CANDIDATE FOR DIRECTOR

John Nicholson

I came to USENIX via a somewhat nontraditional route, which, I suppose, is appropriate since I'm not a traditional member. After posting a response to a question on one of the security lists about the legality of honeypots, I was contacted and asked if I would be willing to write articles for ;login:. After a couple of years of articles, someone decided that I was safe enough to let out in public, and I was invited to speak at LISA '03. I had a great time, and, more important, was very impressed at the level of organization and scope of the group. Based on my experience, I decided that I wanted to be more involved.

I'm a lawyer who negotiates technology-related deals. I do licenses and large development and implementation deals, as well as large outsourcing deals. So, you might be asking, "What does this guy have to offer USENIX? Why would we even let him in the building?" Fair questions. I think I bring a different perspective, and, frequently, looking at things with a new point of view can produce valuable insights. I have experience dealing with large organizations and understanding the issues that they, and their people, face. In my work I have to deal with diverse groups with frequently differing opinions, and I have to craft solutions that are acceptable to each side as a whole, as well as the various factions within each side. On top of that, I'm someone to tell all your lawyer jokes to.

I look forward to serving on the Board, and I hope that you'll give me the opportunity.

Biography: John Nicholson is an attorney with the law firm Shaw Pittman LLP in Washington, D.C., where he focuses on technology outsourcing, information and network security, computer viruses, and technology transfer. Before joining Shaw Pittman, Mr. Nicholson was the internal project manager for an Oracle implementation at a mid-size company and was the acting director of IT prior to the hiring of the company's CIO. In 1995 he received a JD/MBA from Vanderbilt University, where he concentrated in business school on corporate strategy and operations. Before law school, Mr. Nicholson was a physicist with the U.S. Department of Energy's Superconducting Super Collider program. As an undergraduate at Williams College, he double-majored in physics and theater.

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