A Conversation with Susan Forney

Susan Forney’s career in network engineering, architecture, programming, and systems analysis spans more than two decades.

Currently a network engineer for Hurricane Electric, her role as secretary on NANOG’s Board of Directors began in late 2018, though she’s been an active member of our community for many years. We spoke with her recently about what drove her to run for office, and why education and inclusivity are critical to NANOG’s mission now, more than ever. We spoke with her recently about what drove her to run for office, and why education and inclusivity are critical to NANOG’s mission now, more than ever.

What led to your decision to run for secretary on NANOG’s board, and what are you hoping to accomplish through your role?

I accepted the office because I felt it would give me an opportunity to learn how the board operates, and I’m also interested in keeping NANOG relevant to the network engineering community.

NANOG is 25 years old. It’s an important part of the Internet community today, but the community also is evolving. To improve NANOG and maintain its presence, I think we need to continuously work toward attracting the younger engineers in our industry. We can do that by continuing to be inclusive and also by offering educational opportunities to attendees at all professional skill levels.

In what ways are you giving back to the NANOG community by serving on the board?

My hope is that I’m preparing NANOG for its future.

How were you first introduced to NANOG?

I was introduced to NANOG by my colleague Doug Wilson when we were both working at Microsoft. Doug took me under his wing and introduced me to dozens of people at my first NANOG meeting, most of whom I’m still in contact with today. I wouldn’t have gotten as much out of NANOG without Doug. He taught me the importance of seeking out and helping new people navigate NANOG meetings.

In what ways has the NANOG community impacted the work you do on a daily basis?

Hurricane Electric is a large ISP, and the NANOG mailing list is pretty much vital to my job.

What’s one unique thing that most people in our community may not know about you?

I met my husband through NANOG.