As Jay Fox notes, and I have been remiss in failing to point out, the election process is underway at the Immortality Institute - that most useful generator of better outrageous extremes in the public debate over healthy life extension.

Of the current board of directors, I, Jay Fox (jaydfox), am the only one who was not one of the original directors who founded the Immortality Institute. Kevin, Reason, Sebastian, and Kennetth have all been there from the infancy of ImmInst, alongside Bruce Klein (BruceKlein) and Susan Fonseca-Klein (chestnut). I am the newcomer, and I was encouraged into service because of my zeal, and my proliferative and thoughtful writings.

However, in the past year, many new faces have joined the ranks of the zealous, proliferative, and thoughtful at ImmInst. Many old faces have remained true to the cause, the mission to "conquer the blight of involuntary death". New advisors have been appointed, advising on issues such as cryonics and biotechnology. There are at least a dozen individuals I would feel proud to serve with on the board of directors, many of whom have already been nominated at least once already.

It's time for these fresh new ideas, perspectives, and leadership styles to help push ImmInst along.

As one of the present board members who is stepping aside, I must agree with this. I am a very busy person at the best of times, and in a small nonprofit like the Institute - or in any online, largely virtual organization like the Institute - it is very important that individual board members be energetic, proactive, driving forces. There are plenty who could do that far better than I simply by merit of having the time to devote ... meanwhile, I will no doubt be just as good a resource for the Institute as a member as I was while on the board. That, in and of itself, is a good reason to step down and let some new blood into the organization.

The Immortality Institute has successfully grown its membership and raised funds for a number of very useful projects over the past two years - including a book and film release. The founder, Bruce Klein, has built up a valuable network of contacts and donors within the healthy life extension community, a network that can be turned to enable future, more ambitious projects. The Institute forums are the largest and most active online transhumanist, pro-life-extension gathering - a watering hole and point of collaboration for advocates, enthusiasts, supporters, gerontologists, scientists and others.

So take this opportunity to take a look! Consider joining as a full member and participating in this election - the Institute is certainly doing its part to help bring the future of working anti-aging medicine closer, and thus ensure that you live a longer, healthier life. Repaying that favor with a little of your time and energy certainly couldn't hurt.

Technorati tags: activism, advocacy, immortality, life extension

Posted by Reason at January 6, 2006 11:19 PM | TrackBack (0)