Jonathan Garriss stepped down from his position as Executive Director of a group of eBay sellers called PESA (Professional eBay Sellers Alliance.) Garriss said PESA had accomplished its original mission, which was to have a channel of communication with eBay. "It's time for a new energy to take PESA to the next level," Garriss said.

Asked when his term was to expire, Garriss said he was serving at the pleasure of the board. "They would have liked for me to stay longer," he said.

Garriss added that members of the organization were discussing the structure of the group and how centralized it should be, the kind of committees to have, and the terms of election. The group is working toward establishing procedures and guidelines to result in a stable group, according to Garriss. "It takes time to mature, and PESA has just turned a little over 2 years old."

Garriss says the mission of PESA is intact, to have a channel of communication with eBay, and points to eBay North America President Bill Cobb's presence at the biannual summit meeting in Austin in the fall as evidence that the group's mission has been accomplished.

Garriss said he will spend the next few weeks in a transition period and will remain a member of PESA. As far as a replacement, Garriss said that is one of the discussions members are having - whether there is a need for an Executive Director, or whether PESA is able to pull from the experience of its members and have project leaders in different areas.

Garriss' company, Gotham City Online, is one of the top sellers in eBay's footwear category and also sells handbags. Gotham City Online is entering into the jewelry category, Garriss said, and he is finding that it is taking up more of his time as he learns the category, though he added that he has a head-start in that he already knows the eBay customer.

http://www.gopesa.org