OPeNDAP Presidency

Hi All,

This e-mail is to announce a change of management at OPeNDAP. I have decided to step down as president of OPeNDAP. There are several reasons for this, the most important being related to a conflict of interest problem with my REASoN Cooperative Agreement at URI. I am PI on the Cooperative Agreement and I subcontract a significant portion of it to OPeNDAP. Being PI at URI and President of OPeNDAP creates the conflict both from the federal and the state perspective. The RI Board of Governors agreed to an exemption to the conflict based on a management plan put together by the Conflict of Interest Committee of the Board of Governors and NASA has agreed to allow this exemption. One of the request made by the committee was that I step down as president of OPeNDAP. At first I was resistant and then it occurred to me that this might actually be good for OPeNDAP. I have been running the DODS/OPeNDAP show for close to 15 years now hence it is likely that my perspective is becoming stale. I also think that the technology is by-passing me. Bottom line: I agreed to the committee's request.

I am really happy to report that we have found an excellent replacement for me. Peter Fox of UCAR will assume the presidency. Peter (the second) has been involved with OPeNDAP/DODS for 10 years or so, used it and deployed it in operational systems, worked closely with the core developers to evolve it and his group is substantially responsible for the Server4 architecture. In his interview with the OPeNDAP Board of Directors (which I will continue to chair) he indicated that he wants to see OPeNDAP consolidate its position in current discipline areas, to grow into new ones and to adapt and evolve as new demands, applications and technologies arise. Furthermore, he has indicated his interest in refining the OPeNDAP strategy and tactics, and keeping OPeNDAP a viable non-profit company that supports the philosophies that James Gallagher, Glenn Flierl and I originated way back when.

In addition to Peter's commitment to the above, he brings a deep understanding of cyberinfrastructure to OPeNDAP and he is well connected to some very key communities that the OPeNDAP Board of Directors believe will be relevant to OPeNDAP in the future.

I will remain involved with OPeNDAP, focusing on its use in accessing oceanographic data in general and satellite-derived ocean parameters in particular. So this isn't goodbye, it's simply an announcement of a change in the management of OPeNDAP.

My guess is that things related to OPeNDAP will only get better for you as a result of this change.

PeterF can be reached at: pfox@xxxxxxxxxxx.

Peter

Peter Cornillon

Graduate School of Oceanography - Telephone: (401) 874-6283

University of Rhode Island - Fax: (401) 874-6728

Narragansett, RI 02882 - E-mail: pcornillon@xxxxxxxxxxx