Fellows, I am in search of advice on finding and hiring people to manage/lead/facilitate an on-line community of practice. I am assigned to the US Naval Academy and we are considering establishing an on-line community in the theme of emerging information age naval operations. The goals of the community would be: 1. provide a "place" where thematically-focused intellectual capital can be shared and built 2. connect widespread interested and involved parties from across organizational boundaries to collaborate on designated projects, especially research and design projects related to information age naval operations 3. induce and accelerate a cultural shift at the Naval Academy from industrial age thinking, teaching, and learning to information age same I have read many papers, books, etc on the subject and am now looking for those directly attached to the issue that can provide first hand advice and brief discussion. Can anyone provide advice, primarily in the skills and qualifications needed by a CoP manager/leader/facilitator of this nature, or point me at good reference people regarding this? Sincerely, Mark Tempestilli Captain, US Navy Director of Network Centric Warfare United States Naval Academy 290 Buchanan Rd Annapolis, MD 21402 phone: 410-293-1458