like to state for identification purposes?
NetActuate, an edge infrastructure provider that supports the global Internet through services including DNS, ccTLD, and gTLD hosting. I am seeking this role as an individual member of the community, not as a representative of my employer or any other organization. My opinions are my own.
2) Are you available to serve the entirety of a three-year term?
Yes
3) Describe any limitations on your ability to travel to attend ARIN and ICANN meetings in person or participate in scheduled teleconference calls.
I do not anticipate any limitations that would prevent me from attending the expected ARIN, ICANN, or ASO AC meetings in person. I would coordinate travel around professional and personal commitments, but understand the importance of in-person participation and would make that a priority.
4) The ASO AC holds monthly conference calls and participation is expected of all members. Would participation in these calls present any issue for you?
No, I am able to participate in monthly ASO AC calls and understand that regular attendance, preparation, and follow-through are part of the responsibility of serving.
5) Why do you want to serve on the NRO NC, and what goals do you want to accomplish?
I want to serve on the NRO NC because Internet number resource policy depends on people that understand both operational reality of network and the importance of open, accountable governance. The NRO/ASO NC sit at an important junction between the RIR and ICANN communities. I would like to help make that trusted, practical, and transparent.
My goal would be to represent the ARIN region with care and independence, support clear and timely communication between the ASO AC, ARIN community, and the broader Internet governance community.
6) What, if any, conflicts of interest might arise for you as an NRO NC member? Specifically, do you serve in what could be perceived as any Internet governance roles, provide any services directly or indirectly to ARIN, or represent any significant interest from the community?
To the best of my knowledge, I do not have any conflict that would disqualify me from service. I am not ARIN staff, ICANN staff, a member of the ICANN Board, a board member of another RIR, staff of another RIR, or an NRO NC representative from another RIR.
If elected, I would disclose any potential conflict promptly and recuse myself where appropriate. I understand that the role is held as an individual and not on behalf of an employer, client, or constituency.
7) What is your record of serving the Internet community in the ARIN region?
My service to the Internet community in the ARIN region has been rooted in operational participation, volunteer work, and community engagement. I currently volunteer with NANOG on the Program Committee, Community Engagement Committee, and Moderation Committee, and previously served on the NANOG Hackathon Committee. I also volunteer with the GPF Program Committee and with Ninja-IX. I previously served on the PeeringDB Admin Committee.
These roles have given me practical experience with the coordination, accuracy, and trust that Internet operators rely on across the ARIN region. My direct ARIN-region experience also comes from day-to-day network operations. At a previous organization, I served as the primary ARIN contact and was responsible for proper stewardship of number resources, including accurate registry records, appropriate documentation, and adherence to ARIN guidelines. While most of my ARIN meeting participation has been virtual or through ARIN meetings co-located with NANOG, I make a consistent effort to follow ARIN policy discussions and participate where I can.
8) What participation do you have within ICANN, in the past and currently? Are you a member of any other ICANN AC or SO?
My ICANN participation has primarily been through the number resource and operator communities rather than through formal ICANN roles. I am not currently a member of any other ICANN Advisory Committee or Supporting Organization.
9) What differentiates you as a candidate, or makes you uniquely suited to serve on the NRO NC?
I bring a practical operator’s perspective to policy work. My day-to-day experience is close to the systems that number resource policy affects: routing, interconnection, Anycast, RPKI, IRR data, registry accuracy, and network operations across multiple regions.
I also have a strong record of volunteer service in operator communities. The NRO NC needs people who can understand policy process, listen carefully, communicate clearly, and recognize how decisions affect real networks. I am comfortable working in consensus-based communities, reviewing technical and policy material carefully, and doing the follow-through that committee work requires.
10) Provide a brief biography of recent experience, associations, and affiliations relevant to serving on the NRO NC, including names of organizations, positions held, specific duties, and dates of service.
Kate Gerry is Director of Interconnection at NetActuate, where her work focuses on interconnection, routing, Anycast, IXPs, network architecture, and operational coordination. Her technical background includes BGP operations, RPKI and IRR hygiene, registry accuracy, DNS operations, and large-scale Internet infrastructure.
She currently serves on the NANOG Program Committee, Community Engagement Committee, and Moderation Committee, and previously served on the NANOG Hackathon Committee. She also serves on the GPF Program Committee and volunteers with NinjaIX. She previously served on the PeeringDB Admin Committee.
She has served as the primary ARIN contact for multiple organizations and was responsible for number resource stewardship, including registry record accuracy, documentation, and adherence to ARIN guidelines.
Dates of service:
- NANOG Program Committee: NANOG 88-Current
- NANOG Community Engagement Committee: NANOG 88-Current
- NANOG Moderation Committee: NANOG 93-Current
- NANOG Hackathon Committee: NANOG 89-93
- GPF Program Committee: 2024, 2025
- Ninja-IX: 2020-Current
- PeeringDB Admin Committee: 2016
- Previous/Current ARIN Organizations: OC3 Networks/QuadraNet, Converted Networks, Eminent, and NetActuate
11) (Optional) Provide one URL to a social media website of your choice, to foster dialogue with community members.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherinegerry/
12) (Optional) Provide one URL to a web page with biographical information.
None